Aerofly FS 2013

[Skybird]

I could not resist on Saturday and got myself a small simulator for cheap money, a reduced special version of Aerofly's Flug Simulator which was released earlier this year for 50 Euros, featuring 8 planes. This special version now has just 4, usually costs 30 Euro, I got it for 20 Euro. It features all of Switzerland, a Hornet, a Pitts S-2B, a Jodel Robin DR 400, and a Sopwith F1 Camel. The special version comes in new package and it named Aerofly Flug Simulator 2013.

Aerofly is a German company who made itself known for simulations of RC model planes.

The sim is limited in scope. It features all of Switzerland in photorealism, and thus only one daylight condition. Easy and quick menus allow manipulation of some basic weather settings and sim settings. All planes can be changed in flight, within seconds.

The manual is 18 pages, but does full justice to what the sim delivers and is capable to do. Few pages - but no complaint by me. What needs to be said about the software, got inside of that tiny booklet. It is German, but the sim is not difficult to be understood - foreigners should be able to get along, too.

Physics: are basic, the planes do what you expect them to do when you do this or that with the controls. In this the sim actually is pretty good. Where it lacks is probably that it does not truthfully copy the typical characteristics of every plane, and how fuel weight and such things alter the plane behavior. The basics are there, the rest is none-existent or simplified. If you are a purist demanding realism in even excessive and exotic flight conditions, though - look somewhere else.

Avionics: you check the six main instruments and the throttle settings, but no complex avionic handling, no radio, no traffic, no system depth.

But do not underestimate that. Flying with this baby is fun. Simplified maybe, but fun. I have stick, throttle, pedals and TrackIR activated. But you can as well fly it with the mouse, and quite good so.

Plane models are okay, cockpits as well. The Pitts actually I ike to sit in very much. The Sopwith loses to its RoF pendant, though, and looks - unmotivated.

But the real joy of this sim comes from the scenery, and that is simply spectacular. Photorealism to the max, with the option to have all names of mountain peaks and villages shown, too. Very high quality aerial photography of all of Switzerland. And zooming over such a scenery with a fast moving plane, is immense fun, it really is. I dare say this sim has given me the closest experience of what it feels like to race with 450 knots over the planet's surface of all simulations I ever tried. Flying with the Pitts is fun, too.

And - no stuttering. No micro-pauses when the scenery gets reloaded from HD. It remains to be a fluid, undisturbed experience from the beginning to the end. Very good programming and optimizing done on that.

For low-medium price you get the simplified fun-to-play flight simulation that beats every other sim there is in the scenery department. The photorealistic scenery is the one and biggest argument to try this title out.

Aerofly FS 2013 is a good idea as a present if somebody wants to get a taste of flightsimming but may be scared from the complex PMDG-stuff and complex installations like FS and Xplane, and the general difficulty of other sims. The basic physics are there, and the overall experience delivers. And I say again: despite the obvious limits in scope and the simplified handling of a cockpit, it is great fun to fly with this beauty around - it looks grrrreat.

Up and away! discover the Alps! Plenty of stuff to see there! They say flying is fun, so relax, and enjoy, and admire how simple it can be! This sim delivers the joy of flying better than many others.

P.S. You can start from around two dozen different airfields and airports around the country. Launch the program, and within 30 seconds you are in the air at the place of your choice, and with the plane of your choice. Airstreams can be visualised with streams of small arrows (the bigger package had a soaring plane included. Clouds and fog can be added.).

Video (many available) of the full package:


P.P.S. They say no need for a heavy gaming rig to get smooth frames. A patch has limited the frames to 60 now, to prevent the sim calculating frames that would not make a difference anyway. I have those 60 easily with maxed detail settings. I hear that people report extremely good frames with mid-range platforms, too.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Avionics: you check the six main instruments and the throttle settings, but no complex avionic handling, no radio, no traffic, no system depth.

One up for this over M$ Flight then.

Another one, support for TIR.

Another one, still going.

Edit: Steam release due soon.

[Skybird]

To make this one clear: this package does not compare to the quite advanced physics you find in for example the Realair Marchetti SF260 and other high quality addons for for FS, and it is no Carendo Chessna and No Digital Aviation Cheyenne, and it is also Condor Soaring or DCS A-10, no PMDG 737NGX either. The pedals for example produce more roll than pitch and feel more like using the stick's side-movement. Ther Hornet can go on afterburner forever and reaching hilarious speeds - forever. No fuel management. This is for fun, and for sightseeing, and for easy access, and for eye-candy. This - not more, not less, nothing different.

If you think that MS FS in principle doe snot deliver complexity and realism, you should try some of the addons I listed, Berbunch. There is a reason why since many years I have never used a default MS plane in FS, but spend money on buying addon stuff. Worlds apart.

[Herr-Berbunch]

MS FS in principle doe snot deliver complexity

Firstly, I'd like to point out that your keyboard has failed to deliver the correct space again.

Secondly, I was referring to Flight, not Flight Simulator! A distinct difference, I'm sure you'll agree?

However the similarities with Aerofly FS and Flight (not Simulator) are right there (at least to a bystander) -

Few aircraft (at this time).
Hawaii v Switzerland (about 4x greater area).
Basic instrumentation and handling.
Fun.

I was in no way slighting FSX addons, I have many paid-for addons myself including Switzerland Pro-X (a by-product of the days when I had money to burn! ), although I've never plumped for any PDMG offering, and that Swiss Pro-X is probably the reason I won't buy Aerofly FS in the foreseeable.

[Skybird]

Ooooh, Flight, yes - I already had cleaned that off the table of my mind...

Maybe Aerofly is kind of Flight, but if it is , then it is the better looking one.

My keyboard works technically fine, btw. The problem is the naked monkey sitting in front of it.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Aerofly FS is now available on Steam, and I considered watching for a Steam sale to maybe get it cheap, but then I read this -

FSX fans will find certain characteristics of Aerofly FS to be lacking. For example, the engine stays in “on status,” there are no switches that can be clicked in the cockpit, there are no landing lights, there are no navigation aids, and, while the weather can be modified, the maximum cloud coverage is 3/8.
In addition, it does not have any Artificial Intelligence aircraft so the airport seems a little empty. In fact, there's no ATC system at all. Pilots cannot start from a ramp, and there are no audio feedback triggers from adjusting flaps or the gear lever. Some flight dynamics are inaccurate. For example, spinning is not very accurate, nor is near stall.
There are no sloped runways, no rudder for turning, and no multiplayer gaming. As result of its weak areas, Aerofly FS is not considered a full substitute for more developed and entrenched flight simulators.

Maybe a couple of those things wouldn't be so bad, but all of them together rule it out for me. If Ikarus can sort them out then one day I'll reconsider, but until then I'll stick with what I've got.

[greenjewel]

Hello I just bought this on steam; and my reaction to the game is not quite as optimistic as yours op. First of all I started the game after install with expert mode on. I can't put the fighter jet into a spin. I can fly straight up and not stall. I can land on lakes; rivers; hills; I haven't tried mountains. I can fly 5 feet above ground upside down(steam gave me a sticker). When I try to exit the atmosphere and look back down everything does look very impressive. Wherever you are there's no hint of airflow over the wings; no matter what stunts you pull. The wings do flex.... If you look at the engines of the jet fighter from behind randomly the engines turn off (visually not physically). I would like to get a refund; but I don't believe steam will give refund based off of user experience They sell it as realistic flight simulator and I can land any plane on water and take off again! Oh! With or without landing gear!

[Herr-Berbunch]

Welcome aboard

Thank you for confirming my decision, but I'm sorry you're not enjoying it. What other sims have you got?

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by greenjewel

Hello I just bought this on steam; and my reaction to the game is not quite as optimistic as yours op. First of all I started the game after install with expert mode on. I can't put the fighter jet into a spin. I can fly straight up and not stall. I can land on lakes; rivers; hills; I haven't tried mountains. I can fly 5 feet above ground upside down(steam gave me a sticker). When I try to exit the atmosphere and look back down everything does look very impressive. Wherever you are there's no hint of airflow over the wings; no matter what stunts you pull. The wings do flex.... If you look at the engines of the jet fighter from behind randomly the engines turn off (visually not physically). I would like to get a refund; but I don't believe steam will give refund based off of user experience They sell it as realistic flight simulator and I can land any plane on water and take off again! Oh! With or without landing gear!

Well, I kind of cautioned of the limited realism. The basic physics are there, not more, and the world is about looks, not functionality. This whole thing really only is about taking the plane out for a walk and watching the daylight landscape. In this it performs very well.

I told you so! Twice! (post #3, too)

Take it for what it is. You can have fun with it if you do, and can learn about Switzerland . But if you insist on your expectations being different, then you will recall it as a waste of money, which would be sad. that bad it simply is not.

I also saw that Steam sells the full package with 8 instead 4 planes, and for 40 bucks. Well, that much it wouldn't have been worth for me, too, probably. As I said, the special edition "2013" that I got, regularly costs 30 Euro, and I got it for the half. Originally the thing costed 65 dollars, thats why I did not go after it earlier this year.

I agree though that it is a bit rich that they promote this as the most realistic flight simulator". The most realistic VFR looks - that would have been correct. But again, I told about the basic physics only, and limited options.

[Skybird]

This is what simHQ had to say in their review of the full program in April.

http://www.simhq.com/_air14/air_516a.html

Greenjewel, try the glider and see whether that one brings you some joy. I cannot tell, it is not part of the 2013 edition. From what I read it is not as sophisticated as Condor fo course, but many people seem to think it makes most fun. Flying VFR and slow is what this program is best suited for, I would think. The hornet I fly for fun, noting it is not that realistic (it is the most unrelaistic of the four planes I got), but it is fun to skim around at 350-40 knots. I do not try to push the envelopes with it. It could be done, and you are right: it is not realistic then.

[greenjewel]

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

Welcome aboard

Thank you for confirming my decision, but I'm sorry you're not enjoying it. What other sims have you got?

I have silent hunter 3; not sure where the box is. I have condor flight simulator; and take on helicopters. I'm thinking of one of the dcs franchises; or il2 clifs of dover (but I've read it was very buggy/unstable upon release; and I'm not sure if they've fixed everything yet).

Originally Posted by Skybird

Well, I kind of cautioned of the limited realism. The basic physics are there, not more, and the world is about looks, not functionality. This whole thing really only is about taking the plane out for a walk and watching the daylight landscape. In this it performs very well.

I told you so! Twice! (post #3, too)

Take it for what it is. You can have fun with it if you do, and can learn about Switzerland . But if you insist on your expectations being different, then you will recall it as a waste of money, which would be sad. that bad it simply is not.

I also saw that Steam sells the full package with 8 instead 4 planes, and for 40 bucks. Well, that much it wouldn't have been worth for me, too, probably. As I said, the special edition "2013" that I got, regularly costs 30 Euro, and I got it for the half. Originally the thing costed 65 dollars, thats why I did not go after it earlier this year.

I agree though that it is a bit rich that they promote this as the most realistic flight simulator". The most realistic VFR looks - that would have been correct. But again, I told about the basic physics only, and limited options.

Microsoft flight; the free to play version that failed. Is better and more realistic then this game; period. The beef I have is not with you; but with the sales pitch that it is; the game is in fact a real simulator. I tried using the glider that same night and I couldn't retract the propeller. Did I mention you can retract the landing gear on a whim and not damage the plane; it pops in and pops out; that should have been in your review Think about it; it's kind of funny; but that really represents what this game is; an arcade game.

[Herr-Berbunch]

For realism I'd go for a DCS title over Cliffs, you can download DCS World and try out the Frogger for free, it's more basic than the payware aircraft but still involving. The payware DCS aircraft are a work of art (check out the DCS threads around here) but not the sort you can just get in and taxi/take off without reading instructions beforehand. Cliffs is pretty, but there are (were - the last I played was a couple of months ago) still some bugs* but overall it was still enjoyable and my PC is at the lower end of the running spectrum.

*I'm not saying that DCS isn't without it's bugs, but they do work on them seemingly more often.

You may also want to try Rise of Flight, like DCS you can download a demo version (no longer timed) before plunging for an upgraded version or just the odd payware aircraft.

Links to all sites are sticked in the Flight Sim Hangar thread.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by greenjewel

I have silent hunter 3; not sure where the box is. I have condor flight simulator; and take on helicopters. I'm thinking of one of the dcs franchises; or il2 clifs of dover (but I've read it was very buggy/unstable upon release; and I'm not sure if they've fixed everything yet).

Microsoft flight; the free to play version that failed. Is better and more realistic then this game; period. The beef I have is not with you; but with the sales pitch that it is; the game is in fact a real simulator. I tried using the glider that same night and I couldn't retract the propeller. Did I mention you can retract the landing gear on a whim and not damage the plane; it pops in and pops out; that should have been in your review Think about it; it's kind of funny; but that really represents what this game is; an arcade game.

What can I say. I managed to crash my plane on lakes and hills, and I crashed as well during landing with lowered gear when coming in too fast and too hard, and was resetted to initial starting situation. I also stalled the Hornet when climbing to steep for too long if starting the climb with a reasonable speed for the starting altitude. The engine however has magic power parameters. Try flying it at 3000 feet with 330-440 knots, and then turn sharp. My Hornet sooner or later will stall. If you push the magic engine stick to full max, don't be surprised if you reach 950 knots at sea level and then climb vertically to angels 40K.

And this pic
is from Aerofly FS , posted just some weeks ago. It shows the glider without propeller. Are you sure you have checked for needing manual keycommand defintion for raising and lowering propeller?

This video shows the glider in action in Aerofly FS - without a propeller.

[greenjewel]

Originally Posted by Skybird

What can I say. I managed to crash my plane on lakes and hills, and I crashed as well during landing with lowered gear when coming in too fast and too hard, and was resetted to initial starting situation. I also stalled the Hornet when climbing to steep for too long if starting the climb with a reasonable speed for the starting altitude. The engine however has magic power parameters. Try flying it at 3000 feet with 330-440 knots, and then turn sharp. My Hornet sooner or later will stall. If you push the magic engine stick to full max, don't be surprised if you reach 950 knots at sea level and then climb vertically to angels 40K.

And this pic
is from Aerofly FS , posted just some weeks ago. It shows the glider without propeller. Are you sure you have checked for needing manual keycommand defintion for raising and lowering propeller?

This video shows the glider in action in Aerofly FS - without a propeller.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ybPqYQMKJlo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If embedding doesn't work here's the link:

I think the video speaks for itself.

[greenjewel]

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

For realism I'd go for a DCS title over Cliffs, you can download DCS World and try out the Frogger for free, it's more basic than the payware aircraft but still involving. The payware DCS aircraft are a work of art (check out the DCS threads around here) but not the sort you can just get in and taxi/take off without reading instructions beforehand. Cliffs is pretty, but there are (were - the last I played was a couple of months ago) still some bugs* but overall it was still enjoyable and my PC is at the lower end of the running spectrum.

*I'm not saying that DCS isn't without it's bugs, but they do work on them seemingly more often.

You may also want to try Rise of Flight, like DCS you can download a demo version (no longer timed) before plunging for an upgraded version or just the odd payware aircraft.

Links to all sites are sticked in the Flight Sim Hangar thread.

Thanks.