AlexTB20 wrote:
I wonder if I buy some realistic flight simulator accessories (metal yokes/joystick, rudder and throttle) and practice on a software like X-Plane 11 on a PC with an eventual VR headset will help me in any way in learning to better control the real airplane when inadvertently going into IMC weather, or as a helper for my IR course scheduled for this summer?
I don’t know if it helps learning to control the airplane in the sense of keeping the right side up, but it is a tremendous help in practicing IFR procedures.
Mooney_Driver already said the most accurate things about what you are asking for.
Remember that your graphic card doesn’t have to be the most powerful one. Simulations are primarily based on processor performance. If your processor is not able to treat all the processing work your most powerful graphic card will twiddle its thumbs while having nothing (new) to display. So go for a (very) good card but do not choose the latest model. BUT get yourself a powerful processor AND overclock it.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
They claim it has a GNS430 included, which would be great if it works the way it should.
There is a whole world to discover. Don’t hope to get that too quickly done.
loco wrote:
I’d advise proper testing before buying VR goggles. They are low-res. You can’t read instruments or labels when wearing them unless you zoom in.
They are actually higher resolution than Full-HD resolution (Rift is about 1200px tall as opposed to 1080 which is Full HD), but the trouble is if you sat 3 inches in front of your 55 inch full HD tv, yes, you’d be able to see each individual pixel perfectly well – and the display fills most of your field of vision with a VR headset.
There are 4K VR headsets being developed, these will probably work better for flight simulators (which will have 4 times the pixel count of the current headsets).
However, it’s not just the headset you have to think about – you need a VERY good graphics card to drive it. VR headsets are very demanding – to prevent motion sickness, the frame rate must be very high and the latency extremely low (the current Rift uses a fixed 90 frames per second), and the video card is having to render two slightly different viewpoints to make the final image rather than just the one for a flat monitor. There are various tricks that the VR headset software does to reduce the load (basically having the game/simulator run at 45 fps and interpolate every other frame) but you’re still going to need a graphics card that’s likely more expensive than the actual headset (especially since the utterly pointless cryptocurrency mining exercise has forced the price up on video cards recently).
I’ve not used a VR headset for flight simulation, only for Elite Dangerous (science fiction game set in space) where it is very impressive. But individual tolerances vary – I can use VR all day without a problem, but some people find it makes them feel queasy very quickly – although you can acclimate.
I’ve just ordered a Nvidia GTX 1089ti that is supposed work with a refresh rate of 90Hz with no issues.
My last concern is regarding the VR headset. I intend to order an HTC Vive Pro with a resolution of 1440 × 1600 pixels per eye (2880 × 1600 pixels combined) for about 1,200 EUR. I am not sure if that’s enough or maybe should I wait for a 4k/8k headset….
Yeah, better wear it first. I have Oculus and like it for aerobatics (just to memorize the sequence before actual flight)
but find it useless for flying anything with buttons.
I train people “seriously” (ie towards their IRs) on X-Plane, XP reality, Carendo and Brunner force feedback yoke and pedals. It’s all very cheap except the FF yoke and pedals, which are expensive (nearly €4k for the set) but they make a massive difference, I would say the difference between pointless and extremely valuable. You only need the FF pedals for ME training, where it is excellent for learning the immediate drills after engine failure.
I think that Brunner are the best value (though neither cheapest nor best) for FF.
I have experimented with an HTC Vive (not the Vive Pro) and X-Plane 11. I had mixed feelings about it.
Good
Bad
Would I spend my own money on it? At the moment, definitely not. Right now, I’d rather have a large wraparound screen and a physical flight deck.
I think a 4K headset would be a major improvement and undoubtedly there is a huge future in VR flight simulation.
Finners,
have a look at Track IR and a LARGE screen. They cost next to nothing these days.
I use a 32’ TV screen running full HD and Track IR with it. I personally find that it does almost as good as VR stuff but without the lesser effects.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
have a look at Track IR and a LARGE screen
Absolutely. I’ve got a 34" curved screen (G-sync, 100 Mhz !) which is VERY immersive.
Does Track-IR not involve looking away from the screen?