I soloed this past summer and have a few flights on a Tiger 60. I can fly my trainer inverted, do loops, immelmans, cuban 8s, aileron rolls, etc. I am looking to try to learn IMAC type aerobatics and plan to start with the Tiger. My question is regarding using a sim (RF G3.5) to learn the maneuvers. I have a Tiger for the sim and have started to use the sim to practice. Am I wasting my time? Is there a benefit to learning on the sim? I know that there is quite a difference between the sim and actuality, but will it help? Or should I wait until I can fly the actual plane?
I learned the basics using RF G3.5, and it was a big help for me as beginner. I soloed on my second time at the field. You sound like you used the sim to good advantage early on, too. I can't imagine that it wouldn't be of benefit to you to some extent to learn the basics of IMAC aerobatics using the sim. You are already aware that there is a substantial difference in sim and real life flying. I'd say it will help up to a point in order to work out the stick moves. Then when you are ready to fly the actual plane, you will have a better chance of succeeding. Just my opinion based on my experience with the sim.
Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these great (and sometimes not so great) words of knowledge:
There is always a difference between the sim and the actual plane - weather, wind, humidity, engine, balance, etc.
The big thing is that you can practice the maneuvers on the sim without risking the plane.
The sim will allow you to get the stick movements down pat so that they are automatic. The sim(G3.5 will allow this) will also allow you to change things around on the plane so that it is like your plane (balance, engine, etc ) so that the practice will be as close as possible to your actual plane. The sim will also allow you to try different engine/prop combinations to see what should work best with your plane without you spending the money for another engine, prop, etc.
I use the sim for practicing ANY new maneuver before risking the plane. I also use my sim to mod the plane so that it is as close as possible to my actual plane so that I can get a pretty good idea of how the plane/engine combo is going to fly/handle. I have had the sim save me a couple of airframes when the projected engine was not powerful enough and in one particular case a plane that should have been a fantastic flyer (and was on the sim), but snapped in a heartbeat if I dropped below a certain speed or used a particular control movement irreguardless of speed.
You will not be wasting your time practicing on the sim. While a sim will not teach you how to fly, it will definitely make you a better pilot.
I couldn't seem to get the hang of using the transmitter at the field, on a buddy box for a year. Then that winter I got RF G-2, and crashed 'bout a million times on the puter. Then I went to the field and soloed my first try. I found that the sim was a lot harder than the real .40 Tower Trainer I flew at the time. The transition to actual flight was so much easier because of less wind, and wind gusts, I could see the plane!, and overall much slower.
When I got an Avistar .46, I pounded that plane into RF G-2, and started some simple acrobatics. Worth it! I learned the stick movements, actually, my fingers learned, I just watched. When I could do it on the sim, I tried it at the field, and it was much easier. I at least had an idea of what to do, and maybe more importantly, what not to do.
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