Browse RealFlight G3 Articles by Category

As with a desktop PC, you must ensure your laptop meets or exceeds all the System Requirements for the version of RealFlight you intend to use. Since RealFlight is 3D accelerated, it is especially important that the display device on your laptop is designed to support graphics-intensive 3D games. Laptops intended for 3D gaming will be built with a video card rather than an integrated graphics processor. Gaming-capable laptops are typically marketed as "gaming laptops" or "multimedia laptops".

For more information regarding the expected performance of your laptop, please contact your laptop manufacturer.

The RealFlight Generation 3 software is designed to be fully compatible with the RealFlight Add-Ons 1-5 discs, however, it is not compatible with the Horizon Hobby Add-On disc or digital download. The Horizon Hobby Add-On disc is only compatible with RealFlight 8.

Yes. It is in PDF format, so you may need to get Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software in order to view it.

If you would like to print all or part of the RealFlight G3.x Manual, you can do so with your local printer.

RealFlight G3 Manual (19MB)

Introduction

Vista compatibility is a hot topic right now and people have a lot of questions about using RealFlight with this new operating system. The short answer is that RealFlight G3.5 works just fine with Vista, and we will demonstrate that below. However, for users who are not familiar with some of the new features and behavior Microsoft introduced in Vista, there are a few things that can be confusing.

To help clear up any questions about how to install and use RealFlight G3.5 in Vista, we will provide step-by-step instructions for the tasks that are likely to cause confusion. We will install RealFlight G3 version 3.00.313 (the original release) from CD, perform an online update to version 3.50.060, install all five Add-Ons and all three G3 Expansion Packs, and host a multiplayer session.

A word about User Account Control

Vista's biggest new security feature is called User Account Control (UAC for short). It's designed to prevent malicious processes from running on your computer and doing things you don't want them to do. One of the ways UAC achieves that goal is by prompting you to approve processes that are trying to run with administrator permissions before they are allowed to execute. Alternatively, depending on the type of account you are using to log in, those programs may be silently denied the permissions they need to function normally, causing the program to have errors.

An in-depth examination of UAC is beyond the scope of this document. You can find plenty of information simply by using your favorite Internet search engine. However, it's worth pointing out here that although you can disable it altogether and avoid most or all of the issues described below, we do not recommend that course of action. It would require disabling a security feature built into the operating system and would leave your computer more vulnerable as a result. Instead, simply refer to the example below to answer any questions you have and you'll see that it's very easy to use RealFlight normally with UAC enabled.

Administrator Privileges

You MUST use an account with administrator privileges! This was a requirement for Windows 2000 and XP and it still holds true for Vista. If you do not have administrator privileges, you will be unable to run RealFlight without errors, and the prompts you receive from Vista will be different than the ones described in the examples below.

RealFlight Installation

If you already have RealFlight G3.5 installed (this will apply to most people who installed the Vista upgrade on a computer that already had RealFlight G3.5), you can skip this section and go straight to Preparing RealFlight to run in Vista.

1. Insert RealFlight G3 disk #1. (In this example we are installing version 3.00.313, but the same steps apply to all versions.)
2. The CD will AutoPlay, resulting in the following pop-up dialog:

   

3. Click the "Run setup.exe" button to proceed.
4. You will see the following pop-up dialog prompting you for permission to run setup.exe with administrator permissions:

   

5. Click the Allow button.
6. Proceed with the remainder of the installation as on any other version of Windows.
7. After inserting disk #2 (and #3 if you have G3.5 disks) AutoPlay will run again, but it will look a little different this time:

   

8. Cancel the DirectX installer dialog when it appears (Vista already has DirectX 10 preinstalled). The DirectX dialog looks like this:

   

Preparing RealFlight to run in Vista

In this section we will tell Vista to always run RealFlight and the RealFlight Launcher with administrator permissions. These simple steps should solve all issues where the software appears to just plain not work.

1. Once RealFlight has installed successfully, you will have a new RealFlight G3 or G3.5 Launcher shortcut on your desktop…

   

   …and new Launcher and RealFlight shortcuts installed on your Start menu:

   

2. Right-click on the Launcher shortcut on your desktop and select Properties from the menu that pops up.
3. Select the Compatibility tab.
4. Enable the "Run this program as an administrator" option and click OK.

   

5. Perform these same steps for the RealFlight G3/G3.5 shortcut on your Start menu (begin by right-clicking it just like you did with the desktop shortcut icon). You do not need to perform these steps for the Launcher shortcut on the Start menu because you already did it on the desktop and that setting will automatically be applied to both.

Note that whenever you start the Launcher or RealFlight you will receive the standard UAC prompt (shown in step #4 of the Installation section above) requiring you to either allow the app to run as an administrator or cancel it. As mentioned above, that is a standard Vista security feature. It is normal behavior.

Multiplayer

The first time you attempt to join or host a multiplayer session, the Windows Firewall will prompt you to unblock or continue blocking RealFlight. Once you've unblocked it or otherwise arranged for it to access the network, you should be able to host or join normally.

A note about hosting: Older versions of RealFlight attempt to use the IPv6 addresses Vista makes available in addition to IPv4 addresses, and this breaks the multiplayer hosting capability. You will see a system message similar to the one shown below when you try to host. To fix this problem, simply update to RealFlight version 3.50.060 or later.

Add-Ons & Expansion Pack Installation

All of the existing RealFlight Add-Ons and Expansion Packs that are compatible with RealFlight G3.5 in other versions of Windows will work in Vista, too. In the following example, we will walk through the Add-Ons Volume 1 installation. The same instructions apply to all Add-Ons volumes and Expansion Packs except where noted.

1. Insert your RealFlight Add-Ons Volume 1 disk.
2. The CD will AutoPlay, resulting in the following pop-up dialog:

   

3. Click the "Run RCAPlay.exe" button to proceed. NOTE: For Add-Ons 3-5, instead of "Run RCAPlay.exe" it will say "Run CPanel.exe". For Expansion Packs 1-3, it will say "Run setup.exe".
4. You will see the standard UAC dialog prompting you for permission to run the installer with administrator permissions. Click the "Allow" button.
5. When prompted for an installation location for Add-Ons 1-2, it is better if you select your RealFlight G3.5 installation directory instead of the default location. (Unless you chose something different when you originally installed RealFlight, it will be located in C:\Program Files\RealFlightG3.) If you don't do this, the Launcher will probably still be able to detect the files and move them over, but it's not guaranteed.
6. Proceed with the remainder of the installation as you would on any other version of Windows.
7. You may cancel the DirectX installation when it appears.
8. The installation is now complete. NOTE: After installing any of the Expansion Packs, you will see a dialog stating that installation might not have completed properly. It will look like this:

   

9. Click the "This program installed correctly" button. Rest assured that nothing is wrong; this dialog is just the result of a Vista compatibility glitch, where Vista is unable to determine if the installation was successful and so it asks for your input. You do not need to reattempt the installation in compatibility mode, which is what clicking the other button would do.
10. Repeat these steps for any other Add-Ons or Expansion Packs you wish to install.

RealFlight is compatible only with Microsoft Windows and cannot be used with Mac OS/OSX operating systems. But if you can run Windows on your Macintosh computer, you should also be able to run RealFlight.

Apple now offers a program called "Boot Camp" that does allow Macintosh users to dual-boot Windows with Mac OS/OSX. For help installing Windows onto your Mac using Boot Camp, contact Apple Support.

An integrated graphics processor is a low power substitute for a video card and is not intended for resource intensive 3D games. Integrated graphics use shared system memory (RAM) for video memory and the central processor (CPU) for graphics processing. A video card has the dedicated video memory (VRAM) and graphics processor (GPU) needed for handling 3D games.

For more information regarding the expected performance of the display device on your laptop or desktop computer, please contact your system manufacturer.

The warranty period for all RealFlight products is 90 days from the date of purchase. The warranty covers product defects and any damage that occurs during shipping and handling from the original purchase.

Please note: The warranty is not transferrable, and does not cover second hand purchases.

Under the terms of the Limited Use Software License Agreement, one copy of RealFlight is licensed for one user. While RealFlight is licensed for one user, that user can definitely have it installed on more than one machine at a time. There is no need to deregister a computer.

In the event the user is not able to activate or register on a second machine, they can contact Software Support to request a registration reset for their number. This will allow them to re-register from the new computer.

Introduction

Vista compatibility is a hot topic right now and people have a lot of questions about using RealFlight with this new operating system. The short answer is that RealFlight G3.5 works just fine with Vista, and we will demonstrate that below. However, for users who are not familiar with some of the new features and behavior Microsoft introduced in Vista, there are a few things that can be confusing.

To help clear up any questions about how to install and use RealFlight G3.5 in Vista, we will provide step-by-step instructions for the tasks that are likely to cause confusion. We will install RealFlight G3 version 3.00.313 (the original release) from CD, perform an online update to version 3.50.060, install all five Add-Ons and all three G3 Expansion Packs, and host a multiplayer session.

A word about User Account Control

Vista's biggest new security feature is called User Account Control (UAC for short). It's designed to prevent malicious processes from running on your computer and doing things you don't want them to do. One of the ways UAC achieves that goal is by prompting you to approve processes that are trying to run with administrator permissions before they are allowed to execute. Alternatively, depending on the type of account you are using to log in, those programs may be silently denied the permissions they need to function normally, causing the program to have errors.

An in-depth examination of UAC is beyond the scope of this document. You can find plenty of information simply by using your favorite Internet search engine. However, it's worth pointing out here that although you can disable it altogether and avoid most or all of the issues described below, we do not recommend that course of action. It would require disabling a security feature built into the operating system and would leave your computer more vulnerable as a result. Instead, simply refer to the example below to answer any questions you have and you'll see that it's very easy to use RealFlight normally with UAC enabled.

Administrator Privileges

You MUST use an account with administrator privileges! This was a requirement for Windows 2000 and XP and it still holds true for Vista. If you do not have administrator privileges, you will be unable to run RealFlight without errors, and the prompts you receive from Vista will be different than the ones described in the examples below.

RealFlight Installation

If you already have RealFlight G3.5 installed (this will apply to most people who installed the Vista upgrade on a computer that already had RealFlight G3.5), you can skip this section and go straight to Preparing RealFlight to run in Vista.

1. Insert RealFlight G3 disk #1. (In this example we are installing version 3.00.313, but the same steps apply to all versions.)
2. The CD will AutoPlay, resulting in the following pop-up dialog:

   

3. Click the "Run setup.exe" button to proceed.
4. You will see the following pop-up dialog prompting you for permission to run setup.exe with administrator permissions:

   

5. Click the Allow button.
6. Proceed with the remainder of the installation as on any other version of Windows.
7. After inserting disk #2 (and #3 if you have G3.5 disks) AutoPlay will run again, but it will look a little different this time:

   

8. Cancel the DirectX installer dialog when it appears (Vista already has DirectX 10 preinstalled). The DirectX dialog looks like this:

   

Preparing RealFlight to run in Vista

In this section we will tell Vista to always run RealFlight and the RealFlight Launcher with administrator permissions. These simple steps should solve all issues where the software appears to just plain not work.

1. Once RealFlight has installed successfully, you will have a new RealFlight G3 or G3.5 Launcher shortcut on your desktop…

   

   …and new Launcher and RealFlight shortcuts installed on your Start menu:

   

2. Right-click on the Launcher shortcut on your desktop and select Properties from the menu that pops up.
3. Select the Compatibility tab.
4. Enable the "Run this program as an administrator" option and click OK.

   

5. Perform these same steps for the RealFlight G3/G3.5 shortcut on your Start menu (begin by right-clicking it just like you did with the desktop shortcut icon). You do not need to perform these steps for the Launcher shortcut on the Start menu because you already did it on the desktop and that setting will automatically be applied to both.

Note that whenever you start the Launcher or RealFlight you will receive the standard UAC prompt (shown in step #4 of the Installation section above) requiring you to either allow the app to run as an administrator or cancel it. As mentioned above, that is a standard Vista security feature. It is normal behavior.

Multiplayer

The first time you attempt to join or host a multiplayer session, the Windows Firewall will prompt you to unblock or continue blocking RealFlight. Once you've unblocked it or otherwise arranged for it to access the network, you should be able to host or join normally.

A note about hosting: Older versions of RealFlight attempt to use the IPv6 addresses Vista makes available in addition to IPv4 addresses, and this breaks the multiplayer hosting capability. You will see a system message similar to the one shown below when you try to host. To fix this problem, simply update to RealFlight version 3.50.060 or later.

Add-Ons & Expansion Pack Installation

All of the existing RealFlight Add-Ons and Expansion Packs that are compatible with RealFlight G3.5 in other versions of Windows will work in Vista, too. In the following example, we will walk through the Add-Ons Volume 1 installation. The same instructions apply to all Add-Ons volumes and Expansion Packs except where noted.

1. Insert your RealFlight Add-Ons Volume 1 disk.
2. The CD will AutoPlay, resulting in the following pop-up dialog:

   

3. Click the "Run RCAPlay.exe" button to proceed. NOTE: For Add-Ons 3-5, instead of "Run RCAPlay.exe" it will say "Run CPanel.exe". For Expansion Packs 1-3, it will say "Run setup.exe".
4. You will see the standard UAC dialog prompting you for permission to run the installer with administrator permissions. Click the "Allow" button.
5. When prompted for an installation location for Add-Ons 1-2, it is better if you select your RealFlight G3.5 installation directory instead of the default location. (Unless you chose something different when you originally installed RealFlight, it will be located in C:\Program Files\RealFlightG3.) If you don't do this, the Launcher will probably still be able to detect the files and move them over, but it's not guaranteed.
6. Proceed with the remainder of the installation as you would on any other version of Windows.
7. You may cancel the DirectX installation when it appears.
8. The installation is now complete. NOTE: After installing any of the Expansion Packs, you will see a dialog stating that installation might not have completed properly. It will look like this:

   

9. Click the "This program installed correctly" button. Rest assured that nothing is wrong; this dialog is just the result of a Vista compatibility glitch, where Vista is unable to determine if the installation was successful and so it asks for your input. You do not need to reattempt the installation in compatibility mode, which is what clicking the other button would do.
10. Repeat these steps for any other Add-Ons or Expansion Packs you wish to install.

A downloadable version of RealFlight G3.x is not available. Installation is only supported from an original, two CD ROM set for RealFlight G3 or three CD ROM set for RealFlight G3.5. To install RealFlight G3.x on a computer that does not have a disk drive, you can use an external USB CD or DVD ROM drive. The RealFlight G3.x disks are not referenced for daily operation, so you can store the disks once the installation is complete.

We will need to reset the registration for your copy of RealFlight. Please complete the support request form.

Once your information has been verified, we will reset the registration. You can then re-register with a new password.

Please note: Horizon Hobby can only reset the registration for the current registered owner. If you received RealFlight secondhand, the original owner will need to grant permission to clear his/her information from the registration. Alternatively, we can accept a verifiable receipt for a secondhand purchase (handwritten receipts cannot be accepted).

Resolution

RealFlight owners can download the latest version through the RealFlight G3 launcher. Double click the RealFlight G3 Launcher icon on the desktop. With the RealFlight G3 Launcher open, click Additional Options, then Registration/Updates.

From the Online Update screen you can choose to update to the latest version or update to a specific version.

You can also choose to check the Check for Updates Before Starting RealFlight item. This option will look for updates one time each day RealFlight is run, and automatically update it if there is a new version available. Note: This requires that the PC has Internet access and is already connected to the Internet.

Version History

3.50.060

New Features:

• RPM Sensor electronics component added to aircraft editor
• Servo Mixer electronics component has new "Multiply Inputs" logic
• Gear doors can be children of other gear doors
• Support for Expansion Pack 3

Fixed Bugs:

• Animated objects with a path-based component (e.g., roller coaster) detect collisions with their moving parts
• Roller coaster-type objects are animated smoothly
• Collision files that need to be regenerated on the user's disk because of content changes included in an update are always detected and recreated
• Resting contact forces are applied when the aircraft is on an object
• Center of gravity is calculated properly for wings after they break off
• "Breakoff Together" advanced property for wings works consistently
• Switching to a night-flying airport within MultiMode after entering using a daytime airport does not display numerous graphical artifacts
• Import/Export: Imported color schemes are immediately added to the list of available schemes
• Import/Export: Cancelling a raw panoramic image import operation leaves no pieces behind
• Import/Export: Some error messages are improved and/or include more information
• Some resources (motors, rotor blades, etc.) that were previously restricted to Add-Ons and Expansion Packs are now available in RealFlight
• VFI: Frank Noll's Elevator lesson description is correct
• Heli Orientation Trainer: Ghost location always changes after starting a new level
• Multiplayer: IPv6 addresses are filtered out of the list of possible addresses
• Propeller-based and turbine engine components can be selected as the RPM component for a governor
• Keyboard shortcuts to change wind speed, wind direction, sun inclination, and sun azimuth adhere to the Windows keyboard repeat rate and delay settings
• Misc. user interface improvements and corrections
• Launcher: A specific type of download error which made it possible for the online update to leave some files updated and some not, thereby corrupting the installation, is now properly detected. If the error occurs, the update process will abort as expected and leave the app in its uncorrupted pre-update state

Aircraft Changes:

• Albatros DVa (AO4): Tail rests normally on the ground without bouncing
• Bell 222 (both versions): Retracts are located on the 3-position switch instead of the knob. Gear is down in normal flight mode and up in Idle Up 1 or 2
• ElectroStreak: Tail rests normally on the ground without bouncing
• Extra 330 (AO3): Physics and visual rudder are properly aligned, and elevator is properly trimmed
• FlyZone SkyFly: Saving the color scheme to disk for editing is allowed
• Lancair ES (AO5): Decreased flap-elevator mix prevents nose from dropping when flaps are deployed
• Osprey (AO5): Overall flight behavior is improved, model is more responsive, and handling at low engine output is more realistic
• P-6E Hawk (EP2): Flying wires are colored black
• Schweizer: CG adjustment eliminates the tendency to pitch forward
• Simple Flier: Location and size of ruddervators in physics corresponds more closely to the graphical mesh. Trim is also slightly improved
• Slinger: Aircraft no longer enters unrecoverable tumble
• WildRC's Mini IFO: Properly trimmed

3.50.044

New Features:

• Swashplate and flybar angles can be modified
• Launcher: Added a tech support code to force shortcut recreation

Fixed Bugs:

• Snap roll behavior works as expected for high values of the aircraft editor's Stall Severity setting
• Snap roll momentum reduced to realistic level
• Prop wash made more effective during turns
• Helis are more responsive
• Planes in general fly at more realistic speeds
• Recalculated fuselage drag factor, resulting in aircraft with short, wide fuselages having higher top speeds
• Hover trainers: Channel mapping works as expected
• Hover trainers: Aircraft are consistently locked on the correct axis
• Airplane Hover Trainer: Airplane consistently points straight up immediately after spawn
• Heli Orientation Trainer: Arrow matches heli orientation while flying at night
• Heli Orientation Trainer: Arrow displays properly for all heli angles
• Heli Orientation Trainer: Detects overlap between user heli and ghost heli more accurately
• Channel mapping dialog works with JR radios
• Improved aircraft break-apart behavior
• Wind speed/direction and sun azimuth/inclination hotkey repeat rates are now based on Windows' keyboard delay/repeat rate settings instead of being tied to frame rate
• Streamers move when attached to movable pods without frames
• Fuselage components are placed correctly after altering aircraft physics scale
• Tail rotors with more than two blades display all blades properly
• Debris from break-apart does not linger after the aircraft is reset
• Aircraft selection dialog: Colorscheme dropdown box is disabled when only an airframe is selected
• Chat gadget does not drop characters
• Some gadgets now locked within screen boundaries
• Preview images in exported G3X files display the aircraft correctly
• LiPoly 2100 battery specs are correct
• Misc. potential hangs and crashes eliminated
• Misc. aircraft description errors fixed
• Misc. property and settings descriptions improved
• VFI descriptions: Misc. grammar and spelling errors corrected
• Launcher: "Update to Latest Version" function works properly for versions 3.50.033 and later

Aircraft Changes:

• All aircraft reviewed and retrimmed by Jason Noll and John Glezellis
• BLT Park Flyer: Breaks apart after an appropriate collision
• F-16 (AO2): Increased braking strength
• F-86 (ducted fan): Exhaust behaves more realistically
• F-86 (turbine): Reduced flap deflection and flap-elevator mixing for more realistic landing
• Heli-Max Axe CP: Rests normally without sinking into the ground
• Impala (.30 training heli): Exhaust lines up with the muffler
• JetRanger: Renamed from "Jet Ranger"

3.50.033

• Night Flying: Many aircraft now support glow effects at night
• Dynamic Sun Angle: You are now able to change the sun angle at 3D airports (not supported in PhotoFields)
• New Airports: G3.5 includes several new PhotoField airports, including Waco Field, home of the XFC
• New Grass Objects: On certain PhotoFields we have placed grass clumps that add an additional level of realism as the aircraft wheels roll across the terrain
• New Aircraft: The Heli-Max Axe EZ and Heli-Max Axe CP have been added, as well as the ElectriStar, FlyZone Cessna, and SkyFly models
• Variable Pitch Propellers: The "V-Pitch" system is now in the list of available propellers
• Coaxial Helis: Coaxial helis, like the Axe EZ, are now supported
• Streamers: You can now add streamers to any aircraft. You choose the color, width, and length of the streamer
• Responsive Objects: Many objects now respond to collisions. So if you fly into a ladder at the Air Race airport, the ladder will fall over. Barrels at the "Carnival" airport can be knocked over and pushed around by aircraft as well
• Multiplayer Collisions: You can now crash into other players when playing online
• New particle effects: Crash into the ground at Joe's Garage and see the dust spring from the ground. Hit a tree and leaves come out the other side. The Castle airport now has a fountain. When an aircraft breaks apart, pieces come out of the broken areas
• New Beginner Heli VFIs: Brian Bremer teaches the basics
• New Trainers: RealFlight G3.5 adds new "trainer" features. There is a Heli Hover Trainer, Airplane Hover Trainer, and a Heli Orientation Trainer. These trainers are like mini-games that encourage you to practice your R/C skills. The Heli Orientation Trainer is very challenging and requires that you pass each level to unlock a new level
• New Aircraft Editor Features: The menus have been reorganized and some helpful new features have been added. You may now select a component by clicking it in the wireframe display. You may now set the camera to Top, Side, or Front views with a button press. New hotkeys have been added as well. A new "Wave Generator" electronics component has been added, which can be used to flap a wing, rotate a beacon, twirl a streamer, or otherwise act as a servo would except that its input is time-based
• Animated Airport Objects: Many objects, such as the ferris wheel and the roller coaster at the Carnival airport, are now animated
• New Emitter Objects: You can now choose to add Sound, Fountain, and Smoke emitters to airports. We've added exhaust smoke to the truck at RealFlight Ranch and "moo" sounds to the cows at Green Valley
  

3.00.448

New Features:

• ElectriFly RimFire series electric motors
• More Axi electric motors
• More lithium polymer cells (910, 1320, and 2100 mAh)
• More standard size heli blades (600, 680, 690, 700, 710, and 720mm)
• Fluxomenic Hydroionic Drive and Hydroionic Cell: prototype motor and battery slated for release Summer 2056
• Allow aircraft to spawn vertically based on their configuration
• Disabled auto-reset after crash by default
• Support for Expansion Pack 2

Fixed Bugs:

• Aircraft behave more realistically while rolling and while stationary
• Pieces of aircraft settle realistically on the ground after breaking off
• Aircraft Editor: Reload Color Scheme menu item works again
• Heli main rotor bark sounds and tail rotor sounds are included in recordings and multiplayer
• Turbine driven props/rotors stop spinning after a crash
• MultiMode: Assigns available InterLink to player instead of disconnected transmitter
• "OK" button is disabled when VFI selection dialog first appears
• Battleship (AO4): Invisible rocks and table on island made visible
• Flight School: Invisible section of curb made visible
• Lighthouse (AO3): Windmill object spins and responds to wind direction
• Painted Canyon (AO4): Champaign Hut object always loads windsock texture successfully
• Misc. other ground handling and breakapart fixes
• Misc. aircraft and airport description fixes
• Misc. airport object folder hierarchy and naming improvements
• Launcher: Technical Support dialog displays EP1 serial number

Aircraft Changes:

• 1903 Wright Flyer: Motors are now a matching pair of "Wright Flyer" engines
• Bell 222 (both variants): Physics and visual tail boom now line up properly
• Foiler (both variants): Physics and visual canopy and tail boom components now line up properly
• Huey: Fixed problems with Idle Up 1 mode and throttle curve
• Ion-X (EP1): Increased number of battery cells from 5 to 10 (heli uses 2 5-cell packs)
• Ion-X (EP1): Made rotor head more accurate, fixed a crash that could occur when blades break off
• MX400 (EP1): Motor has a sound profile instead of just rotor noise
• P-38 (AO3): Increased strength multiplier for wings, fuselages, and horizontal tail
• P-47 (AO3): Left landing gear now breaks off with wing
• Schweizer: Physics and visual paddles now line up properly
• SkyShip: Breakoff texture added where fins attach to body
• Sopwith Camel (Electric) (AO2): Always uses correct airfoil
• Space Walker (both variants): Physics and visual tail gear now line up properly
• Spritzer (4-stroke heli): Physics and visual landing skids and horizontal fins now line up properly
• Yak-54 (With Gyro): Reduced rudder throw

3.00.430

New Features:

• Import/Export custom 3D aircraft models generated using the KEMax toolset, available as a download from knifeedge.com
• Import/Export other custom content, including color schemes, airports, panoramic images, etc. using new .G3X archive format
• Manage User Files dialog to assist with managing custom content (provides built-in copy/rename/delete/export functionality)
• Automatic reset and reset delay after breakapart
• Improved smoke behavior when near the ground
• New SkyShip blimp model
• New electric engine sound profile - medium brushless with planetary gearbox
• Folding prop, includes prop braking model and speed controller model
• APC Slow Flyer prop
• Changed grouping options in airport/aircraft selection dialogs, new options are easier and more intuitive
• Changed color scheme file naming convention to be more flexible and consistent, and to facilitate sharing
• Several advanced flight parameters, including wetted fuselage area, post stall lift and drag coefficients, lateral drag, helical airflow, prop wash characteristics, etc.
• Top and bottom airfoil type selection for fuselage allows fuselage lift tuning
• Mass Scaling Factor allows user to better tune aircraft that are large or have a low wingloading
• Improved accuracy of airflow path calculations and reversed airflow model
• Crash reporting mechanism
• Error reporting for missing resources
• Support for Expansion Pack 1
• Launcher: serial numbers are excluded from tech support output by default, use checkbox to include them

Fixed Bugs:

• Crash when selecting an aircraft from the MRU whose base vehicle was renamed or deleted
• Crash when importing a panoramic image while in fullscreen mode
• Multiplayer: crash when using malformed aircraft
• Multiplayer: possible to get deadlock in Join dialog
• Filenames longer than 128 characters cause numerous problems
• Crash can occur if a file fails to open
• Lift component applies lift at vehicle center of mass instead of lift component location
• Aircraft can get caught in looping pattern around trees
• Brakes apply force in incorrect direction, have improper effect on steering
• Breakoff is unpredictable
• Helicopter skids exhibit no friction after a breakapart event
• Heli blades break off in incorrect orientation
• Recordings do not save correct position and orientation of broken off pieces
• Microturbulence is at 50% by default, should be 0%
• Very high speed aircraft exhibit oscillation
• Washout calculations for wings are incorrect
• Wing downwash behavior needs improvement
• Prop wash velocity and fade characteristics need improvement
• Electric motors don't die after the prop strikes the ground
• Prop strikes are not always detected
• Very small forces and impulses, such as those critical for the stability of very light planes and breakoff pieces, are ignored
• Brightness setting does not affect PhotoFields
• Sim sometimes renders into the area vacated by an MFC dialog that has been closed, instead of rendering to the entire screen
• "Restore Original Value" doesn't always take effect immediately
• Torque curve editor: certain conditions cause the sim to hang
• Torque curve editor: unreasonable resampling values are allowed
• Torque curve editor: negative torque values are allowed
• NavGuide parameters related to electric engines display incorrect information when using glow engines
• Aircraft Editor: in fullscreen it's possible to cause the aircraft viewport to cover the entire screen and then crash on exit
• Airport Editor: in certain cases, overwriting an existing airport is not allowed
• Airport Editor: after deselecting all panes from Window menu, Reset Window Positions does not bring Pilot Preview back
• MultiMode: Remember/Clear Aircraft Position missing from menu
• MultiMode: Recordings should be disabled, but hotkey still activates them
• Aqueduct airport object spelling fixed
• Misc. other physics optimizations
• Launcher: uninstall should clean up extraneous items installed by legacy products
• Launcher: fails silently if unable to locate program to run, should display error message

Aircraft Changes:

• Renamed Classic Cruiser back to Cessna 182
• Wright Flyer: edited to make it much easier to fly
• Taylor Craft (AO4): main wheels now rotate on correct axis
• Dominion 3D: tail rotor now set up correctly
• Fixed fuel consumption rates on several turbine aircraft
• 3D aircraft have been retuned for greater stability in high alpha
• All aircraft have been retrimmed for hands-off flight at cruising speed
• Adjusted incidence on "slow flyer" and trainer aircraft to provide positive pitch stability
• Yak-54 and other 3D aircraft retuned by Team Futaba pilots John Glezellis and Sean McMurtry

Known Issuees:

• Aircraft given numeric names cause trouble with the MRU menus and other aspects of the sim. Avoid numeric names with all resources.
• Helis spin unrealistically during spool up.
• RealFlight G3 is not compatible with all video cards. Refer to the video card compatibility list at knifeedge.com for more information.
• After a breakapart, broken components sometimes respond unrealistically to collisions with the ground.
• Some aircraft exhibit rolling tendencies during take off due to excessive engine torque.
• Helis and other aircraft sometimes sink into the ground slightly due to a bug in the collision mesh code. A restart usually clears this up.
• Color schemes that are edited while the sim is running do not reload upon request. Restart the sim to see your changes.
• Color schemes saved in this version of RealFlight G3 (.430) will not work with previous versions.
• Aircraft tuned using the advanced options found in this version of RealFlight G3 will not fly the same in previous versions.

3.00.410

New Features:

• PhotoField airport technology
• New airports: Sod Farm & Grassy Flatlands (PhotoFields)
• Default airport is now Grass Flatlands
• Airport editor: Support for PhotoField airports (render to depth-buffer,
  cast shadows, sun halo, fixed camera)
• Airport editor: "Drop aircraft on reset" and "Initial velocity" properties
  added to airplane spawn points
• Airport editor: New Pilot Preview window
• Aircraft editor: "Launch Method" property added to aircraft
• Import raw panoramic images (Simulation->Import->Raw Panoramic Image)
• Expanded graphics card compatibility
• Time scale parameter in physics settings
• Rolling resistance and friction coefficient factors added to wheels and
  surfaces
• Camber thrust model for tires
• Flexible helicopter landing skids
• General improvements to ground handling & steering model
• Converted user manual from HTML and Word formats to Adobe .PDF format
• Initial hand-launch direction is now determined by pilot spawn orientation
  instead of wind direction
• Automatically generate new collision files when a 3D model has changed
• Added another servo to the smoke component to control smoke more effectively
• "Remember aircraft position" lets you temporarily save the aircraft position
  and orientation to be used on aircraft reset
• Show environment map on shiny breakoff parts
• Camera behavior during events modified for "fixed camera only" airports
• New window modes: normal (resizable), maximized normal, maximized
  full-screen (menu bar only), full-screen exclusive
• New custom channel mapping dialog
• Aircraft specifications moved to tab in selection dialog
• Airport selection dialog uses panoramic previews
• Grouping options in airport/aircraft selection dialogs
• "Custom" folder in airport/aircraft selection dialogs
• Redesigned multiplayer "Join" dialog
• Controller numbering in the Select Controller menu
• "Show pilot nametag" option on MultiMode and Event menus
• Roll/zoom added to TrackIR view
• E3D - Flap Mixing: added flaperon and spoileron mixing
• Launcher: online updates can be cancelled and resumed (starting from the
  last completely downloaded file)

Fixed Bugs:

• Eliminate texture cache (RealFlight.cmp-tcache) that is causing startup
  hangs
• Crash sometimes occurs when all wheels are broken off before a reset
• Collision detection/response code needs more optimization
• Behavior of lightweight breakoff objects needs improvement
• Loading of collision meshes needs optimization to improve load times
• Some complex airport objects need optimized collision meshes to improve
  collision engine performance
• Numerous fixes and optimizations for vehicle visual meshes
• Engine handling bug for airplanes with multiple electric motors
• Planes "jump" when a piece breaks off
• Proximity engine performance and runway detection need improvement
• Dirt squares and corners should be "runway" object types
• Airplanes are sometimes identified as helicopters
• Turbine engine sounds don't stop when engines are separated from aircraft
• Smoke continues emitting from smoke components after breakapart
• Engine sounds keep playing at breakoff location after breakapart
• Some static objects have bad scaling values the first time they load
• Attempting to change zoom level in Keep Ground In View mode affects zoom level in manual zoom mode
• Autozoom level not persistent
• "Look At" option combined with pivot camera mode can cause camera to pivot around incorrect aircraft
• "Look at windsock" looks at the base of the pole, not the sock itself
• "Look at windsock" always looks to first windsock, even when multiple windsocks are present
• Walk mode prevents "Look at Windsock" from working correctly
• Walk mode keys (W, A, S, D) are not functional while a VFI is playing
• Mini-viewports can't quicklook at objects
• Camera spring level setting is treated as incorrect data type
• Change default wind setting for all airports (except slope soaring airports)
  to zero MPH
• Wind Variation setting is a percentage, but constraints allow values from
  0-200
• Crash and other bad behavior when using two G3 Controllers
• Multiplayer host dialog accepts invalid port numbers
• Changing shadow quality setting does not affect recordings/multiplayer
  participants that are already loaded
• Name tags don't appear consistently for remote participants
• Chat Gadget title is not updated after exiting the first multiplayer session
  and joining another
• Chat Gadget text size setting has no effect
• Clicking on a viewport in MultiMode doesn't always work
• Aircraft editor: When saving, no warning before overwriting an existing
  custom aircraft
• Aircraft editor: Dialog is not resizable but should be
• Aircraft editor: No user prompt to save changes after renaming a component
  and attempting to exit
• Aircraft editor: Under certain circumstances, two rotor heads appear
• Aircraft editor: Creating multiple rotor components is permitted
• Aircraft editor: Cannot delete tail boom component
• Aircraft editor: "Display metric units" menu option not persistent
• Aircraft editor: Bad default value for "Location in Parent" and other
  properties
• Airport editor: Crashes when moving windsock to a new folder
• Airport editor: Various bugs with Reset Window Position feature
• Airport Editor: "Fit Object to View" behavior needs improvement
• Airport editor: Read only items are not grayed out
• Airport editor: Edit menu and context menu do not always contain the same
  functions
• Airport editor: Following properties need improvement: sun position, sky
  color, shadows
• Airport editor: Control objects are resizable using the hotkey, even though
  they have no scale
• Airport editor: Set As Default should not be available for airplane and
  helicopter spawns
• Airport editor: Misc. other bugs
• Remove camera translations after exiting airport editor
• Recordings continue playing in airport editor
• Aircraft selection dialog is resizable but should not be
• "Save Color Scheme As..." does not warn before overwriting an existing color scheme
• Airport MRU does not include most recent airport if a new one is loaded to
  play a VFI
• Help menu items do not appear while in MultiMode
• Show Keyboard Commands gadget contains some unsupported hotkeys
• Eliminate event previews
• Events timer countdown displays tenths as hundredths
• Sierra Nevada Cliff airport: heli cannot be seen from pilot spawn
• Default scale is wrong for Adair Runway and Grassy Field airport objects
  (AO5)
• Clean up airport object folder hierarchy for G2 airports
• Sim does not respond properly if Windows monitor resolution setting is
  changed while the sim is running
• Lighting is different in the binocular view than in the main viewport
• Sky color needs improving for all airports
• Forest rendering needs optimizing
• "Brightness" setting needs to have more effect
• Make Futaba channel mapping the default configuration for the controller
  interface
• Remove "Flying the Obstacle Course" recording from installation directory
• Naming problem with Rossi .90 ducted fan torque generators (missing space)
• Missing projected scenery object does not give an error message
• System message settings not always enforced
• System messages should be removed when entering the airport editor
• Kontronik motors have zero mass
• Crash caused by certain turbine configurations
• Control objects visible while simulation is running under certain
  circumstances
• Sun Azimuth/Latitude/Wind parameters aren't being copied when creating a new airport
• Sometimes VFI narrations are muted after loading several VFIs
• Various aircraft and airport description errors
• Misc. viewport and gadget bugs
• Misc. spelling and grammar errors
• Launcher: Online updates dialog is unresponsive during updates
• Launcher: Online updates should detect incomplete files in download cache
  and react appropriately
• Launcher: Crash occurs in certain cases after updating from an early version
  to a later version then back
• Launcher: Improve online updates error checking and error reporting
• Launcher: Improve online updates network compatibility (especially DirecWay satellite internet connections)
• Launcher: Assemble information (in tech support dialog) should include
  fileread.ini, should not include airports.ini
• Launcher: Misc. other fixes and dialog cleanup

Aircraft Changes:

• BLT Park Flyer: Reduced rudder throw
• E3D: Strengthened vertical and horizontal tail
• Extra Special: Increased tail strength
• Ultra Sport: Added retracts
• Yak-54: Updated description
• Piper Cub (AO1): Removed aileron-rudder mixing and increased right thrust to 2 degrees
• DC-3 (AO2): Removed aileron-rudder mixing and increased aileron throw
• PT-19 (AO2): Adjusted downthrust value and engine location to improve
  takeoff behavior
• A-10 (AO3): Added wing incidence, no longer climbs at full throttle
• P-47 (AO3): Reduced elevator throw, increased right thrust to 3.5 degrees,
  moved CG forward
• Sukhoi - 3D Version (AO3): Added mass to various components, increased tail strength
• Edge 540 (AO4): Modified tail and rudder strength and mass
• Extra 330S (AO4): Increased wing and tail strength
• Nobler (AO4): Reduced rudder throw, removed smoke servo, set up visual
  rudder component
• Contender (AO5): Removed smoke servo
• Double Whammy (AO5): Removed throttle servo, renamed vertical fin component
• Gee Bee (AO5): Added smoke to glow version, changed electric sound profile, reduced elevator throw, added right thrust
• KingCat (AO5): Added more flap-elevator mixing to fix pitch-down problem,
  increased wing strength
• Sea Fury (AO5): Moved CG forward, reduced elevator throw
• Shoestring (AO5): Removed smoke servo
• Viper (AO5): Removed smoke servo, assigned throttle servo to exhaust smoke

3.00.387

• ADDED: Progress bar during collision mesh generation
• ADDED: Factor in wheel velocity when determining ground penetration depth
• ADDED: More descriptive warning messages when unsupported graphics cards detected
• ADDED: In airport selection dialog, moved RealFlight G2 airports to their own folder, separate from G3 airports
• ADDED: Support for transmitter modes 1, 3, and 4 in Radio Gadget
• ADDED: Option to turn shadows on/off, in addition to shadow quality setting
• ADDED: Online update size and estimated download time notification
• ADDED: Prevent Windows 95/98/ME from switching to fullscreen mode, which caused crash
• FIXED: Slowdown after changing airport (NVidia)
• FIXED: Intermittent lockup on startup fixed for some cases
• FIXED: Potential crash after receiving "You do not have this airplane..." message
• FIXED: Bug that caused error message after G3 had been running for a number of hours
• FIXED: Crash when too many objects are being drawn
• FIXED: Ground handling improvements and optimizations
• FIXED: Aircraft/objects resting on other objects (aircraft can now land on objects)
• FIXED: Wheel camber and toe-in problems, which caused ground handling problems for aircraft with gears that are swept forward or back
• FIXED: More "glass wall" collision problems
• FIXED: Bouncy wheels on some airplanes
• FIXED: Issues with helicopter fuselages penetrating ground and overly active broken-off parts
• FIXED: Surface roughness behavior (ground is bumpier off of the runway)
• FIXED: Screen resolution is persistent
• FIXED: Removed non-functional Anisotropic Filtering slider. User can set this through system hardware settings (GeForce or ATI control panel)
• FIXED: Backspace resets autozoom
• FIXED: Look At menu in MultiMode to offer correct options for player 2
• FIXED: Minimum/maximum field of view camera settings now work as intended
• FIXED: Fixed crash when using Quick Look functions while in chase view
• FIXED: No longer lists disconnected G2 interlink
• FIXED: Moved "View Pilot Name Tags" to "View->Show" menu
• FIXED: Double-clicking in selection dialogs
• FIXED: Assorted other minor UI improvements
• FIXED: Better default values for controller calibration
• FIXED: Prevent user from entering invalid username
• FIXED: Prevent invalid multiplayer participant count (-1)
• FIXED: "Radio out of range" flight failure made less severe
• FIXED: Randomized PCM lockout flight failure
• FIXED: Wind direction in gadget always displays 0 in place of 360
• FIXED: Inapplicable NavGuides now reset to "0"
• FIXED: Missing engine in recordings
• FIXED: Audio playback during recordings/VFI now enabled while in cockpit mode
• FIXED: Switched aircraft icon colors to match airport icons
• FIXED: Launcher's default setting for "Check for updates before starting RealFlight" is now "off"
• FIXED: Incompatibility with non-IE web browsers when attempting to open the manual from within G3 or the Launcher (Firefox, Opera)
• FIXED: Chase camera now starts behind aircraft
• FIXED: Prevent control objects from being placed underground in airport editor
• FIXED: Mountain Pass airport terrain decal appeared small the very first time that airport was loaded
• FIXED: Island Paradise airport: windmill objects now turn, bridge is not floating in midair
• FIXED: Most of the airplanes were modified for camber, toe-in, and minor adjustments to wheel and landing gear position/angles
• FIXED: Corsair main gear protruding through top of wing when retracted
• FIXED: Extra 330L missing texture
• FIXED: Bell H-13 scale fuel tanks now detect collisions
• FIXED: Spitfire main gear protruding through top of wing when retracted
• FIXED: P-38 steering gear
• FIXED: Remove retract servo from AT-6 steering gear (was incorrect)
• ADDED: Sukhoi (AO3): added 3D version as alternate choice in aircraft selection dialog
• FIXED: Sukhoi (AO3): reduced throws on non-3D version to make it a sport plane
• FIXED: Big Stik (AO1): changed to .40 size engine and reduced weight accordingly to match Great Planes Bit Stik 40 kit
• FIXED: Corsair (AO1): moved CG, reduced weight in some areas, added incidence to horizontal stab to reduce climbing tendency, and added more flaps
• FIXED: Piper Cub (AO1): changed engine to .52 four stroke to match description; lowered wing strength to 85%
• FIXED: T-34 (AO5): reduced elevator throw
• FIXED: Tiger Moth (AO5): reduced elevator throw and increased aileron size and throw to tame down in pitch and give more roll authority
• FIXED: Taylor Craft (AO4): increased elevator throw and also corrected elevator chord percentages as they were not consistent with the mesh
• FIXED: Extra 330 (AO3): reduced rudder throw at low rate; modified cg locations and throws for greater stability; enlarged vertical stab to avoid snap rolling at near-stall alphas
• FIXED: P-38 (AO3): removed aileron-rudder mixing; increased throws in elevator and ailerons
• FIXED: Stinson Reliant (AO3): moved cg, lightened plane, increased size of vertical stab, adjusted throws, modified wing to reduce taper, and made other extensive changes to correct snap rolling tendencies and improve overall flight quality
• FIXED: Dazzler (AO2); lightened aircraft; adjusted cg and throws; enlarged vertical stab size; changed propeller to lower pitch, higher diameter. Plane now flies 3D much better and rudder no longer intersects elevator
• FIXED: Slinger: removed unused components (smoke servo, etc.)
• FIXED: Pitts (AO4): reduced weight considerably, adjusted throws. Much easier to fly now
• FIXED: Sopwith Camel (AO2) bug where the wrong airfoil would be used with very old versions of the AO2 disk
• FIXED: Battleship (AO4) airport description
• FIXED: Tail boom break-apart issues with all helis
• FIXED: Simple Flier spins and flies up in the air sometimes after crashing
• FIXED: P-38 (AO3) ailerons don't move
• FIXED: P-38 (AO3) wings break off too easily
• FIXED: Osprey (AO5) elevator doesn't move
• FIXED: Stinson Reliant (AO3) ailerons don't move
• FIXED: Assorted spelling, grammar, and typo errors in menus and text
• FIXED: Tutor Cabin Trainer (AO4) rudder doesn't move
• FIXED: Huey tail rotor moved to correct location
• FIXED: Concept EP CG
• FIXED: Heli servo naming inconsistencies
• FIXED: Adjusted some heli component strength multipliers
• FIXED: T-34 (AO5) visual landing gear problems
• FIXED: Viewing ledge airport object is closed on the back
• FIXED: PT-40 see-through problems related to break-apart
• FIXED: BLT Park Flyer tail skid to improve landing behavior
• FIXED: Fundango tail skid to improve landing behavior
• FIXED: IFO landing gear wires to improve landing behavior
• FIXED: Viper (AO5) landing gear wires to improve landing behavior
• FIXED: P-47 (AO3) see-through problems related to break-apart
• FIXED: Radio gadget, white dots on the gimbals had display glitches
• FIXED: Giles 202 (AO3) is too easy to tip over
• FIXED: Viper (AO5) breakapart mapping and tail skid art
• FIXED: Ecureuil see-through problems related to break-apart
• FIXED: Huey tail rotor blur disk
• FIXED: Bell 222 tail rotor blur disk
• FIXED: Dolphin pushrod alignment, white boom supports, and blur disk issues
• ADDED: Implemented wheel inertia, so wheels will continue to spin for a few seconds after takeoff
• ADDED: Protection against several errors that could cause invalid results (and possibly crashes) during collision calculations
• FIXED: Optimizations to the collision system so that it is faster and uses less memory to perform its computations
• FIXED: Improved object-to-object contact model
• FIXED: Resetting aircraft when another aircraft is at the plane spawn causes prop strike
• FIXED: Orientation of aircraft in airplane editor is affected by retract position when loaded
• FIXED: Aircraft orientation in aircraft editor affected by aircraft orientation in sim world
• FIXED: Init problem that caused helis to be unstable until reset when loaded after an airplane
• FIXED: Gyros reset when aircraft is reset; keeps aircraft like the Osprey from tipping over sometimes immediately after reset
• FIXED: Improved reset code so that objects rest correctly on reset
• FIXED: Crash that occurred in some aircraft when changing propeller type to ducted fan
• FIXED: Some potential random crashes
• FIXED: Crash when attempting to rename a resource that is currently in use
• FIXED: Crash when loading VFI's back to back that were created at different airports
• FIXED: Crash that occurs when using old versions of AO1 & AO2 disks
• FIXED: Crash that occurs when AO1 or AO2 are installed and a sound profile is selected that is also available on those disks
• FIXED: View->Show All doesn't enable pilot nametags
• FIXED: Changing color scheme in aircraft selection dialog for airplane currently in use causes the wrong scheme to be marked as active in the Aircraft->Select Color Scheme menu
• FIXED: View->Show All is sometimes disabled incorrectly
• FIXED: Save as... will allow overwrite of existing file after prompting
• FIXED: Camera lag causes jittery view in walk mode
• FIXED: Walk mode sometimes behaves as if mouse input was supplied when it wasn't
• FIXED: Numerous View bugs, including zoom mode persistence, walk mode behavior issues, etc.
• ADDED: Read-only property of rotor to aircraft editor which shows pitch values
• ADDED: Throttle and pitch curves to the helicopters
• ADDED: Create empty color schemes directory on user's drive if not found
• ADDED: Allow zoom in preview window using +/- keys
• FIXED: Flight model change to increase lateral stability during a hover
• FIXED: Governor: editor shows armed and active, and shows correct target RPM
• FIXED: Headspeed governor setup for helis, so that throttle input now goes to governor, which in turn is fed to actual throttle servo
• FIXED: Improved handling and detection of illegal characters in filenames and descriptions
• FIXED: Aircraft editor background to match other viewport backgrounds
• FIXED: "Airframe" moves around in airport editor hierarchy when certain options are changed
• FIXED: Custom color schemes now work for all aircraft
• FIXED: Removed "Open as read-only" checkbox from open recordings dialog
• FIXED: Pressing controller button while in aircraft editor makes aircraft disappear
• FIXED: In slope soaring primer (VFI), aircraft flies through ground
• FIXED: FM radio interference flight failure is now much more severe
• FIXED: In NavGuides, volts and amps always displayed 0 for electric helis
• FIXED: Problems caused by deleting files for the most recently used airport before running the sim again
• FIXED: Launcher performs some additional cleanup during uninstall
• FIXED: Directory removal bug (sometimes empty directories would be left behind)
• FIXED: rotor disk scaling issues, so that now rotors disks/propellers appears the same size in recordings/multiplayer as they do on the local machine
• FIXED: removed some unused heli mixing

3.00.377

• ADDED: Progress bar during collision mesh generation
• ADDED: Factor in wheel velocity when determining ground penetration depth
• ADDED: More descriptive warning messages when unsupported graphics cards detected
• ADDED: In airport selection dialog, moved RealFlight G2 airports to their own folder, separate from G3 airports
• ADDED: Support for transmitter modes 1, 3, and 4 in Radio Gadget
• ADDED: Option to turn shadows on/off, in addition to shadow quality setting
• ADDED: Online update size and estimated download time notification
• ADDED: Prevent Windows 95/98/ME from switching to fullscreen mode, which caused crash
• FIXED: Slowdown after changing airport (NVidia)
• FIXED: Intermittent lockup on startup fixed for some cases
• FIXED: Potential crash after receiving "You do not have this airplane..." message
• FIXED: Bug that caused error message after G3 had been running for a number of hours
• FIXED: Crash when too many objects are being drawn
• FIXED: Ground handling improvements and optimizations
• FIXED: Aircraft/objects resting on other objects (aircraft can now land on objects)
• FIXED: Wheel camber and toe-in problems, which caused ground handling problems for aircraft with gears that are swept forward or back
• FIXED: More "glass wall" collision problems
• FIXED: Bouncy wheels on some airplanes
• FIXED: Issues with helicopter fuselages penetrating ground and overly active broken-off parts
• FIXED: Surface roughness behavior (ground is bumpier off of the runway)
• FIXED: Screen resolution is persistent
• FIXED: Removed non-functional Anisotropic Filtering slider. User can set this through system hardware settings (GeForce or ATI control panel)
• FIXED: Backspace resets autozoom
• FIXED: Look At menu in MultiMode to offer correct options for player 2
• FIXED: Minimum/maximum field of view camera settings now work as intended
• FIXED: Fixed crash when using Quick Look functions while in chase view
• FIXED: No longer lists disconnected G2 interlink
• FIXED: Moved "View Pilot Name Tags" to "View->Show" menu
• FIXED: Double-clicking in selection dialogs
• FIXED: Assorted other minor UI improvements
• FIXED: Better default values for controller calibration
• FIXED: Prevent user from entering invalid username
• FIXED: Prevent invalid multiplayer participant count (-1)
• FIXED: "Radio out of range" flight failure made less severe
• FIXED: Randomized PCM lockout flight failure
• FIXED: Wind direction in gadget always displays 0 in place of 360
• FIXED: Inapplicable NavGuides now reset to "0"
• FIXED: Missing engine in recordings
• FIXED: Audio playback during recordings/VFI now enabled while in cockpit mode
• FIXED: Switched aircraft icon colors to match airport icons
• FIXED: Launcher's default setting for "Check for updates before starting RealFlight" is now "off"
• FIXED: Incompatibility with non-IE web browsers when attempting to open the manual from within G3 or the Launcher (Firefox, Opera)
• FIXED: Chase camera now starts behind aircraft
• FIXED: Prevent control objects from being placed underground in airport editor
• FIXED: Mountain Pass airport terrain decal appeared small the very first time that airport was loaded
• FIXED: Island Paradise airport: windmill objects now turn, bridge is not floating in midair
• FIXED: Most of the airplanes were modified for camber, toe-in, and minor adjustments to wheel and landing gear position/angles
• FIXED: Corsair main gear protruding through top of wing when retracted
• FIXED: Extra 330L missing texture
• FIXED: Bell H-13 scale fuel tanks now detect collisions
• FIXED: Spitfire main gear protruding through top of wing when retracted
• FIXED: P-38 steering gear
• FIXED: Remove retract servo from AT-6 steering gear (was incorrect)

3.00.366

• Initial helicopter release

3.00.329

• FIXED: GeForce4 bugs (one only shows up with old drivers)
• FIXED: Windows 98 compatibility bug
• Changed default mode to windowed instead of fullscreen for GeForce2 cards

3.00.313

• Initial release version

Resolution

If you are experiencing difficulties downloading the latest version of RealFlight G3, please try to update the Launcher manually. This version of the Launcher fixes some network issues. To download the manual update of the simulator's Launcher click on the link below.

Note: If you are updating OK with the Online Update, then you probably don't need this update, as it is included automatically in the Online Update.

Download Now: Launcher Update (1.5MB)

You must register from your current installation before you can update. The registration and updating processes are located on the RealFlight G3.x Launcher:

1. Open the RealFlight G3.x Launcher.
2. Select Additional Options.
3. Select Registration/Updates.
4. From the Online Updating window, select Online Registration.
5. Complete all required fields on the Registration Information form and enter a password (twice) at the bottom.
6. Select Send Information to complete the registration process.
7. You should receive a confirmation that says, "Thank you for registering this software…". Click OK from that message.
8. You can now select Update to Latest Version from the Online Updating window to begin the update process.

If you currently own RealFlight G3.x, G4.x, G5.x, 6.x, or 7.x, you can purchase/use the RF-X Software Only Version.

Please note: The system requirements for RF-X are significantly higher than for any previous version of RealFlight. It is strongly recommended you make a thorough review of your computer before purchasing/installing RF-X.

To update any previous version of the RealFlight software, we suggest purchasing the Software Only version of the simulation. The SKU is: RFL1001.

To update any previous version of the RealFlight software, we suggest purchasing the Software Only version of the simulation. The SKU is: RFL1101.

To update any previous version of the RealFlight software, we suggest purchasing the Software Only version of the simulation.

Answer

This behavior may occur as a result of:

• Utilizing out-dated (or older) drivers with the software.
• Microsoft DirectX is not installed properly.
• Using a previous version of Microsoft DirectX.

Issues such as these are generally attributed to issues with the drivers in use on the PC. To resolve this issue, contact your hardware manufacturer(s) to inquire about how to obtain and install the latest version of the sound and/or video drivers.

Summary

Improve overall performance in RealFlight G3.

Resolution

Upon installation, RealFlight G3 attempts to optimize the configuration in order to achieve the best possible performance based upon your computer's specifications. If performance is less than you'd expect, below you will find some suggestions for improving the speed of the simulation:

Note: Please refer to the RealFlight G3 manual for detailed information on improving the performance.

• Ensure that the drivers for the video and sound cards are up-to-date.
• Close all other programs, especially virus checkers and network applications such as Instant Messengers, while running RealFlight. Use CTRL-ALT-DELETE to ensure that nothing else is running in the background. The process for turning off additional applications varies by operating system. For information on how to do so, we suggest that you consult the owner's manual for your particular operating system.
• Run the simulation in Full Screen Mode rather than the Run In Window option.
• Reduce the number of open Gadgets. Click the 'X' on each Gadget that you wish to close.
• Eliminate airport items/objects. To do so, click the View menu title, and then highlight the Show menu item. This will call up the list of objects that appear at this location.
• Reduce the number of recordings that are in use.

You may require additional RAM for your particular computer. To determine how much system RAM (not video RAM) you have, review the system information found in the technical support display. To do so, click the RealFlight G3 Launcher followed by the Additional Options button. Next, click the Technical Support button. The system RAM will be located in the system information box on the left side of the screen. If you have 128MB or less, you may need to upgrade.

To switch between Full Screen mode and Window mode with the RealFlight software running, click on the Simulation menu and then click the Settings option. Under the Graphics/Hardware section, change Full Screen to Yes.

Alternatively, you can press Alt-Enter on the keyboard.

While in Full Screen mode, pressing the Alt key or Esc key will display the menu.

An integrated graphics processor is a low power substitute for a video card and is not intended for resource intensive 3D games. Integrated graphics use shared system memory (RAM) for video memory and the central processor (CPU) for graphics processing. A video card has the dedicated video memory (VRAM) and graphics processor (GPU) needed for handling 3D games.

For more information regarding the expected performance of the display device on your laptop or desktop computer, please contact your system manufacturer.

If the aircraft and flying fields appear as a red and blue shifted double image, your video card is displaying in Stereoscopic 3D rather than standard 3D.

Stereoscopic 3D is an option found on many high-end video cards, and is intended for use with 3D glasses. Stereoscopic 3D creates an extra level of immersion similar to 3D movies. When you view a 3D game in Stereoscopic 3D without the proper glasses, you will see a red and blue shifted double image. Standard 3D is what you see with more traditional 3D games where no special glasses are required.

If you are using a GeForce video card, you can toggle Stereoscopic 3D off using the Ctrl + T keystroke while RealFlight (or any 3D game) is running.

If Ctrl + T does not turn off the effect you are seeing, please contact Horizon Hobby Software Support for further assistance.

Answer

This behavior may occur as a result of:

• Utilizing out-dated (or older) drivers with the software.
• Microsoft DirectX is not installed properly.
• Using a previous version of Microsoft DirectX.

Issues such as these are generally attributed to issues with the drivers in use on the PC. To resolve this issue, contact your hardware manufacturer(s) to inquire about how to obtain and install the latest version of the sound and/or video drivers.

Summary

The following is a description for how to assemble an adapter cord to connect a Multiplex transmitter with the parallel port transmitter interface and the InterLink controller for RealFlight. For all instructions, reference the diagram below.

Resolution

Necessary Components

• One 5-pin round male connector compatible with Multiplex transmitter trainer jacks. This should be very similar in style to the plug used on Multiplex trainer cords.
• One female mono plug receptacle, compatible with the dimensions shown for the "RealFlight Interface Output Connector" as shown in the diagram. NOTE: it is important that the female receptacle has an inner diameter of 3.5mm, a depth of 14mm at the tip, and a depth no greater than 8mm for the base.
• Adequate wiring to connect both jacks together. Wire should be copper, having a high strand count. Do not use single strand wire. Two conductors will be required; one conductor for signal connections, one conductor for ground connections.
• Large and small shrink tubing
• Wire strippers
• 60/40 rosin-core electrical solder
• A 40-watt soldering iron

Assembly Instructions

1. Cut each conductor to approximately 8 inches in length.
2. Strip approximately 1/4 inch of insulation away from each end of each conductor. Twist the bare strands of wire tightly on each wire end.
3. Cut enough pieces of shrink tubing to completely cover each solder connection. Make sure to slide the tubes over the wire ends BEFORE making solder connections.
4. "Tin" each end of bare wire with 60/40 rosin-core solder and a hot soldering iron. This is simply to apply a small amount of solder onto the bare wire end to prepare it for soldering onto the jacks.
5. "Signal" connection:
   1. Solder one end of the signal wire to pin #4 on the "trainer jack plug". IMPORTANT: this is the pin located at the 2 o'clock position when looking at the end of the plug itself, as shown in the diagram.
   2. Solder the other end of the signal wire to the center connection on the "female mono plug receptacle".
6. "Ground" connection:
   1. Solder one end of the ground wire to pin #2 on the "trainer jack plug". IMPORTANT: this is the pin located at the 12 o'clock position when looking at the end of the plug itself, as shown in the diagram.
   2. Solder the other end of the ground wire to the outside connection on the "female mono plug receptacle".
7. Slide all shrink tubes over their respective connections. Apply heat with a heat gun or hair dryer to shrink the tubing over the entire solder connection. This will provide a good electrical insulator for the solder connections, and a good strain relief for the physical connection.

Answer

Unfortunately, the USB InterLink and InterLink Plus controllers will not work on Windows 95. The USB support provided by the Windows 95 Operating System does not contain the necessary drivers to support a USB device such as the InterLink. Therefore, you must have Windows 98, ME, 2000, or XP for the controller to work properly.

Resolution

The serial number for the USB InterLink Controller is located on the actual InterLink itself. Looking at the rear of the controller, you will find it on the smaller white label towards the bottom of the controller below the interface port.

Summary

The following is instruction to change a Mode 2 RealFlight InterLink Controller to Mode 1.

Resolution

Tools Needed

• Medium Phillips-head screwdriver
• Hemostats (preferred), or needle nose pliers

Instructions

Please read all instructions carefully before you begin this conversion. Horizon Hobby will not accept responsibility for incidental damage to your InterLink controller or personal computer as a result of failure to adhere to these instructions properly. Please contact RealFlight Support prior to performing this conversion if you have any questions about this procedure.

1. Make sure your RealFlight InterLink Controller is completely disconnected from your computer. Failure to do so could result in permanent damage to your InterLink and/or your computer.
2. Remove the four screws from the rear of the controller, remove the case rear half, and lay the controller face-down on your workspace.
3. Remove the silver metal ratchet lever and screw from the gimbal on the right-hand side. This is the throttle ratchet. Physically relocate it to the gimbal on the left-hand side. Rotate the metal ratchet 180 degrees, so the screw hole is now nearest the switch on the top left side of the controller, and the ratchet end is now pointing downward and resting on the ribbed surface of the gimbal. Line up the lever's hole over the plastic mounting stud on the gimbal, insert the screw and tighten to a snug fit (making sure the lever maintains proper alignment over the ribbed area of the gimbal). DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN, as the plastic gimbal may become easily stripped.
4. On the left-hand gimbal, notice there is an arm-and-spring type lever mounted vertically along the inner-right side of the gimbal, the spring attached at the lower end to a plastic mounting stud. This arm and spring assembly must now be moved to the right-hand gimbal. Using pliers, gently pry the head of the spring upwards off of the plastic arm. Now remove the spring and arm from the gimbal (this may require slight maneuvering of the parts to get them out from behind the main body of the gimbal). NOTE: Pivot the arm outward, then slide to the side to remove it from the gimbal.
5. Looking at the right-hand gimbal from the back, on the inner-left side, notice similar arm and spring mounting lugs as were on the other gimbal, except the spring lug is now on the bottom end and the pivot arm lug is on the top end. Take the arm just removed from the other gimbal, insert the pivot end onto the round pivot lug on the upper inside part of this gimbal and rotate the arm downward over the gimbal. With pliers or hemostat, grab one end of the spring which was removed from the other gimbal. Insert the spring down into the gimbal so the loop on the opposite end hooks onto the plastic lug located on the inside bottom-end of the gimbal. Once hooked, gently pull the opposite end of the spring outward and loop it over the end of the plastic arm. If any question arises to the assembly of the arm and spring assembly, refer to the arm already in place on the bottom of the gimbal as they are assembled in the same manner.
6. Both gimbals are now in the Mode 1 configuration. No alteration of any wires is necessary. Reinstall the rear of the case onto the front half and re-install the four case screws.
7. Simply enter the RealFlight program and configure the software to operate in the Mode 1 setting. This is found in the Controller Calibration dialog in the Options menu. Change the Stick Mapping to Mode 1.

Summary

The following is instruction to change a Mode 1 RealFlight InterLink Controller to Mode 2.

Resolution

Tools Needed

• Medium Phillips-head screwdriver
• Hemostats (preferred), or needle nose pliers

Instructions

Please read all instructions carefully before you begin this conversion. Horizon Hobby will not accept responsibility for incidental damage to your InterLink controller or personal computer as a result of failure to adhere to these instructions properly. Please contact RealFlight Support prior to performing this conversion if you have any questions about this procedure.

1. Make sure your RealFlight InterLink Controller is completely disconnected from your computer. Failure to do so could result in permanent damage to your InterLink and/or your computer.
2. Remove the four screws from the rear of the controller, remove the case rear half, and lay the controller face-down on your workspace.
3. Remove the silver metal ratchet lever and screw from the gimbal on the left-hand side. This is the throttle ratchet. Physically relocate it to the gimbal on the right-hand side. Rotate the metal ratchet 180 degrees, so the screw hole is now on the bottom right side of the gimbal, and the ratchet end is now pointing upward nearest the switch on the top right side, and resting on the ribbed surface of the gimbal. Line up the lever's hole over the plastic mounting stud on the gimbal, insert the screw and tighten to a snug fit (making sure the lever maintains proper alignment over the ribbed area of the gimbal). DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN, as the plastic gimbal may become easily stripped
4. On the right-hand gimbal, notice there is an arm-and-spring type lever mounted vertically along the inner-left side of the gimbal, the spring attached at the lower end to a plastic mounting stud. This arm and spring assembly must now be moved to the left-hand gimbal. Using pliers, gently pry the head of the spring upwards off of the plastic arm. Now remove the spring and arm from the gimbal (this may require slight maneuvering of the parts to get them out from behind the main body of the gimbal). NOTE: Pivot the arm outward, then slide to the side to remove it from the gimbal.
5. Looking at the left-hand gimbal from the back, on the inner-right side, notice similar arm and spring mounting lugs as were on the other gimbal, except the spring lug is now on the top end and the pivot arm lug is on the bottom end. Take the arm just removed from the other gimbal, insert the pivot end onto the round pivot lug on the lower inside part of this gimbal and rotate the arm upward over the gimbal. With pliers or hemostat, grab one end of the spring which was removed from the other gimbal. Insert the spring down into the gimbal so the loop on the opposite end hooks onto the plastic lug located on the inside top-end of the gimbal. Once hooked, gently pull the opposite end of the spring outward and loop it over the end of the plastic arm. If any question arises to the assembly of the arm and spring assembly, refer to the arm already in place on the bottom of the gimbal as they are assembled in the same manner.
6. Both gimbals are now in the Mode 2 configuration. No alteration of any wires is necessary. Reinstall the rear of the case onto the front half and re-install the four case screws.
7. Simply enter the RealFlight program and check the configuration of the software to operate in the Mode 2 setting. This is found in the Controller Calibration dialog in the Options menu. No change to the Stick Mapping should be necessary to Mode 2.

Summary

The following is a description for how to assemble an adapter cord to connect a Multiplex transmitter with the parallel port transmitter interface and the InterLink controller for RealFlight. For all instructions, reference the diagram below.

Resolution

Necessary Components

• One 5-pin round male connector compatible with Multiplex transmitter trainer jacks. This should be very similar in style to the plug used on Multiplex trainer cords.
• One female mono plug receptacle, compatible with the dimensions shown for the "RealFlight Interface Output Connector" as shown in the diagram. NOTE: it is important that the female receptacle has an inner diameter of 3.5mm, a depth of 14mm at the tip, and a depth no greater than 8mm for the base.
• Adequate wiring to connect both jacks together. Wire should be copper, having a high strand count. Do not use single strand wire. Two conductors will be required; one conductor for signal connections, one conductor for ground connections.
• Large and small shrink tubing
• Wire strippers
• 60/40 rosin-core electrical solder
• A 40-watt soldering iron

Assembly Instructions

1. Cut each conductor to approximately 8 inches in length.
2. Strip approximately 1/4 inch of insulation away from each end of each conductor. Twist the bare strands of wire tightly on each wire end.
3. Cut enough pieces of shrink tubing to completely cover each solder connection. Make sure to slide the tubes over the wire ends BEFORE making solder connections.
4. "Tin" each end of bare wire with 60/40 rosin-core solder and a hot soldering iron. This is simply to apply a small amount of solder onto the bare wire end to prepare it for soldering onto the jacks.
5. "Signal" connection:
   1. Solder one end of the signal wire to pin #4 on the "trainer jack plug". IMPORTANT: this is the pin located at the 2 o'clock position when looking at the end of the plug itself, as shown in the diagram.
   2. Solder the other end of the signal wire to the center connection on the "female mono plug receptacle".
6. "Ground" connection:
   1. Solder one end of the ground wire to pin #2 on the "trainer jack plug". IMPORTANT: this is the pin located at the 12 o'clock position when looking at the end of the plug itself, as shown in the diagram.
   2. Solder the other end of the ground wire to the outside connection on the "female mono plug receptacle".
7. Slide all shrink tubes over their respective connections. Apply heat with a heat gun or hair dryer to shrink the tubing over the entire solder connection. This will provide a good electrical insulator for the solder connections, and a good strain relief for the physical connection.

Resolution

Batteries are not needed to operate the USB Controller that is included with your RealFlight software. The controller is made using the case from an actual R/C transmitter, giving it a more realistic feel. The computer provides the power for the controller.

The InterLink Plus Controller does not require batteries. The battery door is there only to complete the look and feel of a real R/C transmitter.

As with a desktop PC, you must ensure your laptop meets or exceeds all the System Requirements for the version of RealFlight you intend to use. Since RealFlight is 3D accelerated, it is especially important that the display device on your laptop is designed to support graphics-intensive 3D games. Laptops intended for 3D gaming will be built with a video card rather than an integrated graphics processor. Gaming-capable laptops are typically marketed as "gaming laptops" or "multimedia laptops".

For more information regarding the expected performance of your laptop, please contact your laptop manufacturer.

Introduction

Vista compatibility is a hot topic right now and people have a lot of questions about using RealFlight with this new operating system. The short answer is that RealFlight G3.5 works just fine with Vista, and we will demonstrate that below. However, for users who are not familiar with some of the new features and behavior Microsoft introduced in Vista, there are a few things that can be confusing.

To help clear up any questions about how to install and use RealFlight G3.5 in Vista, we will provide step-by-step instructions for the tasks that are likely to cause confusion. We will install RealFlight G3 version 3.00.313 (the original release) from CD, perform an online update to version 3.50.060, install all five Add-Ons and all three G3 Expansion Packs, and host a multiplayer session.

A word about User Account Control

Vista's biggest new security feature is called User Account Control (UAC for short). It's designed to prevent malicious processes from running on your computer and doing things you don't want them to do. One of the ways UAC achieves that goal is by prompting you to approve processes that are trying to run with administrator permissions before they are allowed to execute. Alternatively, depending on the type of account you are using to log in, those programs may be silently denied the permissions they need to function normally, causing the program to have errors.

An in-depth examination of UAC is beyond the scope of this document. You can find plenty of information simply by using your favorite Internet search engine. However, it's worth pointing out here that although you can disable it altogether and avoid most or all of the issues described below, we do not recommend that course of action. It would require disabling a security feature built into the operating system and would leave your computer more vulnerable as a result. Instead, simply refer to the example below to answer any questions you have and you'll see that it's very easy to use RealFlight normally with UAC enabled.

Administrator Privileges

You MUST use an account with administrator privileges! This was a requirement for Windows 2000 and XP and it still holds true for Vista. If you do not have administrator privileges, you will be unable to run RealFlight without errors, and the prompts you receive from Vista will be different than the ones described in the examples below.

RealFlight Installation

If you already have RealFlight G3.5 installed (this will apply to most people who installed the Vista upgrade on a computer that already had RealFlight G3.5), you can skip this section and go straight to Preparing RealFlight to run in Vista.

1. Insert RealFlight G3 disk #1. (In this example we are installing version 3.00.313, but the same steps apply to all versions.)
2. The CD will AutoPlay, resulting in the following pop-up dialog:

   

3. Click the "Run setup.exe" button to proceed.
4. You will see the following pop-up dialog prompting you for permission to run setup.exe with administrator permissions:

   

5. Click the Allow button.
6. Proceed with the remainder of the installation as on any other version of Windows.
7. After inserting disk #2 (and #3 if you have G3.5 disks) AutoPlay will run again, but it will look a little different this time:

   

8. Cancel the DirectX installer dialog when it appears (Vista already has DirectX 10 preinstalled). The DirectX dialog looks like this:

   

Preparing RealFlight to run in Vista

In this section we will tell Vista to always run RealFlight and the RealFlight Launcher with administrator permissions. These simple steps should solve all issues where the software appears to just plain not work.

1. Once RealFlight has installed successfully, you will have a new RealFlight G3 or G3.5 Launcher shortcut on your desktop…

   

   …and new Launcher and RealFlight shortcuts installed on your Start menu:

   

2. Right-click on the Launcher shortcut on your desktop and select Properties from the menu that pops up.
3. Select the Compatibility tab.
4. Enable the "Run this program as an administrator" option and click OK.

   

5. Perform these same steps for the RealFlight G3/G3.5 shortcut on your Start menu (begin by right-clicking it just like you did with the desktop shortcut icon). You do not need to perform these steps for the Launcher shortcut on the Start menu because you already did it on the desktop and that setting will automatically be applied to both.

Note that whenever you start the Launcher or RealFlight you will receive the standard UAC prompt (shown in step #4 of the Installation section above) requiring you to either allow the app to run as an administrator or cancel it. As mentioned above, that is a standard Vista security feature. It is normal behavior.

Multiplayer

The first time you attempt to join or host a multiplayer session, the Windows Firewall will prompt you to unblock or continue blocking RealFlight. Once you've unblocked it or otherwise arranged for it to access the network, you should be able to host or join normally.

A note about hosting: Older versions of RealFlight attempt to use the IPv6 addresses Vista makes available in addition to IPv4 addresses, and this breaks the multiplayer hosting capability. You will see a system message similar to the one shown below when you try to host. To fix this problem, simply update to RealFlight version 3.50.060 or later.

Add-Ons & Expansion Pack Installation

All of the existing RealFlight Add-Ons and Expansion Packs that are compatible with RealFlight G3.5 in other versions of Windows will work in Vista, too. In the following example, we will walk through the Add-Ons Volume 1 installation. The same instructions apply to all Add-Ons volumes and Expansion Packs except where noted.

1. Insert your RealFlight Add-Ons Volume 1 disk.
2. The CD will AutoPlay, resulting in the following pop-up dialog:

   

3. Click the "Run RCAPlay.exe" button to proceed. NOTE: For Add-Ons 3-5, instead of "Run RCAPlay.exe" it will say "Run CPanel.exe". For Expansion Packs 1-3, it will say "Run setup.exe".
4. You will see the standard UAC dialog prompting you for permission to run the installer with administrator permissions. Click the "Allow" button.
5. When prompted for an installation location for Add-Ons 1-2, it is better if you select your RealFlight G3.5 installation directory instead of the default location. (Unless you chose something different when you originally installed RealFlight, it will be located in C:\Program Files\RealFlightG3.) If you don't do this, the Launcher will probably still be able to detect the files and move them over, but it's not guaranteed.
6. Proceed with the remainder of the installation as you would on any other version of Windows.
7. You may cancel the DirectX installation when it appears.
8. The installation is now complete. NOTE: After installing any of the Expansion Packs, you will see a dialog stating that installation might not have completed properly. It will look like this:

   

9. Click the "This program installed correctly" button. Rest assured that nothing is wrong; this dialog is just the result of a Vista compatibility glitch, where Vista is unable to determine if the installation was successful and so it asks for your input. You do not need to reattempt the installation in compatibility mode, which is what clicking the other button would do.
10. Repeat these steps for any other Add-Ons or Expansion Packs you wish to install.

RealFlight is compatible only with Microsoft Windows and cannot be used with Mac OS/OSX operating systems. But if you can run Windows on your Macintosh computer, you should also be able to run RealFlight.

Apple now offers a program called "Boot Camp" that does allow Macintosh users to dual-boot Windows with Mac OS/OSX. For help installing Windows onto your Mac using Boot Camp, contact Apple Support.

An integrated graphics processor is a low power substitute for a video card and is not intended for resource intensive 3D games. Integrated graphics use shared system memory (RAM) for video memory and the central processor (CPU) for graphics processing. A video card has the dedicated video memory (VRAM) and graphics processor (GPU) needed for handling 3D games.

For more information regarding the expected performance of the display device on your laptop or desktop computer, please contact your system manufacturer.

Compatibility Chart for Expansion Packs 1-8 C = Compatible N = Not Compatible

	EP 1	EP 2	EP 3	EP 4	EP 5	EP 6	EP 7	EP 8
RealFlight Classic	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight Deluxe	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
R/C Pilot	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight G2	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight G2 Lite	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight NexSTAR	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight NexSTAR EP	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight G3.x	C	C	C	C	N	N	N	N
RealFlight G4.x	C	C	C	C	C	C	N	N
RealFlight Basic	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight G5.x	C	C	C	C	C	C	C	C
RealFlight 6.x	C	C	C	C	C	C	C	C
RealFlight 7.x	C	C	C	C	C	C	C	C
RealFlight 8.x	C	C	C	C	C	C	C	C
RealFlight 9.x	C	C	C	C	C	C	C	C
RealFlight Drone	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
RF-X	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N

The Expansion Packs are not interdependent. They can be installed in any order or combination into a compatible version of RealFlight.

Compatibility Chart for Add-Ons Volume 1-5 Disks C = Compatible N = Not Compatible

	AOV 1	AOV 2	AOV 3	AOV 4	AOV 5
RealFlight Classic	C	C	C	C	N
RealFlight Deluxe	C	C	C	C	N
R/C Pilot	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight G2	C	C	C	C	C
RealFlight G2 Lite	C	C	C	C	C
RealFlight NexSTAR	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight NexSTAR EP	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight G3.x	C	C	C	C	C
RealFlight G4.x	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight Basic	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight G5.x	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight 6.x	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight 7.x	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight 8.x	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight 9.x	N	N	N	N	N
RealFlight Drone	N	N	N	N	N
RF-X	N	N	N	N	N

The Add-Ons Volume disks are not interdependent. They can be installed in any order or combination into a compatible version of RealFlight.

Please Note: The aircraft and airports from Add-Ons Volumes 1-5 were re-developed for compatibility with RealFlight G4.x, G5.x, 6.x, 7.x, and 8.x. That content is now available as a free download.

Compatibility Chart for the Airplane Mega Pack C = Compatible N = Not Compatible

	Airplane Mega Pack
RealFlight Classic	N
RealFlight Deluxe	N
R/C Pilot	N
RealFlight G2	N
RealFlight G2 Lite	N
RealFlight NexSTAR	N
RealFlight NexSTAR EP	N
RealFlight G3.x	N
RealFlight G4.x	N
RealFlight Basic	N
RealFlight G5.x	N
RealFlight 6.x	C
RealFlight 7.x	C
RealFlight 8.x	C
RealFlight 9.x	C
RealFlight Drone	N
RF-X	N

Compatibility Chart for the Helicopter Mega Pack C = Compatible N = Not Compatible

	Helicopter Mega Pack
RealFlight Classic	N
RealFlight Deluxe	N
R/C Pilot	N
RealFlight G2	N
RealFlight G2 Lite	N
RealFlight NexSTAR	N
RealFlight NexSTAR EP	N
RealFlight G3.x	N
RealFlight G4.x	N
RealFlight Basic	N
RealFlight G5.x	N
RealFlight 6.x	C
RealFlight 7.x	C
RealFlight 8.x	C
RealFlight 9.x	C
RealFlight Drone	N
RF-X	N

Compatibility Chart for the InterLink Plus Controller C = Compatible N = Not Compatible

	InterLink Plus Controller
RealFlight Classic	N
RealFlight Deluxe	N
R/C Pilot	N
RealFlight G2	N
RealFlight G2 Lite	N
RealFlight NexSTAR	N
RealFlight NexSTAR EP	N
RealFlight G3.x	C
RealFlight G4.x	N
RealFlight Basic	N
RealFlight G5.x	C
RealFlight 6.x	C
RealFlight 7.x	C
RealFlight 8.x	C
RealFlight 9.x	C
RealFlight Drone	N
RF-X	C

Summary

Windows Explorer is one key application with which you should familiarize yourself. This article will briefly describe how to use Windows Explorer. If you are new to the Windows Operating system or to computers in general, it is strongly suggested that you purchase a 'How to' book at your local bookstore. This material will more than likely explain the software in greater detail.

What is Windows Explorer?

Windows Explorer offers you a fast, easy way to view, copy, delete, move, etc., the folders and files found on all of your disk drives. Think of it as one really big filing cabinet. It is important to note that the Windows Explorer application is different from Internet Explorer. Windows Explorer lets you play with the files on your computer, while Internet Explorer allows you to connect to other computers via the World Wide Web.

How to open Windows Explorer

For Windows 95, 98, and ME:

1. Click the Windows Start button, and then select the Programs button.

2. Click on Windows Explorer.

For Windows 2000 and XP:

1. Click the Windows Start button, and then select the Programs button.

2. Select the Accessories button.

3. Click on Windows Explorer.

For Windows Vista and 7:

1. Click the Windows logo in the task bar at the lower left.

2. Click Computer from the menu that appears.

What are Drives, Folders and Files?

For organizational purposes, everything on your computer is reduced or segmented into very specific parts and locations. Your PC also consists of drives which are further broken down into Hard Drive(s), CD-ROM drives, floppy drives, ZIP drives (if applicable) and so forth. Within each Drive, there are hundreds, and potentially thousands of Folders and Files. Again, each of these files and folders are of great assistance in keeping things orderly.

A Folder is very similar to a folder in a file cabinet. Inside each of the Folders, there may very well be more sub-folders, or Files. Folders are a great way to keep you organized on different projects that you may be involved with. For example, you might have a Folder for all of your documents, and another for all of your spreadsheets. Furthermore, you may have sub-folders within these to keep those documents even more organized.

Each individual document and spreadsheet within is known as a File. Files are the items that you are able to view and to work on if desired. Examples include images you download from your digital camera, or Word documents you've created.

What's inside all these folders?

When you open Windows Explorer, you will see two sections, a left 'pane' and right 'pane'. The left pane shows you your drives and folders. This layout is called a tree, as it closely resembles a tree with all of the 'branches'. To the left of each of the drives is a small [+] symbol. Using the mouse and clicking on this symbol will show you all the folders that are stored on that particular drive. Some of these folders themselves will also have a [+] symbol next to them. Again, this means that there are more sub-folders contained within that particular folder. If you click on the [+], it will open the folder list to reveal the contents and change the [+] to a minus [-] symbol. This simply means that the folder has been opened accordingly. If you click the [-] then it will close the folder and return it to the [+] symbol.

The right pane shows all the files and sub-folders that are contained within the folder that you are currently viewing with Explorer. For example, let's view the contents of the My Documents folder. Generally speaking, this folder is contained on the 'C:' drive of your PC. As such, locate your 'C:' drive in the left pane, click the [+] next to this drive- remember, if it's already opened, it will have a [-] next to it. From the folders listed in the 'C:' drive, locate the My Documents folder. Click on the Folder itself, not the [+] symbol next to it. This will change the contents of the right pane to display all of the sub-folders and files in My Documents.

Opening a file

It is important to note that your computer contains two vastly different types of files. There are Program files and Data files. Program files are the applications that you run on your computer. Examples of Program files include RealFlight and Windows Explorer itself. Data files, on the other hand, contain information that was created by the Program files. These might include text documents, photos or images and music. To open a Program file, simply point the mouse cursor on the file, and click twice (double-click) with the left mouse button. As an example we'll open RealFlight using Windows Explorer:

On the left pane, locate the hard drive that contains the RealFlight program. Generally, this is the 'C:' drive. Click the [+] symbol next to this drive. Again, if it shows the [-] symbol there is no need to click on it as the drive is open.

On the left pane below your hard drive, search for a folder labeled Program Files and click the [+] next to it. This will reveal the contents of the Program Files. Looking at the left pane below the Program Files listing locate a folder that has been designated as RealFlight. To open the RealFlight files, simply click the folder to access its contents. There is no need to click the [+]. The right pane will now display everything that is located in the RealFlight folder. Look for a file titled RealFlight that includes the same icon as the one that appears on your desktop. If you wish to start the RealFlight software, double-click this folder.

Data files are opened in exactly the same way. The only difference is that Windows will first open the application that is needed to view the data file. That is, you do not need to do this yourself. Again using RealFlight as an example, let's open the readme file that appears in the RealFlight folder.

Move or Copy a File

The simplest and most efficient way to move or copy a file is to use your mouse to drag it to the desired location. Moving a file is defined as taking the file out of one folder and placing it into a different folder. Copying, on the other hand, keeps the original file in its current or existing folder and makes an additional 'copy' in the new or target folder.

To move a file:

Locate the file you wish to move on the right pane.

Scroll the left pane so that the target folder or desired location appears. In other words, you are able to see the folder in which you wish to move the file. Click and hold down the left mouse button on the file you wish to move. With the mouse button still held down, move the mouse cursor to the target folder. While you are doing so, a faint image of the icon should now appear with the mouse cursor. When the target folder is highlighted, release the mouse button. This will move the file from its current location to the new desired location. Holding down the mouse button while moving the cursor is called 'dragging the mouse'.

The file you moved should now appear in the new folder.

To copy a file:

To copy a file, follow the same steps as above for moving a file, but this time, hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard while you are dragging the file.

The same steps can also be used for copying and moving folders themselves. When you copy or move a folder, everything in the folder, including files and sub-folders, are also transferred as well.

This article only briefly discusses what you can do with Windows Explorer. There are many, many additional features and functions offered by this application. If you are new to computers, or to Windows, or if you would simply like to investigate the functionality of this program, it is highly recommended that you check out your local bookstore for more reference.

Creating a new Folder

On the Menu bar, click File, then select New and finally click Folder and the folder will be created in the right hand pane. At this point, the new folder will be created and the name will be highlighted.  Type in the name you wish to call the new folder.  Make sure prior to making the new folder that you are located at the proper place in the hierarchical view in the left pane. The new folder will always be created as a subfolder of whatever location you have selected.

Drivers are the software installed to support the hardware on your computer (e.g. video card or sound card). The drivers for your computer are not supported through Horizon Hobby.

If you need to update a driver for your computer, please contact your computer manufacturer’s technical support.

You can assemble your system information through the RealFlight Launcher. Here is the procedure:

1. Open the RealFlight Launcher.
2. Select Additional Options.
3. Select Technical Support (please allow several seconds for the Technical Support window to open).
4. In the upper right of the Technical Support window, place a check mark next to "Include serial numbers in assembled system information…".
5. On the lower right of the Technical Support window, select Assemble System Information.
6. From the launcheroutput.txt window, select Copy to Clipboard.
7. Paste the launcheroutput.txt information into a simple text file (Microsoft's Notepad works best).
8. Attach the launcheroutput.txt text file to your email correspondence with technical support.

The software version or 'build' will appear as: x.xx.xxx; 2.00.240 is one such example. There are several methods which may be utilized to determine the software version (or build) that you are running. The method utilized depends upon which software you are running as well as personal preference.

For RealFlight G3, G4, G5 and 6, double click the RealFlight Launcher on the desktop. The version number may be found at the top right hand corner of the Launcher screen.

For RealFlight G2 or RealRace G2, access the RealFlight Control Panel (or RealRace Control Panel). To do so, click on the Windows Start menu and select Program/RealFlight/RealFlight Control Panel. The version number may be found at the top of the Control Panel.

Alternately, run your RealFlight, R/C Pilot or RealRace software and click on the Help menu. Select About. The version number will be located approximately half-way down on the About screen.

Summary

The following is instruction to change a Mode 2 RealFlight InterLink Controller to Mode 1.

Resolution

Tools Needed

• Medium Phillips-head screwdriver
• Hemostats (preferred), or needle nose pliers

Instructions

Please read all instructions carefully before you begin this conversion. Horizon Hobby will not accept responsibility for incidental damage to your InterLink controller or personal computer as a result of failure to adhere to these instructions properly. Please contact RealFlight Support prior to performing this conversion if you have any questions about this procedure.

1. Make sure your RealFlight InterLink Controller is completely disconnected from your computer. Failure to do so could result in permanent damage to your InterLink and/or your computer.
2. Remove the four screws from the rear of the controller, remove the case rear half, and lay the controller face-down on your workspace.
3. Remove the silver metal ratchet lever and screw from the gimbal on the right-hand side. This is the throttle ratchet. Physically relocate it to the gimbal on the left-hand side. Rotate the metal ratchet 180 degrees, so the screw hole is now nearest the switch on the top left side of the controller, and the ratchet end is now pointing downward and resting on the ribbed surface of the gimbal. Line up the lever's hole over the plastic mounting stud on the gimbal, insert the screw and tighten to a snug fit (making sure the lever maintains proper alignment over the ribbed area of the gimbal). DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN, as the plastic gimbal may become easily stripped.
4. On the left-hand gimbal, notice there is an arm-and-spring type lever mounted vertically along the inner-right side of the gimbal, the spring attached at the lower end to a plastic mounting stud. This arm and spring assembly must now be moved to the right-hand gimbal. Using pliers, gently pry the head of the spring upwards off of the plastic arm. Now remove the spring and arm from the gimbal (this may require slight maneuvering of the parts to get them out from behind the main body of the gimbal). NOTE: Pivot the arm outward, then slide to the side to remove it from the gimbal.
5. Looking at the right-hand gimbal from the back, on the inner-left side, notice similar arm and spring mounting lugs as were on the other gimbal, except the spring lug is now on the bottom end and the pivot arm lug is on the top end. Take the arm just removed from the other gimbal, insert the pivot end onto the round pivot lug on the upper inside part of this gimbal and rotate the arm downward over the gimbal. With pliers or hemostat, grab one end of the spring which was removed from the other gimbal. Insert the spring down into the gimbal so the loop on the opposite end hooks onto the plastic lug located on the inside bottom-end of the gimbal. Once hooked, gently pull the opposite end of the spring outward and loop it over the end of the plastic arm. If any question arises to the assembly of the arm and spring assembly, refer to the arm already in place on the bottom of the gimbal as they are assembled in the same manner.
6. Both gimbals are now in the Mode 1 configuration. No alteration of any wires is necessary. Reinstall the rear of the case onto the front half and re-install the four case screws.
7. Simply enter the RealFlight program and configure the software to operate in the Mode 1 setting. This is found in the Controller Calibration dialog in the Options menu. Change the Stick Mapping to Mode 1.

Summary

The following is instruction to change a Mode 1 RealFlight InterLink Controller to Mode 2.

Resolution

Tools Needed

• Medium Phillips-head screwdriver
• Hemostats (preferred), or needle nose pliers

Instructions

Please read all instructions carefully before you begin this conversion. Horizon Hobby will not accept responsibility for incidental damage to your InterLink controller or personal computer as a result of failure to adhere to these instructions properly. Please contact RealFlight Support prior to performing this conversion if you have any questions about this procedure.

1. Make sure your RealFlight InterLink Controller is completely disconnected from your computer. Failure to do so could result in permanent damage to your InterLink and/or your computer.
2. Remove the four screws from the rear of the controller, remove the case rear half, and lay the controller face-down on your workspace.
3. Remove the silver metal ratchet lever and screw from the gimbal on the left-hand side. This is the throttle ratchet. Physically relocate it to the gimbal on the right-hand side. Rotate the metal ratchet 180 degrees, so the screw hole is now on the bottom right side of the gimbal, and the ratchet end is now pointing upward nearest the switch on the top right side, and resting on the ribbed surface of the gimbal. Line up the lever's hole over the plastic mounting stud on the gimbal, insert the screw and tighten to a snug fit (making sure the lever maintains proper alignment over the ribbed area of the gimbal). DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN, as the plastic gimbal may become easily stripped
4. On the right-hand gimbal, notice there is an arm-and-spring type lever mounted vertically along the inner-left side of the gimbal, the spring attached at the lower end to a plastic mounting stud. This arm and spring assembly must now be moved to the left-hand gimbal. Using pliers, gently pry the head of the spring upwards off of the plastic arm. Now remove the spring and arm from the gimbal (this may require slight maneuvering of the parts to get them out from behind the main body of the gimbal). NOTE: Pivot the arm outward, then slide to the side to remove it from the gimbal.
5. Looking at the left-hand gimbal from the back, on the inner-right side, notice similar arm and spring mounting lugs as were on the other gimbal, except the spring lug is now on the top end and the pivot arm lug is on the bottom end. Take the arm just removed from the other gimbal, insert the pivot end onto the round pivot lug on the lower inside part of this gimbal and rotate the arm upward over the gimbal. With pliers or hemostat, grab one end of the spring which was removed from the other gimbal. Insert the spring down into the gimbal so the loop on the opposite end hooks onto the plastic lug located on the inside top-end of the gimbal. Once hooked, gently pull the opposite end of the spring outward and loop it over the end of the plastic arm. If any question arises to the assembly of the arm and spring assembly, refer to the arm already in place on the bottom of the gimbal as they are assembled in the same manner.
6. Both gimbals are now in the Mode 2 configuration. No alteration of any wires is necessary. Reinstall the rear of the case onto the front half and re-install the four case screws.
7. Simply enter the RealFlight program and check the configuration of the software to operate in the Mode 2 setting. This is found in the Controller Calibration dialog in the Options menu. No change to the Stick Mapping should be necessary to Mode 2.

Summary

Improve overall performance in RealFlight G3.

Resolution

Upon installation, RealFlight G3 attempts to optimize the configuration in order to achieve the best possible performance based upon your computer's specifications. If performance is less than you'd expect, below you will find some suggestions for improving the speed of the simulation:

Note: Please refer to the RealFlight G3 manual for detailed information on improving the performance.

• Ensure that the drivers for the video and sound cards are up-to-date.
• Close all other programs, especially virus checkers and network applications such as Instant Messengers, while running RealFlight. Use CTRL-ALT-DELETE to ensure that nothing else is running in the background. The process for turning off additional applications varies by operating system. For information on how to do so, we suggest that you consult the owner's manual for your particular operating system.
• Run the simulation in Full Screen Mode rather than the Run In Window option.
• Reduce the number of open Gadgets. Click the 'X' on each Gadget that you wish to close.
• Eliminate airport items/objects. To do so, click the View menu title, and then highlight the Show menu item. This will call up the list of objects that appear at this location.
• Reduce the number of recordings that are in use.

You may require additional RAM for your particular computer. To determine how much system RAM (not video RAM) you have, review the system information found in the technical support display. To do so, click the RealFlight G3 Launcher followed by the Additional Options button. Next, click the Technical Support button. The system RAM will be located in the system information box on the left side of the screen. If you have 128MB or less, you may need to upgrade.

Drivers are the software installed to support the hardware on your computer (e.g. video card, sound card). The drivers for your computer are not supported through Horizon Hobby.

If you need to repair (e.g. uninstall/reinstall) a driver for your computer, please contact your computer manufacturer's technical support.

To restore the default settings for RealFlight G3.x, follow this procedure:

1. Open the RealFlight G3.x Launcher.
2. Select Additional Options.
3. Select Restore Defaults.
4. Click Yes to the Restore Defaults prompt.
5. Run RealFlight G3.x. The simulation will launch with the default program settings.

Software Support hours of operation: 8am-6pm Central Time, Monday-Friday.

Email: Please use our contact form.

Mailing Address: Horizon Hobby
Software Support
1608 Interstate Drive
Champaign, IL 61822

Lockups/Freezes

When the simulation and/or computer stops responding suddenly, this is known as a lockup or freeze.  There are several possible causes and solutions to this difficulty.

Video Drivers:

If this occurs while in the simulation, it generally indicates a problem with the video card drivers. We strongly suggest that you update the video drivers and then fly once again to determine if the problem has been resolved. 

Sound Drivers:

The difficulty may also be caused by sound card drivers. Update your sound card drivers. Once the update has been completed test the software to see if the problem has been resolved. If not, try turning Off the sounds in your simulation.

Additionally, you can test the computer's basic sound compatibility to ensure that it is functioning properly.

If this difficulty occurs when starting the program, make sure that you are running the latest version of the software. If so, make sure that your video and sound card drivers are updated.

These difficulties might also be attributed to other programs running in the background. These applications may be using system resources that are necessary to run your simulation. Use CTRL-ALT-DELETE to ensure that nothing else is running in the background. The process for turning Off additional applications varies by operating system. For information on how to do so, we suggest that you consult the owner's manual for your particular operating system.

Still doesn't work?

If the program still exhibits difficulties when starting, and you have utilized our suggestions above, please contact us for further information and assistance.

Summary

The appearance does not change despite modifications to the air frame.

Resolution

Although the size or other such attribute might have been modified in the parameter input boxes, the actual physical on-screen images do not. RealFlight's exclusive RealPhysics technology will recreate the modifications with unmatched realism. Even though the aircraft may not look different, it will indeed fly accurately according to the changes you have made.

"Dual Rates" refer to altering the rate of servo travel for a control surface on R/C aircraft (e.g. Ailerons, Elevator, and sometimes Rudder). Dual Rates consist of Low Rates and High Rates. Low Rates make the aircraft less responsive (i.e. easier to control), and High Rates make the aircraft more responsive (i.e. harder to control). Dual Rates are typically controlled by a toggle switch on an R/C transmitter.

In RealFlight, the aircraft control surfaces can be set up with Dual Rates. The switch you use to select Low Rates or High Rates depends on the controller or R/C transmitter you are using and personal preference. It is also possible to use a key on your keyboard to control Dual Rates. However, doing so is not realistic to R/C aviation.

Please note: Dual Rates are configured separately for each aircraft.

We will need to reset the registration for your copy of RealFlight. Please complete the support request form.

Once your information has been verified, we will reset the registration. You can then re-register with a new password.

Please note: Horizon Hobby can only reset the registration for the current registered owner. If you received RealFlight secondhand, the original owner will need to grant permission to clear his/her information from the registration. Alternatively, we can accept a verifiable receipt for a secondhand purchase (handwritten receipts cannot be accepted).

Yes. It is in PDF format, so you may need to get Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software in order to view it.

If you would like to print all or part of the RealFlight G3.x Manual, you can do so with your local printer.

RealFlight G3 Manual (19MB)

Software Support hours of operation: 8am-6pm Central Time, Monday-Friday.

Email: Please use our contact form.

Mailing Address: Horizon Hobby
Software Support
1608 Interstate Drive
Champaign, IL 61822

The warranty period for all RealFlight products is 90 days from the date of purchase. The warranty covers product defects and any damage that occurs during shipping and handling from the original purchase.

Please note: The warranty is not transferrable, and does not cover second hand purchases.