T E A M
Hi All,
From time to time I've seen posts by newbies asking about starting out on R/C flight simulators. Many are on a tight budget, and commercial R/C flight sims can be quite prhibitively priced. Thankfully there's FMS (Flying Model Simulator) which can be downloaded and used freely. I personally (re)started my R/C flying adventure by using FMS to hone my coordination and reaction before heading to the field, so I will personally vouch for the usefullness of such learning aids for preliminary training and supplements to actual field practice. Sure, there are several better flight sim programs out there, but for sheer affordability, It's hard to beat FMS as a workable, low-cost, first flight-sim to start on.
Installing FMS on a PC is easy, but connecting your transmitter(Tx) to the PC can be another thing. The steps I'm providing below are for the installation of FMS on a PC, and connecting a Tx to the PC so that the simulated 'models' can be controlled using the Tx. Specifically, I'll be touching on this connection using the SmartPropoPlus driver, which makes connection to a PC as simple as plugging into the "Line-In" or "Microphone" ports on the PC's sound card, without the need for special circuits. There are other ways of connecting a TX to operate FMS, but I found the SmartPropoPlus way the simplest for me. All that's needed is to make a simple audio cable.
Installing FMS on a PC
1) Firstly, go to the FMS homepage (http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html), enter their "downloads" section, and download the FMS installer. You will see more than one version there, but I've been using their latest (ver 2.0 Alpha 8,5) happily so far, so my description here is based on that version.
2) Run the downloaded installer from step 1 to install FMS on your PC, and note the location of the installation.
Installing SmartPropoPlus (SPP) Tx-to-PC audio port driver
3) From the FMS homepage, you will also see a link to the "SmartPropoPlus" webpage. Go to the SmartPropoPlus homepage following that link. At the top of the SmartPropoPlus homepage, you will see a row of 'buttons'.
4) Click the "Download" button. Look for the "Installer" link. At the time I'm writing this, their latest version is 3.3.5. Click the link to download the installer.
5) After downloading the SPP installer, run it.
6) In the first dialog, you will be asked to choose a version of SPP. If you only wish to use SPP with FMS, choose "SmartPropoPlus for FMS". This version is started when you start FMS, and closes when you close the FMS program. I've used this version and found it works fine.
7) The next dialog is where you point to the location that you installed FMS in step 2. SPP should be installed into this same location to work as designed.
In addition to these steps, You should click on the "Installation" button on the SPP webpage for detailed installation instructions.
Connecting your Transmitter(Tx) to your PC
Now, you will need to hook up your Transmitter to your PC to control your virtual 'model'. A cable will be needed for this.
8) Still at the SPP webpage, click the "Cables" button. Depending on what Tx you are using, look for it in the listing and click its related link. You should be presented with instructions and diagrams to fabricate your own Tx-to-PC cable. I'm using a Hitec Eclipse 7 Tx, so I can say that the info in the "Hitec" link under the second group (6-pin DIN) works for both the Hitec Eclipse 7 and Optic 6 Txs.
This is the part where some work on your part is required. I made my own cable with parts from Sim Lim Tower, and it should not cost more than $15 or less. Do be careful when making connections to your Tx. Double-check your connections first!
When you have done all the above, do read through the info under the "Installation" and "Step-by-Step" buttons so you'll have a clear idea of this whole setup, especially the part under "Step-by-Step" that mentions how to configure the SPP console(Configuration of Modulation section). I had NO PART in the creation of FMS nor SmartPropoPlus, so of course I can't provide you with any kind of support on that. You will have to refer to these webpages for that. All I can say is that I've successfully managed to run FMS and control it using my Tx, based on the info provided at these webpages. If I can do it, you can too!
Alternatively or course, you could go to some local hobby shops and buy the FMS and controller unit, all packaged and ready to use, for about $35. Unless you're actually using an E-Sky Tx for your real models, then the supplied controller won't be the same as your actual TX. For me, I had the satisfaction of making my own cable, seeing it work, and being able to use my actual Tx to practice on the PC, and it cost less than $35. Well, the choice is yours.
Hope this has been helpful.
Pete
From time to time I've seen posts by newbies asking about starting out on R/C flight simulators. Many are on a tight budget, and commercial R/C flight sims can be quite prhibitively priced. Thankfully there's FMS (Flying Model Simulator) which can be downloaded and used freely. I personally (re)started my R/C flying adventure by using FMS to hone my coordination and reaction before heading to the field, so I will personally vouch for the usefullness of such learning aids for preliminary training and supplements to actual field practice. Sure, there are several better flight sim programs out there, but for sheer affordability, It's hard to beat FMS as a workable, low-cost, first flight-sim to start on.
Installing FMS on a PC is easy, but connecting your transmitter(Tx) to the PC can be another thing. The steps I'm providing below are for the installation of FMS on a PC, and connecting a Tx to the PC so that the simulated 'models' can be controlled using the Tx. Specifically, I'll be touching on this connection using the SmartPropoPlus driver, which makes connection to a PC as simple as plugging into the "Line-In" or "Microphone" ports on the PC's sound card, without the need for special circuits. There are other ways of connecting a TX to operate FMS, but I found the SmartPropoPlus way the simplest for me. All that's needed is to make a simple audio cable.
Installing FMS on a PC
1) Firstly, go to the FMS homepage (http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html), enter their "downloads" section, and download the FMS installer. You will see more than one version there, but I've been using their latest (ver 2.0 Alpha 8,5) happily so far, so my description here is based on that version.
2) Run the downloaded installer from step 1 to install FMS on your PC, and note the location of the installation.
Installing SmartPropoPlus (SPP) Tx-to-PC audio port driver
3) From the FMS homepage, you will also see a link to the "SmartPropoPlus" webpage. Go to the SmartPropoPlus homepage following that link. At the top of the SmartPropoPlus homepage, you will see a row of 'buttons'.
4) Click the "Download" button. Look for the "Installer" link. At the time I'm writing this, their latest version is 3.3.5. Click the link to download the installer.
5) After downloading the SPP installer, run it.
6) In the first dialog, you will be asked to choose a version of SPP. If you only wish to use SPP with FMS, choose "SmartPropoPlus for FMS". This version is started when you start FMS, and closes when you close the FMS program. I've used this version and found it works fine.
7) The next dialog is where you point to the location that you installed FMS in step 2. SPP should be installed into this same location to work as designed.
In addition to these steps, You should click on the "Installation" button on the SPP webpage for detailed installation instructions.
Connecting your Transmitter(Tx) to your PC
Now, you will need to hook up your Transmitter to your PC to control your virtual 'model'. A cable will be needed for this.
8) Still at the SPP webpage, click the "Cables" button. Depending on what Tx you are using, look for it in the listing and click its related link. You should be presented with instructions and diagrams to fabricate your own Tx-to-PC cable. I'm using a Hitec Eclipse 7 Tx, so I can say that the info in the "Hitec" link under the second group (6-pin DIN) works for both the Hitec Eclipse 7 and Optic 6 Txs.
This is the part where some work on your part is required. I made my own cable with parts from Sim Lim Tower, and it should not cost more than $15 or less. Do be careful when making connections to your Tx. Double-check your connections first!
When you have done all the above, do read through the info under the "Installation" and "Step-by-Step" buttons so you'll have a clear idea of this whole setup, especially the part under "Step-by-Step" that mentions how to configure the SPP console(Configuration of Modulation section). I had NO PART in the creation of FMS nor SmartPropoPlus, so of course I can't provide you with any kind of support on that. You will have to refer to these webpages for that. All I can say is that I've successfully managed to run FMS and control it using my Tx, based on the info provided at these webpages. If I can do it, you can too!
Alternatively or course, you could go to some local hobby shops and buy the FMS and controller unit, all packaged and ready to use, for about $35. Unless you're actually using an E-Sky Tx for your real models, then the supplied controller won't be the same as your actual TX. For me, I had the satisfaction of making my own cable, seeing it work, and being able to use my actual Tx to practice on the PC, and it cost less than $35. Well, the choice is yours.
Hope this has been helpful.
Pete
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