Leaning a thumbstick to the left causes an outbound aerodyne to bank to your left, but – naturally – sends an inbound one to your right. Not so, RC aircraft – machines that mess with your mind simply by responding logically and consistently to control inputs. After decades spent priestholed in virtual cockpits, the control of 1:1 scale sim steeds has become second nature.
#Aerofly rc 8 flight simulator simulator#
MS Flight Simulator and the like might let you buzz a host of famous landmarks, but do they let you buzz yourself or land a handsome aircraft replica close-by and then, with deft throttle, brake and rudder inputs, taxi the machine to your very toecaps for close inspection?įor the same inexplicable reason I rather enjoy reversing motor vehicles, I also find the hand-eye challenges of RC flight stimulating. The fly-by cam that is a guilty pleasure in conventional flight sims, is the non-negotiable (in the majority of venues) default view here. Identifying the sources of ARC8’s fierce magnetism is trickier than it first appears. Crikey – did I say twenty minutes? I’ve actually been standing in this field for the best part of an hour. When I misjudge a daisy-cutting swoop and the Tiger Moth cartwheels, scattering debris with gay abandon, I glance at the clock on my desk. Every low pass and ground-kissing touch-and-go extends an improvised sky ballet that has, over the past twenty minutes, been slowly but surely steeping me in something very like joy. Each loop, barrel roll, and hammerhead turn is executed at my urging. I’m guiding this giddy, happy biplane by moving the twin sticks under my thumbs. Overhead, a miniature Tiger Moth, yellow as a buttercup, cavorts like a canary that, after a lifetime spent underground, is finally tasting freedom. In the greensward at my feet, glossy buttercups gleam and busy insects drone and hum. I’m standing on the edge of a grass airstrip in Baden-Württemberg, bathed in Spring sunshine. The realisation that I’ve grown exceedingly fond of IPACS’ Lilliputian flight sim during this past week, puts me in a real quandary. My frugal/niggardly side was quietly hoping Aerofly RC 8 would turn out to be flawed and unlovable – a niche title with limited appeal. At a time when many are struggling to make ends meet, I’m really not sure a £65 (£129 with DLC) radio control aircraft simulator is a sensible subject for a Friday feature.