Simviation Forums

Good evening all...

I know the feelin'.....the formation tool is really cool if you want to fly in a formation with the same aircraft

Thanks Chuck...

I like the perspective (very much) and scenery Doug. The only problem I see, is it looks like the Beaver is about to chew up the Maule's tail feathers. And that is beyond your control.

I too, wish there were more control parameters in the formation tool, like speeds, altitudes, and flight paths. Better yet, if you just chose the aircraft and formation type,

have them form up on you and follow the leader. That way, you could do anything you wanted, including aerobatics and they would follow right along,

staying in formation. Maybe in a future version? (fingers crossed)

Hi Larry...

Some good points...thanks for your comments also...

What else I would like to see is:
-having control to either have engines on or off in the
formation
-to be able to choose or be the leader of the formation
-having a preview to the setup prior to starting the
formation
-to choose distance between aircraft in the air and when
engines are off

Just some of the things I thought about...

Having flown formation and aerobatics in many types along with several different types in formation, it is much easier in real flight than on this electronic gizmo trying to simulate a formation of several different types...

Another thing maybe flight simulated aviators/gamers do not think about is the design of the floats.
Some are much more streamlined than others.
For example:
The CAP Float for the Cessna 185 gave it several more knots speed than the EDO Float.
However give me an EDO Float to walk on anytime in rough water...they have flat tops and the CAP Float is rounded.

Amphibious Floats are of course heavier than straight Floats.

Take a flying boat like the Consolidated Catalina/PBY5A/Canso, when you are flying two or three of them in formation in real aviation, a Pig Boat/Cat with Side Blisters will have several knots more speed than one with Dutch Doors or without the Blisters on the side.

I am sure this is difficult for the Simulated Aircraft Designers to do all the time as perhaps the information is not available to them and in all fairness to them they are doing a wonderful job, especially the Freeware Designers...

That is just my two cents worth...

Oh and before I forget, here is a little quiz for all of our real and simulated aviators here...

What is faster in speed...
A Cessna 172 with

My first thought would be with pants, due to aerodynamics. But I have no idea of their weight, which could factor in.

And what appears to be aerodynamic, not always is.

Larry you are absolutely correct OH great leader...the wheel pants give you a few extra knots...

Does not seem like much on a short hop but over a day cross country it adds up...

I used to remove the wheel pants in the spring of the year because of the condition of some of the Flying Farmers Fields we flew into...lots of mud...it was hard to get the old girl to wash the aircraft also...

Well chalk this one up then, because I am rarely correct.