Computers - http://maxpages.com/catzmm/Flight_Unlimited

Flight simulators are created on the cutting edge of computer technology and the question that now occurs with the release of a new game is, "How well will it fly on my machine?" Flight Unlimited III has arrived riding the wake (or should that be jetstream?) of its very popular predecessors, and this question of performance has to be asked in big flashing lights— without a doubt the biggest problem with the game is its frame rate. Obviously the best tip to give you is buy the best machine you can afford. If, however, it's still a bit early for the big guy in the red suit then don't despair. Even with a frame rate around five you can still fly the aircraft.

Still a bit high. So the power has been cut and the plane is dropping quickly and we are about to deploy flaps
The key to successfully flying with a poor frame rate is to fly smoothly with small changes in the controls. Do not over control, be gentle—it is a plane, not a dodgem car. If your frame rate starts dropping hold your pitch. The more abrupt your use of the controls, the worse the frame rate problems are going to be. You will do better to under-control the aircraft than over-control it. Also, if you have a frame rate problem, you will find the instruments lag. They show you what has happened, not what is happening, so don't chase the needles. The frame rate gets lower when you are coming in to land, so let's go over the landing sequence for you.

We are crossing the threshold and are now looking to the end of the runway. Flaps are deployed and as we level off our speed drops quickly
For a straight in approach, cut your power back as you start to descend. You should be fairly close to minimum throttle. Get your speed down to the aircraft's approach speed then pop out 10 degrees of flaps. Now as you start to descend keep the base of the runway in the middle of your view screen. Always use small corrections on approach—don't over correct. If your aircraft has retractable gear get this deployed as it will help you reduce your speed. If you need to add power to slow your descent you will need to add a lot of power to start with and then ease off once your descent has been arrested and you are on track again. You will notice this by the runway sliding up the screen and having to change the pitch of the aircraft to keep it in the center. If you find the runway disappearing under the cowl then you will need to cut the throttle further, add more flaps and pitch the nose down more. If you start to build up too much speed execute a missed approach and go around. No point pressing a bad position! As you get close to the runway raise the nose so that the base of the runway is just above the cowl. As you cross the threshold change your point of reference to the end of the runway and bring this point to just above the cowl. You will see your airspeed now dropping and as you approach stall speed continue to raise the nose so the stall warning is sounding as you touch down. You see—easy! You have landed and all the time you have been making gentle corrections to keep you aligned with the runway. This is the type of approach you will make using the Instrument Landing System (ILS).

Flying the P-51D through the hoops. Really good fun!
Now let's look at how to fly a circuit. With jet aircraft you fly your circuit at 1500ft above the runway elevation, with powered aircraft it is performed at 1000ft and with unpowered aircraft or ultralights the circuit is performed at 800ft. Usually the circuit is performed in a left-hand pattern but with Flight Unlimited III having several airports with parallel runways you may have to perform a right-hand pattern. Typically, as you approach the airfield you cross the airfield to descend on the right-hand side of the active runway. As you do this you will need to listen to the tower frequency and look for other aircraft, as the sky in Flight Unlimited III is probably the busiest of any of the flight simulators. As you arrive at the airport fly to the right-hand side of the active runway at a height of about 1500 to 2000 ft and descend to 1000ft as you fly upwind. When you are parallel with the end of the runway turn across the runway to the left-hand side and enter the pattern on the downwind leg. While on the downwind leg you should perform your landing checks of "Bumpfh" (Brakes, undercarriage, mixture, magnetos, master, pressures, fuel, hatches, and harnesses). You then turn the base leg when the threshold is in the rear quarter, approximately 45 degrees past level with the wing. Turning base you reduce your RPM and manifold pressures and as you come out of the bank onto base you should deploy ten degrees of flap. On base you should descend to 500ft for a prop plane, 750 ft for a jet. As the runway comes level with the leading edge of the wing on base you then turn final. This should bring you down to your final approach speed for the aircraft; at the top end of final you should deploy your next step of flaps. Now just keep the runway in the middle of the screen as the straight in approach as mentioned above.

Here are some speed settings for approaches for the aircraft in Flight Unlimited III:

Aircraft
Downwind
Turn Base
Turn Final
Touchdown

Trainer 172
100
80
70
60

Stemme S10-VT
125
76
60
45

DR1 Triplane
80
60
45
35

Piper Arrow
100
80
70
60

Mooney Bravo
140
110
90
75

Muskrat Seaplane
100
80
70
60

Lake Renagade
125
107
80
55

P-51D Mustang
150
130
120
105

Wind Hawk
150
130
110
90

Beechjet 400A
200
180
150
110

Pattern for a landing circuit with heights. See the table for the suggest airspeeds at each point
Once the basics are mastered it is time for more advanced fun. Flight Unlimited III has some great challenges for your piloting skills and, once again, if you are concerned about performing them with a slow frame rate, just remember to fly steadily. The challenges are an excellent test of your piloting ability, as they demand that you maintain very tight control of your aircraft. A few last tips to keep in mind: Listen to the radio and the requests of your copilot while performing these challenges. When doing the hoops try a slow fly-through first. And it is worthwhile studying some of the maneuvers, breaking them down into separate parts, and practicing the elements on their own. You will need to work out your entry speeds and power settings for each part of the course for the best result.

mmorphon00@yahoo.com

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Page Updated Mon Feb 28, 2000 8:25pm EST