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Extraordinary X-Plane
by Bob "Groucho" MarksThe Brains and The Guts
The talented Mr. Meyers put his aero engineering training to use deep in the heart of his creation. Rather than using simplified “force modeling”, as most consumer simulators do, X-Plane uses complex aerodynamic algorithms to simulate the interaction of an aircraft with the atmosphere. To delve deeply into the mechanics and physics here will risk causing the eyeballs of our fair readers to roll into the back of their valued heads, so I’ll desist from explaining blade element theory here. What is important to keep in mind is this: X-Plane has an incredible flight model precisely because the complex symphony of flight isn’t modeled--it’s calculated--at the rate of at least 14 times per second. Sure, there some educated assumptions and compromises made in the interest of keeping X-Plane playable. This is something that is unavoidable unless you have several Cray supercomputers operating in parallel down in the basement--and if you do, can I come over to your house?
The airfoil selection / design screen in Plane Maker.
The included Part Maker and Plane Maker programs allow almost limitless possibilities for the user community to design and fly their creations. Very powerful and not just a little intimidating, Plane Maker and Part Maker offer the ability to “build” anything that moves through the air. Everything from lighter-than-air rigid airships, to helicopters, to winged spacecraft are possible. Capable of correctly modeling supersonic airflow and vectored thrust, Plane Maker is also the first flight sim tool that correctly models canard aircraft without “cheating.” I’ve even tried a user-designed catamaran sailboat--hey, sails are just perpendicular wings, right? Airfoil selection, wetted area, wing loading, and power plant selection all factor into how your aircraft will fly, not some arbitrary “.air” flight model file. Since the flight characteristics of all of the aircraft in X-Plane are directly attributed to the design itself, the creator/pilot is in for a virtual flight test program!
The front office of an user-created Cessna 172.
The instrument panel is the primary interface to your aircraft, and X-Plane’s included creation programs allow for the building of an effective and realistic front office. Basic flight instruments, HUD, navigation gear, radios, and everything else needed to help you safely aviate can be built into your custom ride. The appearance of the panel can vary from a simple “split screen” basic panel to an elaborate, bitmap-framed representation of the real thing. Which one is used is dependent on the effort and talent poured into the panel’s creation.
One of the better panels in X-Plane.
World Maker, the third included creation program, even allows the ultimate control freak to build city textures, navaids, roads, and airports. No, you can’t make them fly, but you can vary the terrain elevation. Close enough.
The snow-covered terrain around Duluth, MN.
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