Drone expansion pack?

royp

Member
I already own RF 6.5, and am building a Quad FPV racer for this summer. I'd like to use RF for learning and practice. There are only 2 multicopters in 6.5, and neither seem to be gyro stabilized like the real thing (they are crazy hard to fly). I'm not crazy about dishing out $130 for RF Drone. But I am willing to upgrade to RF 7.5. Is there a "drone" expansion pack so that the "mother ship" RF 7.5 can do what the "subset" Drone does? I don't see that RF 7.5 has any more multicopters than 6.5 had, and I don't find any in the KE downloads section. Will I be forced into a 3rd party solution for simulating FPV racing, or is there a solution within RF that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? Thanks for whatever info you can provide.
 
There are gyro stabilised multicopters in RF7.5
Drone edition only has has a few drones (3 or 4 I think) that 7.5 doesn't have. All the unstabilised of RF7 or earlier exists in both a "classic" unstabilised version and a newer gyro stabilised version in RF7.5. I would probably upgrade to RF7.5 and/or wait for RF8 if I were you. (And to answer the question: No, there are no "drone expansion pack for RF7.5)
 
There are gyro stabilised multicopters in RF7.5
Drone edition only has has a few drones (3 or 4 I think) that 7.5 doesn't have. All the unstabilised of RF7 or earlier exists in both a "classic" unstabilised version and a newer gyro stabilised version in RF7.5. I would probably upgrade to RF7.5 and/or wait for RF8 if I were you. (And to answer the question: No, there are no "drone expansion pack for RF7.5)



RealFlight 7.5 has all but 4 multirotors included with realflight Drone edition and they just got 2 of those a few weeks ago. We have the multirotor flight controller too. Most of them are unlockable via the challenges.
 
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Thanks for the replies.

I'm mainly interested in a 250 class FPV Racer, sometimes called an X or an H model quad. Does RF 7.5 have one of these?

Also, has it been disclosed when RF 8 will be coming out? If it's imminent I'll just wait.

I'm using my DX8 transmitter plugged into the RF sim controller interface, so my TX setups are "real" (expos, mixing, etc).

Thanks.
 
No we don't have the 250 size quad. In fact RealFlight Drone just got the 250 a couple weeks ago. There is a 420 size though that someone shrunk down to the correct size for a 250. In RealFlight 7.5, you can edit existing models to the size, weight, and power of whatever you want. Realflight Drone won't let you do that.


Knife Edge has lead on that they are working on a new version of RealFlight. They haven't mentioned when it will be released. They have always released the new version of RealFlight around October. Realflight Drone was released around that time last year. My guess is that is when they will release RealFlight 8. This is just my guess though. It's probably a pretty big change if it's taking 2 years to develop. Not much work would of had to be put into realflight Drone since it's just a stripped down version of 7.5.
 
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csgill75,

Thanks for the information! Can you indulge me one more question?

If Drone is a subset of 7.5, why aren't the drone models developed for Drone also shared with owners of 7.5? Is Knifeedge trying to force people to own both?
 
csgill75,

Thanks for the information! Can you indulge me one more question?

If Drone is a subset of 7.5, why aren't the drone models developed for Drone also shared with owners of 7.5? Is Knifeedge trying to force people to own both?

DING DING DING! we have a winner! :D

It's a money grab for the publisher (Great Planes) to target the multirotor market. It has the same physics and we had most of the multirotors a year before the Drone Edition came out. They could have very easily given us the models and the flight mode Gadget and said that 7.5 also has the multirotors and sold it that way. At least Drone edition comes with the interlink and not a special controller that way if people want to upgrade to 7.5, they can for 50 bucks more.
 
It would have better had KE considered their loyal installed base when they made the business decision to come out with "Drone". I understand the desire for Knifeedge to have an entry level simulator. But their choice of how to do it put's folks like me between a rock and hard spot. I already have the Elite controller, and am willing to upgrade from 6.5 to 7.5. But what I really want is the quadcopter models that are in "Drone", but not available to 7.5 owners. KE seems to have confused two different issues: an entry level sim, and meeting the needs of multi-copter flyers. They could have come out with an upgradeable entry level sim, and an Expansion pack of drones. Then everybody would be happy. Poor marketing decision in my humble opinion (having used RF for the last 14 years). I know KE is a profit making business, but by not looking out for their loyal base of installed users they are making a bad business decision. The drones available in "Drone" should also be available in 7.5.
 
I don't think it's Knife Edge's Decision on who gets what content. Ultimately I believe its the Publisher who decides what people get what content. It would be very easy for us to receive the new models. KE could push a patch out with all of them right now if they could. They have even mentioned that they want to do it and maybe someday they will be able to. I believe that their hands are tied when it comes down to this and what content gets created for the Sim. I recall reading on here that when the micro quad Helimax 1SQ was released, it was because the publisher wanted it and wanted it in a weeks time in the sim. now that is some quick modeling skills to get a model from request to completed and in the sim in under 7 days. Great Planes holds the strings and KE does what they are told to do..
 
Point well taken regarding who actually makes the marketing decisions. Knifeedge is just the software developer. Whoever it is needs to keep in mind that they will start loosing their installed base of customers if they don't keep them happy. Multi-copters are a new facet of RC flying. Not including them in their main product does not make us happy.

Since many multi-copter flyers ONLY have multi-copters, it makes sense to offer a subset reduced price product for that audience. But for those of us who already have the "mother ship" it would make us happy to also have the multi-copters -- whether as free models or as an Expansion Pack. From my perspective as a 14-year user, an Expansion Pack that could be added onto the main product, or an entry level version of the simulator, would have been preferred.
 
It's true that Great Planes is our publisher and as such has a lot of say in what we produce. The relationship is a bit more collaborative than characterized above, though.

As others have done a good job explaining above, there are quite a few multirotors included in 7.5, all using a proper modern-day multirotor flight controller. The more rudimentary gyro-stabilized models you have seen in 6.5 were updated to take advantage of the new technology. The original versions were retained, too, as "Classic" variants. Let me know if you'd like an actual list.

For what it's worth, I completely understand where you're coming from. We are currently in a position where we have certain obligations to our publisher which do not include moving these extra models to 7.5. Nevertheless, for numerous reasons we want to add them there, and our publisher wants it to happen, too. There's nobody standing in the way. It's simply a matter of resources.

To add everything to 7.5 we would need to find time above and beyond what is required to meet our previously mentioned obligations. It would actually require a bit of work. It's not just a content dump, unfortunately. So far that extra time has not been available.

Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. I'm unable to make any guarantees one way or the other, though, and don't want to suggest any kind of timeframe.

I hope that helps a little bit.
 
This explanation helps a lot. Thanks for taking the time for the post. I was a software developer for two decades, so completely understand the "getting time to do it" issues, and the hidden complexities that only the developer understands. Based on your comments I'm going to upgrade to 7.5 now and use the built-ins and downloads. At your next project planning meeting you can say "People are asking for the drones in "Drone" to be cross-pollinated to 7.5" (well at least 1 is). Thanks again. :eek:)
 
P.S.

Ryan,

At that project planning meeting, how about bringing up the subject of adding into RF 8, support for VR headset devices like Gear VR, OSVR, Oculus Rift, etc. Then you'll REALLY make us happy!
 
... The original versions were retained, too, as "Classic" variants. Let me know if you'd like an actual list.
...

I know this is an old post, but would you mind posting the list of multirotors in 7.5? They are, unfortunately, not grouped by type and its quite tedious to find them.

Many thanks!!
Mike
 
In later versions of RealFlight you can in fact filter for drones in the Quick Select dialog. But in 7.5 you can only filter for airplanes and helis, with drones being lumped into the latter category.

RF7.5 contains the following drone-type models:
  • Explorer 580
  • Gaui 330X-S Quad Flyer
  • H4 Quadcopter 520
  • Heli-Max 1SQ
  • Heli-Max Voltage 500 3D
  • Hexacopter 780
  • Hexacopter 780 (GPS Modes)
  • Octocopter 1000
  • Quadcopter
  • Quadcopter (Classic)
  • Quadcopter X
  • Quadcopter X (Classic)
  • Tricopter 900
  • Tricopter 900 (Manual Modes)
  • X8 Quadcopter 1260
Two additional models are available as unlockable challenge rewards:
  • Dead Cat Quadcopter 580
  • Eldritch Copter
You may find it useful to know that the following additional models are available in RealFlight 9.5.
  • Heli-Max FORM500
  • Hubsan X4 Pro
  • Hubsan X4 Pro (Prop Guards)
  • Rise RXS255
  • Scorpion Sky Strider 280 (5 Degree Arm Angle)
  • Scorpion Sky Strider 280 (10 Degree Arm Angle)
  • Tempest 250
  • Tempest 250 (Angled Camera)
  • Tempest 280
  • Tiny Terror 150
  • xCraft X PlusOne
  • Xiro Xplorer
  • Xiro Xplorer G
I should note that these cover a wide range of different drone designs and functionality. Sometimes people load up a camera platform like the Quadcopter X or Octocopter and complain it doesn't fly like their race drone, or vice versa. So it's important to pay attention to the intended purpose and design of each model. They are good simulations of the technology they were emulating at the time, but that particular branch of the hobby underwent a tremendously rapid evolution, with the technology and capabilities changing and improving seemingly monthly. Later on we designed a more modern race drone type of flight controller component, and users can make use of it anywhere they like, but the only stock model that uses it is the Rise RXS255.

I should also note that RF9.5 has an on-screen Flight Modes gadget that is incredibly helpful when flying drones. It tells you which modes the currently loaded model supports (e.g., Loiter, Acro, Return to Launch), which one is currently selected, and if you mouse over the '?' icon it provides additional information about what each mode does. Without that, you have to read the vehicle descriptions to know what modes they support and keep track of everything on your own.

I hope that helps!
 

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