RealFlight 7.5 is now a full public release! It is a free update for 7.0 users.
Note that this update is cumulative. As long as you obtain it via the Launcher, you do not need to update to any earlier/in-between versions first.
The LauncherHelper will need to restart partway through this process. Answer "Yes" when it asks if you want to continue downloading the new version. When this process is finished, you will have the latest available version of RealFlight 7.
Compatibility note: RealFlight 7.5 is not compatible with Windows XP. If you are using XP, do not attempt to download the new version. It will not run.
Here are the big features in 7.5, followed by a list of smaller changes:
Wireless SLT Interface
RealFlight will now be available with a wireless interface supporting the SLT protocol! SLT is built into Tactic radios, and an AnyLink2 transmitter module is available for other radio brands.
Multirotor Support
We've dramatically improved support for multirotors! The new Multirotor Flight Controller electronics component makes a number of different configurations possible. It also provides advanced functionality like altitude hold, loiter, and return to home. Oh, and this makes it possible to add a stabilized 2-axis gimbal component, which is perfect for onboard cameras. We've set this up on some of the larger new models.
Improved Aircraft Editor
We overhauled the user interface and added/improved a bunch of functionality. The changes are too numerous to list. Here are some highlights:
Fly a new quad in first-person view and take pictures of objects scattered around the airports. Multirotors are frequently used for aerial photography, but in this case there is also a ticking clock!
Challenge Ghost Runs
A ghost run is a recording of your best run for a particular challenge level. When this feature is enabled and you play a level that already has a ghost run, that ghost plays back alongside your aircraft so you can compare your flight. (This feature becomes available after you have saved 10 ghost runs.)
Japanese Temple Airport
A scenic mountaintop setting.
New Aircraft
Note that for the new multirotor aircraft, input channel 8 (the 3-position switch on the InterLink) is set up to select between 3 of the 6 possible flight modes. Read each aircraft description for more details.
This model was introduced in version 7.00.035 as an unlockable reward for earning a medal in the Quadcopter Trial challenge. It is now freely available.
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Fixes/Improvements:
Note that this update is cumulative. As long as you obtain it via the Launcher, you do not need to update to any earlier/in-between versions first.
The LauncherHelper will need to restart partway through this process. Answer "Yes" when it asks if you want to continue downloading the new version. When this process is finished, you will have the latest available version of RealFlight 7.
Compatibility note: RealFlight 7.5 is not compatible with Windows XP. If you are using XP, do not attempt to download the new version. It will not run.
Here are the big features in 7.5, followed by a list of smaller changes:
Wireless SLT Interface
RealFlight will now be available with a wireless interface supporting the SLT protocol! SLT is built into Tactic radios, and an AnyLink2 transmitter module is available for other radio brands.
Multirotor Support
We've dramatically improved support for multirotors! The new Multirotor Flight Controller electronics component makes a number of different configurations possible. It also provides advanced functionality like altitude hold, loiter, and return to home. Oh, and this makes it possible to add a stabilized 2-axis gimbal component, which is perfect for onboard cameras. We've set this up on some of the larger new models.
Improved Aircraft Editor
We overhauled the user interface and added/improved a bunch of functionality. The changes are too numerous to list. Here are some highlights:
- The user interface is now highly configurable and much more flexible. Different sections can be resized or docked in completely different places or even left floating.
- The 5 main areas of the editor are split into separate dockable panes: Vehicle, Physics, Electronics, Radio, and Visuals.
- Undo/Redo is vastly improved. It works in more places and much more reliably.
- Each component type has a unique icon.
- You can drag & drop many components.
- A "Fit to Visual" option attempts to size physics components to match the visuals. This is a great time-saving first step before fine tuning.
- Aircraft data is better organized. Components are sorted by type and by name. Properties are grouped by type in collapsible sections. Advanced properties are always displayed. Menus are improved.
- The new Multirotor Flight Control electronics component offers advanced multirotor features and performance.
- The new Multi-Mixer electronics component allows up to 6 input channels to be combined.
- Selection behavior is improved in the viewport. You can now select components by clicking their wireframe or visual frame. More different types of components are selectable this way, and it generally just works better.
- New relational navigation buttons let you jump directly to related items. Look for the arrow button in places such as Servo Visual Frame properties (in the Physics pane) and Input properties (in the Electronics pane).
- Both the left and right sides of symmetrical components are now selectable. Click on the visuals in the viewport, or right-click the component in the tree and select "Look at Left Side/Look at Right Side".
- Right-click on components in the viewport to open a context menu with the same options as the traditional tree control.
- The airfoil selection dialog has a new filter option. Choose from a list of stock filters (ex: Eppler, NACA, Popular Airfoils), or just start typing to see all airfoils containing the text you entered.
- Fewer properties require the aircraft to be reloaded when they are changed.
- Aircraft sounds play at a much lower volume.
- After adding a new component, begin typing to easily give it a custom name. Or simply press Enter to use the generic default name.
- Control surfaces have a new read-only linear deflection property. Current Deflection is now reported as a distance in addition to degrees.
- A warning pane is shown instead of the normal Radio pane when any software radio features are disabled. Clicking a button changes to the standard Radio pane, where all radio info is shown all the time, regardless of the current radio profile's software radio options.
Fly a new quad in first-person view and take pictures of objects scattered around the airports. Multirotors are frequently used for aerial photography, but in this case there is also a ticking clock!
Challenge Ghost Runs
A ghost run is a recording of your best run for a particular challenge level. When this feature is enabled and you play a level that already has a ghost run, that ghost plays back alongside your aircraft so you can compare your flight. (This feature becomes available after you have saved 10 ghost runs.)
Japanese Temple Airport
A scenic mountaintop setting.
New Aircraft
Note that for the new multirotor aircraft, input channel 8 (the 3-position switch on the InterLink) is set up to select between 3 of the 6 possible flight modes. Read each aircraft description for more details.
- Great Planes Kunai
- Top Flite Zero
- Tricopter 900 (standard version plus "Manual Modes" variant that includes Acro flight mode)
- Explorer 580
- H4 Quadcopter 520
- X8 Quadcopter 1260
- Dead Cat Quadcopter 580 (Quadcopter Trials challenge reward)
- Hexacopter 780 (standard version plus "GPS Modes" variant that includes Return to Launch flight mode)
- Octocopter 1000
- Eldritch Copter (Scavenger Hunt challenge reward)
This model was introduced in version 7.00.035 as an unlockable reward for earning a medal in the Quadcopter Trial challenge. It is now freely available.
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Fixes/Improvements:
- Fixed a crash that occurred if the InterLink Elite's "Select" button was held down on startup
- Fixed a crash that occurred if an invalid aircraft variant (one that is based on a nonexistent vehicle) was selected in the aircraft quick select dialog at the time it was closed
- Added a series of motors that are suited to multirotor use. They are named "KEMR____"
- Aircraft Editor: The Electronic Flybar component's Elevator and Aileron gyros have more suitable default values (they are different than the Yaw gyro)
- Aircraft Editor: The Edit menu's Rescale Physics to... option affects Camera component: Location in Parent & Shock Mount Range, Linear Actuator: Endpoint Location, and projectile component (various): Location in Parent
- Aircraft Editor: The Wing component's Wing Length, Chord at Root, and Chord at Tip properties have better default values
- Aircraft Editor: Symmetrical components use Left/Right terminology for greater clarity
- Aircraft Editor: Copied components are not added unless/until they are pasted
- Aircraft Editor: The "Fuel Level" setting is not affected when property values change
- Aircraft Editor: The duplicate "2 pct Rounded Flate Plate" airfoil is removed. RealFlight will silently use the identical "2 Percent Flate Plate" airfoil instead
- Aircraft Editor: For electronics components with subcomponents (such as the Electronic Flybar and new Multirotor Flight Controller), the parent component does not appear in input selection dropdown controls
- Aircraft Editor: For electronics components with subcomponents, the parent component name is prepended to the subcomponent name in input selection dropdown controls (ex: "Electronic Flybar: Yaw")
- Aircraft Editor: Deleting an engine component stops its RPM sounds from playing
- Aircraft Editor: Min/max/default property value label text is shortened
- The on/off setting for software radio dual rates & expo is applied correctly after changing controllers and radio profiles
- When software radio dual rates & expo are disabled, software radio trim is also disabled
- Switching to a new airport from one with a different terrain density does not affect collisions for snap-to-ground objects
- Information in the MFC Aircraft Selection dialog's Specifications tab is reordered. Also, Wing Area and Wing Loading are not displayed for vehicles with no wings
- Using the InterLink's Cancel button to close the Challenge Select dialog does not leave the UI disabled
- Edit Radio Profile dialog: Dual rates/expo checkbox is enabled and disabled correctly
- Challenges: The level finished dialog displays previous best times in minutes and seconds
- Challenges: Previous zoom settings are restored after exiting a challenge
- Chaff from vehicle breakapart is cleaned up when a different vehicle is loaded
- The edit aircraft menu item is disabled in MultiMode
- Added a Tactic TTX610 Quick Start document, available via Help menu
- Updated the Italian and French translations
- AH-64 Apache: Fixed some minor setup issues with the tail fins
- Mitsubishi A6M Zero: Fixed smoke size and origination point
- Simple Flier: Completely updated the art
- Thunder Tiger E700 (stock): Added missing quick select preview image
- Shipwreck HD: Added missing preview for selection dialogs