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Well here goes . I can't say this sim. has got the latest and greatest in graphics -- and there's no game play, but I had some encouraging comments from the LLRGT forum so .. ...

The simulation is of various remotely controlled model aircraft ( plus one real one) .
You can fly in the cockpit as well and fire a rocket or drop a bomb, but that' s about where the 'excitement' ends. Unlike my earlier attempts, this one is intended to be fairly accurate .. though it does not use a standard ' flight model' approach.
It could probably have elements of competition added .. but I am now thinking that this program can remain as it is. A ' skill /competion/ game ' approach would be best with a fresh start, and different landscape and models.

I would put screen shots here but can't see how .
There's more information and a 2 meg. zip file of the exe. at the bottom of the following page >

http://www.muddleglum.orcon.net.nz/darkbasic.htm

Hope someone finds it interesting.

Cheers. Muddleglum

nice job, its actually quite fun...

I posted my thoughts on this project already at RGT forums so this is really for the benefit of other forum users:

"DOWNLOAD THIS AND MARVEL AT IT'S SIMPLE BRILLIANCE. YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO DO THIS."

I find it interesting, but the download just goes so slow, I don't really have time to test it out right now.

By the way, just a suggestion, you should really organize your web page about this thing into sections, rather than just having one massive page.

I was really impressed with your ealier flight stuff but this is just so much better and more fun! Amazing you got such speed out of DB classic.

As Andy says. DOWNLOAD THIS NOW - YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED!

If you want some fun flying biplanes, jet fighters, stealth bombers, gliders, with the best smoke trails you have ever seen AND you can fire missiles (always good in my books), download it now.

Yes, there are quite a few graphical glitches, yes the physics isnt perfect, yes you can't blow up the buildings, sheep or people (boo!), but it is still brilliant.

As mentioned on LLRT a fair bit, your z-buffer needs fixing. Usually you change the 'near' value of SET CAMERA RANGE to be a bit bigger.

This is what buildings look like:

this is great!!! if you were going to make it into more of a game how about flying through a course of rings acting as checkpoints? or one where you get points for doing stunts? also me thinks crashing and explosions should be implemented too. But it really is a fantastic simulator!

That's a quite cool game. But how do I fly the fighter jets?

@Sage - Press M ingame to change aeroplanes.

This sim definately deserves a mention in the next newsletter. One thing I really noticed is that as the plane gains velocity, it should become harder to turn.

Just a note here as well ... some immediate quick changes have been made to the program

I have increased the camera view close distance parameter as suggested by people, but cannot test whether it has altered the reported unpleasant z buffer defects as it was alway perfect on my machine . The change can only be taken so far at the moment, because, as a side effect, the 'in aircraft' view, when on the ground in a small plane, loses a portion of the ground in front of the plane.

At the same time I added some ( indetectable ! ) drag for aileron input.
And drag for aircraft yaw. I had gone to some trouble to get a 'yaw' independent of a delayed turn/ roll reaction, then forgot to add the consequent drag. The sad thing is you can hardly detect the yaw action, let alone the drag. I can't say either that I noticed it on my own real flying models .. but well .. it should be there on some models.

Some users have worried about the apparent lack of increased drag in a turn. I'm not sure what turn is meant. It is only when you alter the incidence of the wing with elevator that drag increases. Otherwise the wing continues to produce the same lift, at the same drag, even when banked.
In that state, without elevator, the lift is diverted sideways, and the craft loses height.
Though it doesn't look it, the actual increase in drag in this program is around double when given full elevator. I once spent many hours with a small home built wind tunnel ( a truly horrrendous noise from two overloaded vacuum cleaner notors driving propellers in opposite directions) and the program level is actually slightly higher than the reality. Though it's true there is room for improvement in my 'wing incidence' and low speed flight model .

These may be perfected later . . much much later ...

Hamish yes .. speed does indeed alter G force during a turn, increasing radius, but speed also increases the angular change from control input .. the effects tend to cancel out -- what you would see is an increase in wing incidence as it coped with the high G while the elevator is being applied.
A model 'pylon racer' flies at enourmous speed but can flick around a steeply banked turn in an instant. Unless the wings give up under excessive strain .. which i have seen . It depends how much sensitivity you set in the controls anyway.

cheers muddleglum.