Heli-X Sim 1.0 Released

“The one and only multi-platform RC heli simulator”.

This could be the slogan for this sim. This release of a new simulator version comes in handy – for the season with the nastier flying conditions. Heli-X used to be a freeware (*), Java-based simulator which most users found far more convincing than FMS (some, however, said that flying Heli-X is harder than a real heli – which doesn’t hurt IMHO – if you can fly the more difficult sim, you can also fly your real model, right?). 

With the current 1.0 release, Heli-X has gone shareware. This is justified if you take a look at the extensive feature list – there’s not many things missing if you compare it to commercial sims like Reflex, Phoenix, Realflight or AFPD:

• Significant performance increase
• Better helicopter physics
• Multi player capabilities using the Internet
• Hover training
• Stick display
• Better configuration possibilities for your controller or joystick
• Record/play
• More utilities (heliports, pylons)
• Possibility for indoor scenes with crash walls
• Dual rate/expo-settings

• Better sounds including the sound of the blades in stall
• Improved camera settings
• Shadow configuration
• Several languages (currently english and german)

Some things aren’t even mentioned in the author’s list of new features. One of the coolest would be the night flight mode:

…and one of the things I like the best is that it’s multi-plattform. With this sim, I don’t have to reboot my iMac into Windows (ugh) to get some sim practice. Linux, Mac OS X 10.5 or Windows - all you need is a 1.6 Java VM (which, in turn, means you need a 64bit Macintosh computer – but the sim even runs on the Mac mini). If you wonder: there’s a download version each for Windows, Linux and Mac OS – but the underlying Java and data files are all the same. The downloads differ only to make life easier for the user of each platform.

The shareware restrictions are the following (taken from the sim’s startup dialog):

“This version is identical to the full version of HELI-X with the following restrictions:

•  
  • There is only one airport available.
  • There are only three helicopters available.
  • Utilities can not be loaded.
  • From time to time this window appears to remember you that this is only the demo version of HELI-X.

Take some time to test HELI-X. If you like it you can obtain the full version. Details can be found at the home page of HELI-X: http://www.heli-x.net”

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