In case you were wondering............

[Bravedan 106]

 

........................why on earth after saying I'd do some slope and other Phoenix sessions for Club Members nothing has happened here.............

 

Copy of most recent mail to Phoenix "Support":-

 

Dear Phoenix,

 

You used to be so good, what happened? Now EVERY update sets the program backwards.

 

5.5j update states “Fixed an issue with "Use Field Weather" option on slope-soaring sitesâ€

 

Well, the previous update didn’t have any slope issues I had noticed, but THIS ONE DOES!!

 

Slope Soaring is totally broken.

 

Gliders have ridiculously low drag, set “Calm Day†and no thermals and I can still climb out and do several circuits with the NAN Shadow before the hand launch speed extremely slowly drops away.

 

At the other extreme, wind just does not work, not field weather, not my weather. All you get is wind noise, no effect.

 

That’s not to say that Slope is the only train wreck, as power flying has also deteriorated update on update to be now extremely unsatisfactory. Set Flying Field, Own Weather (it has no Field Weather option now), 14mph crosswind, gusts set to 0mph, and “The Beast†left static at start point gets blown away ……………… REALLY?? AT ONLY 14mph?????????

 

As just one example of very many other non-wind issues, the Max3D has a still wind glide so effective that even on a thermal soarer it would be considered unrealistic.

 

I used to recommend this program to all. I’m now embarrassed to have done so.

 

[Gerard 10]

 

Well done Dave,

 

Hopefully they will send you a sensible reply, and more importantly, fix the inaccuracies / bugs in the programme!

 

I've been mainly using Phoenix to try and learn helicopters of late with no wind so I haven't noticed these problems. Got a Blade 230S last month to try and push my ageing brain into dealing with multiple control orientations! Have only flown it once so far in stability mode which wasn't too terrifying.

 

Here's hoping for some kinder weather in the near future!

 

[Bravedan 106]

 

Well, this is their (quite rapid!) reply, in its entirety ....................................

 

Hi Dave

 

Thank you for your feedback, we will certainly pass this on to our flight team.

 

Regarding slope lift, there is still an issue with this feature, but if you install the “5.5.k†BETA attached to this email then you should see slope-soaring lift once more.

 

Best Regards

 

Phoenix Support

 

So, now you know, or don't.........................

 

I'll try and check out the Beta later tonight.

 

[Bravedan 106]

 

Well I have loaded 5.5k Beta, and they are right, lift is back..................................but.....................

 

Std Aerobatic Slope Soarer, Countryside Hill, default field weather, launch 45 degrees port to wind. And then do nothing..............

 

Plane settles itself unaided into a starboard turn at launch speed, and goes round, and round, and round, and round. Eventually still Tx untouched it dies away enough to crash into the hill knoll left of slope, auto re-launches and off it goes again, circuiting the front side with undiminished speed no matter where its facing all on its little Jack Jones.

 

And this is with Gusts AND Turbulence on!!

 

The NAN Shadow travels around facing any which way to wind frontside or backside right or inverted with totally undiminished speed, its speed is even more consistent than in reality a powered model would manage.

 

And this is the best they can do? Have they never flown anything? Do they not have Pilot input any longer?

 

[Gerard 10]

 

Let's hope it's a temporary lack of real world programming resourcing rather than the company drawing back from the necessary backup to the programme. What's the next best option if Phoenix loses it's edge permanently?

 

I find it a fantastic tool when trying to learn some new manoeuvre.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bravedan 106]

 

Set 14mph blowing down the runway on flying field, nothing else, no gusts, no turbulence, then select "The Beast", which as you know is a big quite heavy plane................and when you turn it into wind it'll get blown away, accelerating backwards to immense speed. Keeping the engine running enough to prevent roll back will take more than a third throttle, throttle up and the plane will take off with no roll forward at all

 

It really is a sad travesty of the excellent program it once was.

 

[Martin 0]

 

It seems odd that they would break the physics model so badly. I would have thought that wind speed was one of the easier things to simulate!

 

Is it supposed to be a new "improved" model in the new version then?

 

I'm trying to remember which version I upgraded to...