This approach allows users to design aircraft on their computer quickly and easily, as the simulator engine will show immediately how an aircraft with a given design might perform in the real world. When this process is applied to each component, the simulated aircraft will fly virtually like its real counterpart does.
With Blade-element theory, a wing, for example, may be made up of many sections (1 to 4 is typical), and each section is further divided into as many as 10 separate sections, then the lift and drag of each section is calculated, and the resulting effect is applied to the whole aircraft. Blade-element theory and other computational aerodynamic models can be used to compute aerodynamic forces in real time or to pre-compute aerodynamic forces of a new design for later use in a traditional lookup table type of simulator. It is a way of modeling the forces and moments on an aircraft by individually evaluating the parts that constitute it. These simulators do a good job of simulating the flight characteristics of the aircraft they were designed to simulate (those with known aerodynamic data), but are not useful in design work, and do not predict the performance of aircraft when the actual figures are not available.īlade-element theory is one method of improving on this. Traditionally, flight simulators try to emulate the real-world performance of an aircraft by using lookup tables to find known aerodynamic forces such as lift or drag, which vary with flight condition. X-Plane differentiates itself by implementing an aerodynamic model known as blade element theory. Switching the planet to Mars is an option that comes with the game, and although the air is thin, flight is possible. It allows flight from -70 degrees south to 74 degrees north. It comes with five scenery disks, and one with scenery and the actual simulator.
X-Plane also has a plugin architecture that allows users to create their own modules and aircraft, extending the functionality of the software by letting users create their own worlds or replicas of places on earth. X-Plane is packaged with other software to build and customize aircraft and scenery, offering a complete flight simulation environment.
X-Plane is a flight simulator for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows by Laminar Research. Additional Notes ↓ : The disk requirements are based on how many world scenery areas are downloaded.Graphics: DirectX 12-capable video card from NVIDIA or AMD w/4 GB VRAM.Processor: Intel Core i5 6600K at 3.5 ghz or faster.Additional scenery areas can be downloaded at no charge at any time after purchase Graphics: DirectX 11-capable video card from NVIDIA or AMD w/512 MB VRAM.Processor: Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 CPU with 2 or more cores, or AMD equivalent.Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system.New buildings & roads to better simulate European citiesĪll links are interchangeable. Realistic avionics: all planes are IFR-ready right out of the gate.īusy, “living” airports with pushback tugs and roaming fuel trucks, able to service both your aircraft and the simulator’s AI planes. X-Plane 11 is the detailed, realistic, and modern simulator you’ve been waiting for.Ī completely redesigned, intuitive user interface that makes setting up and editing your flight a breeze.Ĭonsistently usable 3-D cockpits and stunningly high-resolution exterior models for all included aircraft.Ī new effects engine for lighting, sounds, and explosions.