Jonathan M Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 Am normally a Mac user and been using Picasim on the iPad (and once upon a time on the Android) but really dislike using the touch-screen instead of proper sticks! So thinking of buying a new or used PC/laptop just for the purpose of plugging it into the widescreen TV via HDMI cable, then using my FrSky Taranis wifi dongle to control. Don't want to spend any more than necessary, so question is what is the most basic spec I need for RC flight simulators? Processor? RAM? Graphics card? Hard drive? Cheers, Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 I know very little about specs on a laptop. I can only say have a look at the minimum needs of the sim program. There must be plenty on ebay etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan M Posted April 14, 2020 Author Share Posted April 14, 2020 Brilliant as PicaSim is and seemingly lightweight (in terms of processing demands) I cannot fine any minimum spec on their website: PicaSim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis Watkins Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 Jon, any new PC will run a flight sim with no problem, for example, am just looking for you https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/asus-e406ma-14-laptop-intel-pentium-128-gb-emmc-grey-10204316-pdt.html But maybe 2nd hand is what you want, just look for Intel Pentium as a sort of minimum. Edited By Denis Watkins on 14/04/2020 15:24:35 Edited By Denis Watkins on 14/04/2020 15:27:48 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hazell 1 Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 I asked a similar question on here recently and I was recommended by someone to try Ikarus aerofly RC7. I installed it on my late 2013 13.3 macbook pro (which I hook up to a 24inch monitor. With graphics set to medium I get perfectly acceptable performance although the fan does spin up somewhat. It's about 30 quid on mac store. I also purchased a cheapo usb controller and it all works very well. This was the post on a thread I started over in the beginners section: **LINK** ========= Posted by Piers Bowlan on 26/01/2020 20:43:14: Welcome David. You asked about RC Sims for Mac, so here is Aerofly RC-7, - no need to get a PC! I have no experience of it personally but Aerofly is a well known RC flight sim which works well by all accounts. ============= This was the usb controller I bought. I have the switch on the front set to XTR and Aerofly RC-7 finds it and it all works ok: **LINK** Cheers David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan M Posted April 14, 2020 Author Share Posted April 14, 2020 Posted by Denis Watkins on 14/04/2020 15:19:22: Jon, any new PC will run a flight sim with no problem, for example, am just looking for you **LINK** But maybe 2nd hand is what you want, just look for Intel Pentium as a sort of minimum. Thanks Denis - gives me a rough starting point! Posted by David Hazell 1 on 14/04/2020 15:25:36: I asked a similar question on here recently and I was recommended by someone to try Ikarus aerofly RC7. I installed it on my late 2013 13.3 macbook pro (which I hook up to a 24inch monitor. With graphics set to medium I get perfectly acceptable performance although the fan does spin up somewhat. It's about 30 quid on mac store. I also purchased a cheapo usb controller and it all works very well. This was the post on a thread I started over in the beginners section: **LINK** ========= Posted by Piers Bowlan on 26/01/2020 20:43:14: Welcome David. You asked about RC Sims for Mac, so here is Aerofly RC-7, - no need to get a PC! I have no experience of it personally but Aerofly is a well known RC flight sim which works well by all accounts. ============= This was the usb controller I bought. I have the switch on the front set to XTR and Aerofly RC-7 finds it and it all works ok: **LINK** Cheers David Cheers David. I've had the Aerofly/Ikarus setup on my Mac for a few years now. Its more than adequate for general power flying but never really got on with its slope-soaring side of things, which is my main interest. The beauty of PicaSim is that Danny Chapman, who is himself a slope-soarer, has a brilliant way of programming it for incredibly realistic flying - not so much for the graphics which are however more than adequate, but the flying and in particular the exact aerodynamic characteristics and performance of different models themselves. I'm shortly to start building a Quark 2m slow-aerobatic (short kit from Gliders Ireland). Danny has done the same, and has recently added the Quark to the collection on PicaSim. I.E my interest is to actually start training on the Quark - which flies completely differently to the Phase 6, the Jart, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan M Posted April 19, 2020 Author Share Posted April 19, 2020 Brief update - total success! Found my son's old 2015 Lenovo 10" tablet: 1.33GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB memory, integrated graphics chip. Wiped it clean of everything except core Windows 8 operating system, Chrome and PicaSim. With micro-HDMI into 32" TV and FrySky wifi-dongle into the micro-USB port, now runs for hours and hours on battery, barely gets warm and is the most superb training simulator for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.