R/C Aerochopper

Frootloop · 23 August 2003, 22:31

I never saw this before. It's an R/C plane and helicopter simulator which includes a radio controller!

eBay Auction

It retailed for $229 U.S. Apparently the simulator program is useless without the controller so the disk is in no way copy protected. I assume it's very rare since most it's a niche product and very expensive at that.

Codetapper · 23 August 2003, 23:07

If it's the same program I'm thinking of, there was a demo of it on Amiga Format 18 - the one with Vaxine given away (full game). It was a rolling demo so you couldn't play it but it went through various helicopters and planes drawn as vector graphics. There were no background graphics from memory and I do not think it is worth $229 US!

If you really want to fly an RC helicopter or plane I suggest you play Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as that has a pretty realistic helicopter in it - quite difficult to master the controls using keys but this would be similar to a real helicopter I guess...

Amiga1992 · 23 August 2003, 23:25

I think I heard about this, it's bloody brilliant!

Dizzy · 24 August 2003, 00:17

We had it before in a thread. http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?...oto=nextoldest

FromWithin · 24 August 2003, 01:26

If this is the one I'm thinking of, they've got in the Science Museum here in London. If you go there, go to the aerodynamics bit with all the stuff you can play with.

Frootloop · 24 August 2003, 12:32

I just downloaded the rolling demo here and wasn't very impressed with the graphics engine. They look like something a ZX Spectrum could easily do. Maybe it's fun to control.

Amiga1992 · 24 August 2003, 15:46

WOO!

r0x

NOT

FromWithin · 24 August 2003, 17:42

Yes, that's the one. In the Science Museum, you control it with two analog joysticks.

It doesn't matter what it looks like as long as it flies right. Helicopters are swines to fly and it's much better training on this progr before crashing your new £300 r/c helicopter on your first flight.

Best helicopter simulation I've tried is on X-Plane. It's very impressive with a big fat Sidewinder joystick. And very hard to control. X-Plane models proper air dynamics to get things to fly, so the physical model is very close to the real thing.

Syko · 24 August 2003, 18:02

Gotta agree with FromWithin on this, as I've watched my mate crash £400 worth of helicopter more than several times, before managing to master take-off, go up, go down, land! He still can't do much else, so this trainer would be damed usefull.

I assume it plugs into the joystick ports, and therefore wouldn't be too hard to mock up with an old R/ controler... Anyone know about this?

Frootloop · 24 August 2003, 18:18

The demo says the modified controller connects to the Amiga's serial port.

cv643d · 24 August 2003, 21:43

I remember that. It was available for Atari ST to. I local hobby shop had an Atari ST set up with it for people to play with. It was meant local hobby groups would buy one and then they could train.

Syko · 26 August 2003, 21:25

Quote:

The demo says the modified controller connects to the Amiga's serial port.

Bugger!

Still, shouldn't be too difficult to work it out - if anyone's got one...

Amiga1992 · 27 August 2003, 06:23

R/C choppers are basts to handle, yer right! I know they are the most difficult R/C things to handle.

Personally, I never went ahead from airplanes.

Syko · 27 August 2003, 21:29

Boats and Cars for me - they don't crash as bad!

Can't remember what the boat was, it's been years, but still got the car - it's a Serpent Quattro w/ carbon-fibre sub-frame, 4WD, big sticky slicks, disk brake, 2 gears, and fast as fcuk!

blakespot · 27 June 2021, 22:59

I have had the demo for this for a long time, but just grabbed a Futaba "transmitter" controller off eBay and grabbed the full game. Running it on my A1000 w/ controller connected via serial.

The sim runs, but the sticks do nothing when moved anywhere but up and/or left; any right or down movement from center does nothing. I see no calibration feature in the settings. Anyone know how to calibrate this thing? Seems an odd way for it to be broken, if it's an issue w/ both sticks.

I have a standard gender changer on my A1000 serial port to use standard serial cables. I also use it with my WiFi232 which is standard serial and that works fine.

Thanks. I wish the manual were anywhere online, but it seems not to be.

bp

stevelord · 28 June 2021, 13:54

It looks like it's a specific Futaba conquest controller that's been given a serial port instead of a radio link. If you run a serial comms program and try different baud rates do you get any data over serial? Probably good to see what comes out. If nothing comes out when going right or down the problem may be mechanical.

blakespot · 29 June 2021, 00:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevelord

It looks like it's a specific Futaba conquest controller that's been given a serial port instead of a radio link. If you run a serial comms program and try different baud rates do you get any data over serial? Probably good to see what comes out. If nothing comes out when going right or down the problem may be mechanical.

Yep, that seems to be it. I tried it with a terminal prog and only see changes moving to top left quad. Both sticks... Seems odd. I may as well open it, I guess.

I also have a more modern such controller for IKARUS' AeroFly 7, with USB, but that won't work on the Amiga!

[ Show youtube player ]

bp

23 August 2003, 22:31	#1
Frootloop Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Canada, Eh Posts: 167	R/C Aerochopper I never saw this before. It's an R/C plane and helicopter simulator which includes a radio controller! eBay Auction It retailed for $229 U.S. Apparently the simulator program is useless without the controller so the disk is in no way copy protected. I assume it's very rare since most it's a niche product and very expensive at that.

23 August 2003, 23:07	#2
Codetapper 2 contact me: email only! Join Date: May 2001 Location: Auckland / New Zealand Posts: 3,187	Ripoff! If it's the same program I'm thinking of, there was a demo of it on Amiga Format 18 - the one with Vaxine given away (full game). It was a rolling demo so you couldn't play it but it went through various helicopters and planes drawn as vector graphics. There were no background graphics from memory and I do not think it is worth $229 US! If you really want to fly an RC helicopter or plane I suggest you play Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as that has a pretty realistic helicopter in it - quite difficult to master the controls using keys but this would be similar to a real helicopter I guess...

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23 August 2003, 23:25	#3
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,646	I think I heard about this, it's bloody brilliant!

24 August 2003, 00:17	#4
Dizzy Pirate Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 3,395	We had it before in a thread. http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?...oto=nextoldest

24 August 2003, 01:26	#5
FromWithin Music lord Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Liverpool, UK Age: 50 Posts: 630	If this is the one I'm thinking of, they've got in the Science Museum here in London. If you go there, go to the aerodynamics bit with all the stuff you can play with.

24 August 2003, 12:32	#6
Frootloop Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Canada, Eh Posts: 167	I just downloaded the rolling demo here and wasn't very impressed with the graphics engine. They look like something a ZX Spectrum could easily do. Maybe it's fun to control.

24 August 2003, 15:46	#7
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,646	WOO! r0x NOT

24 August 2003, 17:42	#8
FromWithin Music lord Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Liverpool, UK Age: 50 Posts: 630	Yes, that's the one. In the Science Museum, you control it with two analog joysticks. It doesn't matter what it looks like as long as it flies right. Helicopters are swines to fly and it's much better training on this progr before crashing your new £300 r/c helicopter on your first flight. Best helicopter simulation I've tried is on X-Plane. It's very impressive with a big fat Sidewinder joystick. And very hard to control. X-Plane models proper air dynamics to get things to fly, so the physical model is very close to the real thing.

24 August 2003, 18:02	#9
Syko Now got GSX750F :)) Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Halifax UK Age: 60 Posts: 584	Gotta agree with FromWithin on this, as I've watched my mate crash £400 worth of helicopter more than several times, before managing to master take-off, go up, go down, land! He still can't do much else, so this trainer would be damed usefull. I assume it plugs into the joystick ports, and therefore wouldn't be too hard to mock up with an old R/ controler... Anyone know about this?

24 August 2003, 18:18	#10
Frootloop Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Canada, Eh Posts: 167	The demo says the modified controller connects to the Amiga's serial port.

24 August 2003, 21:43	#11
cv643d Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Sweden Posts: 762	I remember that. It was available for Atari ST to. I local hobby shop had an Atari ST set up with it for people to play with. It was meant local hobby groups would buy one and then they could train.

27 August 2003, 06:23	#13
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,646	R/C choppers are basts to handle, yer right! I know they are the most difficult R/C things to handle. Personally, I never went ahead from airplanes.

27 August 2003, 21:29	#14
Syko Now got GSX750F :)) Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Halifax UK Age: 60 Posts: 584	Boats and Cars for me - they don't crash as bad! Can't remember what the boat was, it's been years, but still got the car - it's a Serpent Quattro w/ carbon-fibre sub-frame, 4WD, big sticky slicks, disk brake, 2 gears, and fast as fcuk!

27 June 2021, 22:59	#15
blakespot Registered User Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Alexandria, VA (USA) Posts: 14	I have had the demo for this for a long time, but just grabbed a Futaba "transmitter" controller off eBay and grabbed the full game. Running it on my A1000 w/ controller connected via serial. The sim runs, but the sticks do nothing when moved anywhere but up and/or left; any right or down movement from center does nothing. I see no calibration feature in the settings. Anyone know how to calibrate this thing? Seems an odd way for it to be broken, if it's an issue w/ both sticks. I have a standard gender changer on my A1000 serial port to use standard serial cables. I also use it with my WiFi232 which is standard serial and that works fine. Thanks. I wish the manual were anywhere online, but it seems not to be. bp

28 June 2021, 13:54	#16
stevelord Registered User Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: UK Posts: 540	It looks like it's a specific Futaba conquest controller that's been given a serial port instead of a radio link. If you run a serial comms program and try different baud rates do you get any data over serial? Probably good to see what comes out. If nothing comes out when going right or down the problem may be mechanical.

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