RealFlight 8

RealFlight 8
N/A
Metacritic
82
Steam
54.75
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Release date
21 March 2018
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
82 (79 votes)

RealFlight 8 is a flight simulator for model airplanes, helicopters, and drones. Fly more than 140 vehicles at 50+ flying sites in a huge open world. Test your skills in the challenges, and fly with your friends in online multiplayer games.

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RealFlight 8 system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: Windows 7, 8, or 10
  • Processor: Intel® Pentium® 1.0GHz or equivalent
  • Memory: 512 MB RAM
  • Graphics: Full DirectX 9 compliant
  • DirectX: Version 9.0c
  • Storage: 10 GB available space
Updated
App type
Steam APP ID
748460
Platforms
Windows PC
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dzhakondaa
dzhakondaa

Do not works and too many bugs.
1.Freez when you shift "alt", and shows "Error:D3DERR_INVALIDCALL" "File: DXDevice.cpp" "Line:118"
2. cannot change resolution (after changing it all the time goes back to various resolution but not to which you choose)
3. Anti-alaising and post anti-alaising doesnt works - straight limits/lines of models shows with a HUGE stages and like from 90s
Do not recommend it to buy until they will fix all the bugs and issues.

XRrGykntji_Tec
XRrGykntji_Tec

Physics seems to be so far from real life. Gosh! Really, SO FAR! You can make a sequence of loopings with a giant B-25 without feel stall, for example. In pre-stall speeds, ailerons (in some airplanes) works so nice as if you were at 200 miles per hour. It's not like this in real life! Come! All airplanes seems so much heavier than real life, by the way. Some quads physics are bizarre. Really! It used to be the best R/C sim in the past. This version make me feel down. I compare it just like some kinds os RC sim you can get at App Store or Google Play to play on your mobile for free. If you have never tried piloting a RC plane, this GAME can just offer you some fun moments. Just this. If you are a veteran piloting RC Planes, you're gonna feel frustrated with it. Really! Beleive me! Tried to use a Flysky control and also my Futaba. All the same. Bad experience. Real Flight used to be a good simulator. But became some kind of poor game, witch you can challenge yourself on, play in multiplayer mode and that's it.... It's a really arcade game. You have a list os more than 50 airplanes. The only one you can feel like, 40% that it is in real life, is the Big Stick. I was excited when you put Real Flight on Steam. But now frustraded!

Cram42
Cram42

A total non-starter unfortunately. Won't allow use of my Frsky Horus X10 in USB controller mode. Other sims do, but RF8 refuses to even start. Requesting refund.

Exidy_I
Exidy_I

Be aware This is a RC Flight Training tool NOT a game!!

Downloaded installed runs perfectly!!
Very happy customer.. since rf5 6 7 7.5 and now RF8 VR. combined old Interlink controller tethered to Optima 9 Tx with my HP Windows reality VR headset & GTX1070 Predator laptop this combination just simply ROCKS!!! Guys, when RF8 is used with reasonably decent hardware it is well worth the effort. However there are significant scale issues with some of the models especially when in VR mode and blurring of small models when u flypast. pixelation of heli models in VR mode is very disappointing. I hope knife edge take this seriously an fixes these fundamental software issues!! Otherwise we are a happy RF family.

Koray
Koray

It's alright. I fly quads aka drones mostly in real life, and they are... bad to say the least. I'll list why below:
-Ever try lowering your P gain to zero? Don't do that. This sim put it low.
- Any roll causes them to fall uncontrolable
-No air mode

BUT! The planes and heli's are great. So 2/3 models are perfect

Icarus99
Icarus99

This is RealFlight as you expect it.
Of course requires the Interlink controller. Everything as in previous version.
I do however have a problem with buying it for VR. The problem isn't with RealFlight; the problem is with the resolution of the VR HMDs. RealFlight on a PC screen is difficult enough to tell the attitude and orientation of your aircraft, but in VR the resolution is quite low, and at a distance it is nearly impossible to tell.
I will likely be seeking a refund until VR dispay resolution catches up.

Dinotar
Dinotar

This is 3rd realflight sim I have owned. I run it with max graphics and I love it. Now If I could just gets some guys in our clan to buy it. I could play the muliplayer. If anyone is interested msg me. I have been an avid rc driver for years and raced a few seasons looking forward to getting 1st plane in few days. See how close sim is to real live rc then.

Maltic
Maltic

Great to finally have realflight on Steam.
and it works well whith the WS1000 dongle for spektrum transmitters and other similar setups i imagine.

Sim, Fly ,Prevail!

Blasphemous
Blasphemous

18 hours in so far; and I have to say, I like it. I noticed someone complaining about the $99 price tag, in case you haven't noticed, this is a simulator, not a game. I'm not going to go in depth with everything because I have only messed around with photofields and flying several different models. The game has run solid, graphics in the photofields look great to me, I didn't care too much for the polygon maps. The editor to me is worth the money alone, I've enjoyed importing 10,000 x 5,000 rez equirectangular panoramas and then adding obstacles to the map a lot. You can also create your own or edit existing models too. Comparing this simulator to the real deal, which I'm an addict of.......it's point on. This simulator will definitely better ones skills and assist in teaching one to become natural with the reverse controls of rc aircraft. I run an I7 4ghz, 16gb ram and an old gtx 970, game runs great and fast on windows 10/64 for me. PS, surprisingly the 360 controllers work great with tihs simulator, of course nothing is like using your actual transmitter, but analogs, (which I hate) work really good on this. I forgot I had a PS4, I'm going to try those controllers next, I'm sure those pads would be better since their analog sticks are horizontally aligned to each other.

Jams Mai
Jams Mai

Firstly, read what the game is before goying it. It's a simulator not a game. Also you DO need to have a interlink enabled controller to play it. Anyways, I've had no bugs whatsoever and as someone who has flown both drones and RC aircrafts the physics are actually quite realistic and can actually teach someone who has never flown to fly. The 3d graphics could be improved but it overall does provide what you expect from it.

xicor37
xicor37

If you're looking for a video game, look elsewhere. However, if you're looking for the best RC flight training software, you've found it! This sim is worth every penny. It will literally pay for itself on your first virtual crash. There is no cheaper, better way to learn to fly RC.

KE/Hobbico, thanks for bringing this to steam!
I'm looking forward to trying RF-X. I hope you put it on steam too.
I think in general the steam audiance will on average have more potent PC's
I'm quite certain mine could handle RF-X with ease.

Nick W
Nick W

Great software. As an experienced model flyer, I'm impressed with the way it captures the 'feel' of the models - all that's missing is the smell, and the oily hands! Ok, so some models are slightly less realistic and let you get away with stuff that in the real world wouldn't work, but the vast majority are spot on.

adammc80
adammc80

Hey y'all, my quick review of why you should get this simulator as long as you have a r/c radio and dongle.... I'm using a DX6 with the dongle from HH. Let me give a little background about myself. I've been flying r/c for about 20 years and the last simulator I bought was Phoenix R/C about 6 years ago. I enjoyed the selection of models on that simulator. I'm mostly a park and UMX sized flyer now. In the past I was a 40 and 60 sized builder and flyer. I also had a 30 sized sport heli. Halfway through my hobby I switched to electric. Mostly foamies, but I still do balsa kits. Anyways, about a year and a half ago I bought a HTC system specifically for flight sims/dog fighting, which I got a good selection. War Thunder being my favorite cause of the MP. I'm also running a i7-6700, 16gb ram, 1080ti card. I've always wanted a r/c sim for VR.... Guess what I found last night!!!! RealFlight 8! WITH VFR!!! ((If you've ever been to the hobby shops and seen a r/c sim setup and it's usually RF.))

This SIMULATOR (not a game) offer TONS of airplanes and helis to choose from... around 100 I think and some drones too... I'm not a drone flyer. I like doing tricks with my mad stick skillz instead of racing around in FPV, haha. First plane I go for is the Pitts. I recently bought a HH UMX Pitts and it's now my favorite 2C bird to take to the park for lunch. I load up the plane on the desktop with the default field and strap on the Vive. HFS! I think it brought a tear to my eye. Off the ground and straight into a hover! WOW! That was one of the best VR experiences for me.

On the desktop this thing looks top notch and runs great. On VR though, after a few minutes of utter joy some blemishes started showing up which I hope is fixed in future updates, which is why I'm writing this in hopes it may be addressed.
1) Please add a selection menu for the VR environment. I'm having to take the headset off to switch planes when I got a magic VR wand?
2) There needs to be an option to allow zoom for VR. When the plane gets too far the Vive becomes too pixelated. It's actually a tight threshold for the larger birds. It seems like when they're more than 200' away the image quality really suffers. I did also set the VR settings to high.
3) Visible links to forums and model uploads. Most of the models are gas and the electrics I did find were mostly 3D birds. As a modeling enthusiast, I really encourage you to give us the ability to ceate and share models easier.
4) One more, there is a wicked blur! Try doing a fly by nearish to you in VR and you'll see (2) images blurred together at a distance where the image should be crisp!

I love the selection of planes, but there are a lot of newer planes that didn't seem to make it in there. Save yourself $1000 on a hobby binge trying to find the right bird and try the ones that came for $100. This one will last for quite a while. I already invited my r/c friends over for beers and r/c flying without worrying about what usually happens... namely a trip to the hobby shop to replace the plane that costs more than this game does.

EDIT: VR works a bit better on the non-photorealistic fields. Still get the blur, but depth perception is better.

Bob from Acc0unting
Bob from Acc0unting

Phoenix 5 has better 3d environments than this game does. I like flying pontoon boats, RF8 has 1 3d environment with water. 1! Also, why do all the environments look so dumpy? Like a dirt field next to a cracked out abandonded road. The planes fly great but I certainly expected much more from the environments for RF8 still a whopping $99.

crusher
crusher

I'm a beginner, when it comes to flying RC-Planes, but I noticed that the flight-physics in this simulator are quite off.
You can fly realy heavy planes waaaay to slow, without stalling them ever. I guess this realy bad habbits and muscle memory in real world.
Furthermore, promised and essential features, like editing/adjusting planes just lead to a crash "back to windows".
Did not get any errormessage, did not find any logs. So cannot provide more Info.
ATM I'm not quite satisfied. Feels as if I invested 100 € into the wrong simulator.

mattbourge
mattbourge

Great RC flight simulator. This is not a game, and the negative reviews must be from people who thought it was. 100$ is not cheap, but it is cheaper than crashing a real RC airplane once.

I'm using a Spektrum DX8 G2 with the Spektrum Wireless Simulator Dongle WS1000.

Rexsin
Rexsin

Helped me get into RC flying smoothly. I was surprised that I was able to apply what I learned from this sim into real life and my peers were surprised as well into how fast my learning curve was getting into RC planes!

cure
cure

Apart from VR support, RF8 appears basically identical to RealFlight 7.5. However, compared to all other RC heli sims on the market, RealFlight is imo still by far the best all-round RC heli sim out there, despite physics not having been updated for quite a while. But then again, the physics are really, really, really good.

The only probable reason it's not getting as much support from the RC heli community anymore, might be the forcing of major revision purchases, when generally no worthwhile major features/relevant helicopters/flying fields are being added. The recent change of RF 7/8/9 clients being able to join each other's multiplayer sessions, makes up for this a bit. But not nearly enough.

What's also holding RF back atm, is the lack of modern helicopters. There used to be an active community for providing relevant up-to-date helicopter models, that community support pretty much died. Installing custom aircraft, is too much of a hassle for most end-users anyway. Other relevant sims of today come with relevant helicopter models included in the base install.

xvv
xvv

I returned it because the realism is lost in the physics. It's a fun game, and cheaper than most model airplanes. If you're buying this to replace flying the real thing, you will be dissapointed. If you haven't flown the real thing this would be a good place to start.

videojimmy
videojimmy

For years, and I have been using Realflight for years and many versions, it could have been considered a high quality marketing arm for Great Planes. As other manufacturers began to dominate the RC world, I chaffed at the bit at being stuck in the RC world of the 90's. I can't even count the number of times I paid for same basic aircraft models. There have always been nods to changes in the RC industry, but I can use up an entire hand for the times I paid for the next Realflgiht version and got the same models. I jumped at the Steam version to avoid yet another set of CDROMs. The fact that Realflight has opened the door to the dominant players in today's RC world is good, but for this price, Horizon Hobbies should not be an addon. In fact, Horizon should be looking at inclusion in this sim as a marketing strategy for selling their products. Switching Great Planes for another corporate overlord is not ideal for the users and potential Horizon customers.

That said, this is the best RC flight sim available, and I've tried all of them. This is the one that allows you to show up at the field ready to fly. When you consider the cost against the number of expensive models you would crash, it's a relative bargain. When you consider the cost of the controller and the sim itself, it's easy to make the opposite argument. I'm not saying the devopers don't deserve the money, and I'm not saying the hypothetical aircraft models aren't worth your money, but I am saying that what Realfight has always been, apparently, is a marketing system for the manufacturers of RC models. Those manufacturers should not only be supporting the developers, they should be standing in line to offer the users as much free content as possible. If I like to fly a model in this sim, my odds of purchasing the actual model have gone up sharply.

I do recommend Realfight for the quality of the simulation, but I also suffer from buyer's fatigue. For this money on Steam, and the need for new users to aquire a controller, and after buying so many disk copies, I think they could have started with every model they've ever sold as core or addon and built from there. It's great deal against crashing aircraft, and a poor deal against their longtime users. If your goal is to fly real world RC and you are looking for way to become proficient, this is the way.

rwd_gtr
rwd_gtr

great game if you want to learn to fly rc's
graphics look great in single screen mode.
however. this game performs terribly in vr. dont even bother trying it in vr.

LeVar Burton
LeVar Burton

I used RF8, coupled with the Interlink X controller and HTC Vive, to learn 3D fixed-wing flying. 99% of my flying time has been spent in VR. I was able to translate my knowledge easily to the flying field with my own planes. Thanks, Horizon, for creating such a valuable training tool. RF8 was well worth the price, for me. For those looking for a game, and not RC training, please stay far away.

Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word

I've been flying this simulator for years now to keep myself sharp on the sticks. If you already have Realflight, don't expect many big changes as this is basically the same as RF 6.5

Mr.Bob
Mr.Bob

This is not a game!!!!, It may be too expensive but it is a great simulator overall

Ghost Leviathan
Ghost Leviathan

#UX and #UI is not the best. i would pass on this one for something way better.
was able to get frsky qx7 to work but game keeps crashing .

LukeYonge
LukeYonge

Best sim on the market for planes and helis; however FPV drone flight characteristics are a joke, literally the worst I've seen out of all the simulators I have tried.

EML Chio_OB
EML Chio_OB

Good but not perfect rc sim, expensive but a good tool for learning orientation, the hardest part of rc flying!

Anonymous
Anonymous

very realistic once you get the settings right

Anonymous
Anonymous

Works fine, I'm using it installed on Steam.

ab62967
ab62967

IF YA WANT TO LEARN HOW TO FLY RC AIRCRAFT THIS IS THE PROGRAM TO GET
ITS AS CLOSE TO REAL FLYING AS YOU CAN GET

mosolete
mosolete

I grew up not far from Sloan Field (Bombardier School) which was between Odessa and Midland, Texas. Thus, I saw most of the old war birds when they were brand new. One of my favorites was the Billy Mitchell B-25, and I love to fly that lumbering old beast in the RF-8. It is fun to get up speed on the runway and then give it full flaps. It will head upward at a considerable angle (unlike the real B-25. If I leave it at full throttle, the plane will do a loop and head down the runway up-side-down, if I pull up (actually downward) in time. My friends get large charge while watching an old B-25 buzzing the runway in that down-side-up attitude. LOL
David R. LeMaster, Ed.D.
Lt. Colonel, USAF Retired
Midland, Texas

2xlbu4u
2xlbu4u

Realistic physics and flight characteristics.
Challenges are hard but make you a better pilot

frankbarbas
frankbarbas

Does everything well. Very nice they support swap pages to get more planes, helicopters and flying fields.

cdrkrotchetyusn8
cdrkrotchetyusn8

This is a great tool for learning how to prolong the life of your IRL RC aircraft. You can practice crashing as much as you like in RF8; rebuilding each re-kitted aircraft takes only a press of a little red button, and PRESTO! CHANGE-O! all the broken pixels are together again. Which is the only thing that is completely unrealistic. So, if it can't save you aggravation, it can save you money. If you amortize across the spektrum of crashes you'll have in the sim, pretty soon you'll find that per crash, it's cost you nothing!

Turo
Turo

no i would not recommend this game due to bugs and problems with connectivity.

rockbox
rockbox

this is a very accurate rc sim compared to others

Anonymous
Anonymous

as flight sims go for model rc it is pretty good

TehoMursu22
TehoMursu22

Really good but price is too salty

Tardowien
Tardowien

ITS GREAT FOR PRACTICING DURING WINTER OR RAINY DAYS.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Real Flight is the best RC simulator and excellent for learning to fly.

_chief_
_chief_

I highly recommend this program not only for beginners but for rainy or windy days. always good to practice, practice, practice.

I've have not even been into RC Planes for a year yet and feel comfortable in the program and in the field. I fly UMX planes and have started flying 1.2 meter and 1.5 meter planes. Getting ready to try the Night Radian soon and all because of hours on the program

If you have doubts...GET IT!!

I have the Steam version and linked to my DX8 Gen 2.

Anonymous
Anonymous

cannot get my spektrum to work on this progrmme no matter what i try the the throtle if push unp and down work like the rudder

Tony
Tony

Better than crashing real model planes, but a bit over priced for what you get.
Good for practicing on when the weather prevents actual flying.

dan6
dan6

No longer works under the latest Win 10 version and AMD 5700 XT graphics card.

RF8 uses DX9 and the current AMD driver doesn't support the old legacy DirectX9.

I do like the sim a lot otherwise.

Luke
Luke

Playability
The Playability of RealFlight 8 is amongst the best simulators I have used in relation to the realistic physics of the models. From the moment I plug in the Interlink USB Transmitter the SIM instantly maps all the primary channels I require to fly my model. Should I wish to make any channel adjustments I can easily make this in the menu. The Interlink transmitter however whilst is an easy to use product for RealFlight is also is a source of great confusion and frustration for some that are new to RealFlight. Simply put without a RealFlight compatible USB controller or dongle you are not able to use the Simulator. AccuRC or another Simulator such as PhoenixRC maybe a better choice in this regard however as you can simply use a cheaper dongle to connect any transmitter to their software.

Once you have however plugged in your controller and take-off instantly the physics of the models becomes a very apparent strong point of this software. From performing Aileron Tic-Tocs to Autorotation’s you can feel the weight of the model as realistically as I would fly a model in real life.

Sounds
The sounds of the models whilst flying I feel does sound a little tinny and may struggle to capture an absolutely realistic representation of some models, I believe it is still a fair representation for a SIM from the revving of a nitro engine to the flutter of blades as you come in to land an auto.

Graphics
RealFlight has highly detailed models with reflective canopy's and photorealistic fields all rendered through Direct X 9. Whilst one of the more demanding Simulators on a GPU you will also experience fantastic graphic fidelity through a range of post processing effects including bloom and depth of field. Whilst, these effects create a uniquely gorgeous flying experience I have found some people using the SIM to lose depth perception using too many of these additional effects which can also negatively affect your frame rate and flying. I have previously used this SIM however on a Nvidia GTX 970 4GB GPU pushing well over 60FPS and my recommendations for getting a good experience with RealFlight is to lower the depth of field settings until you have smooth performance, find a suitable camera angle and fly.

Mods and Community
In relation to the RC and RealFlight community as a whole it is always expanding and if you want to look into downloading additional new Aircraft and Airports you can visit the knifeedge.com Swap pages. Adding an additional aircraft of airport is as simple as extracting the new files into your C:\Users\YourUserName\Documents\RealFlight 8 folder and reloading the simulator.

Verdict
Overall RealFlight 8 is one of the most photorealistic experiences you will have flying a remote-control model without leaving the house. The physics of the models provide a unique sense of weight to each one flown and provides a great training platform for anyone looking to getting into Remote Control Planes, Helicopters and drones. If you are new to RealFlight, as I alluded to before you will need to also purchase the InterLink DX controller for an additional cost to get the most out of the software.

In reviewing RealFlight 8 I have used multiple other RC Aircraft Simulators including the early editions of RealFlight, PhoenixRC, neXt and AccuRC. I have over 10 years’ experience in building, maintaining and flying model RC Helicopters from 250 size all the way up to 700. I also have extensive experience in both electric and Nitro models.

In taking the above into account I have reviewed the product on Playability, Sound, Graphics and Modding. RealFlight is without a doubt still the premier product for learning how to fly a Remote-Control Helicopter model.

Anonymous
Anonymous

I have found it helpful to stay proficient when I can't fly. The biggest fault that I have with the program is that the plane seems to become smaller as you fly away at a faster rate than the a real plane does in actual flight. Maybe it's just me though. Anyone else noticed this?

ST3V13
ST3V13

[Edited after 150hs of usage] Physics are good. Graphics are good. Plane editing is somehow complicated. Plane selection is uncomprehensible, many classics are missing: For instance, Top Flite warbird 60 models, Great Planes Extra 40/60 size, Spirit 2M sailplane. Helis ? No Trex 450, no Hirobo Shuttle, Sceadu nor Eagle, no Kyosho Concept nor Nexus, no TT Raptor 30/50. Come on ! I mentioned some of all-time best sellers !
I've had a hard time dealing with graphic card drivers until I can reduce significantly the number of crashes at start

lexypexypoo
lexypexypoo

This sim flies like the real planes. Love this sim.

FlimFlam
FlimFlam

Physics leaves a lot to be desired, plus it crashes nonstop.

Horizon hobbies hides all previously purchased versions of realflight in an attempt to make you buy the most recent version.

Frogman
Frogman

RealFlight 8 or newer version is a must have if you want to become a advanced 3D pilot.

lauerjc
lauerjc

Its good for people who like rc planes and helicopters and its also fun for the pro rc pilots to practice flying