An RC flight simulator is a computer program that allows pilots of radio-controlled aircraft to practice on a computer, without the risk and expense of damaging a real model. Besides the obvious use of training beginners, they are also used for practising new aerobatics, evaluating a model before buying it, and to allow flight practice when conditions are otherwise unsuitable. Most simulators allow the use of real R/C transmitters to control the sim.
There are a number of commercial packages available, such as Eiperle CGM's neXt - RC Flight Simulator, SVK Systems' ClearView, Knife Edge Software's RealFlight, IPACS' AeroFly and Trasna Technology's AccuRC. There are also a number of free simulators, with FS One being the most well known and most feature rich.
Most simulators allow the importing of add-ons such as new models and landscapes. There are many web sites dedicated to offering free content like this.
Some of these simulators are dedicated to R/C flight, while others are generic simulators that can simulate both full-scale and R/C flight.
Feature Comparison edit
| Name | Type of aircraft | Price | Software license | Free Demo? | Operating System | Controller Type | Last stable release (date) | External Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute RC Simulator | Model Planes and Helicopters | Free | Proprietary | Yes | iOS, Android, Windows phones and tablets | On screen controls | http://www.happybytesapps.com/ | |
| Aerofly Professional Deluxe | Model planes and helicopters | US$300 | Proprietary | No | Windows, Mac | Included or controller | http://www.aerofly.com/afpd/index.html | |
| Aerofly RC 7 | Model planes, Helicopters and Drones | €40+ | Proprietary | No | Windows, Mac | Included or controller | 2015-08-27 | https://www.ikarus.net/en/aeroflyrc-7/rc7-features/ |
| Aerofly RC 8 | Model planes, Helicopters and Drones | €99+ | Proprietary | No | Windows, Mac | Included or controller | https://www.ikarus.net/en/rc8-features/ | |
| AeroSIM RC | Model planes, helicopters, multicopters | €65 | Hardware keyed | Yes | Windows | Real Controller | 2019-02 | http://www.aerosimrc.com/ |
| AirSim | Multicopters, cars, etc. | Free | MIT License | Yes | Windows, Linux | 2020-04 | https://github.com/Microsoft/AirSim | |
| AccuRC RC Flight Simulator | Model helicopters | US$59 | Hardware keyed | Yes | Windows | Real Controller | http://www.accurc.com/ | |
| Wings | Wings and planes including FPV racing | $36 | Proprietary | FPS check only | Windows | Any analog USB controller | 2023-09 (1.17) | https://www.wings-sim.com/index.php |
| R/C Desk Pilot | Model Planes and Helicopters | Free | Freeware | n/a | Windows | Joystick | 2017-06 | http://www.rcdeskpilot.com/ |
| ClearView | Model Planes and Helicopters | US$40 | Proprietary | Yes | Windows, | Joystick or Controller | http://www.rcflightsim.com/ | |
| CRRCsim | Model Planes | Free | GPL | n/a | Windows, Mac, Linux | Joystick, Controllers | 2018-07-04 | https://sourceforge.net/projects/crrcsim/ |
| CSM | Model Planes and Helicopters | UK£69.99 | Proprietary | n/a | DOS, Windows | Real Controllers | 1998 (V10) | https://web.archive.org/web/20050830000501/http://www.rcmodels.org/csm/csm_simulator.htm |
| Dave Brown RCFS | Model Planes and Helicopters | US$150 | Proprietary | No | Windows | Joystick, Controllers | https://web.archive.org/web/20060509083404/http://www.dbproducts.com/store/rcfs2001.htm | |
| Digital Aircraft Modeller | Model Planes | US$40 | Proprietary | Yes | Windows | Joystick, controllers | http://www.digitalaircraftmodeler.com/ | |
| Electric RC Sim | Model planes, quadcopter | US$1.99 | Proprietary | Yes | iOS | Touch screen controls | http://jetstripes.com/games/electric-rc-sim/ | |
| FlightGear | Planes, helicopters, model planes. (Flight simulator, not RC) | Free Flightgear#Commercial redistribution | GPL | n/a | Cross-platform | Check categories: hardware (joystick) & R/C. | 2019-01-29 | http://www.flightgear.org/ |
| Flying Model Simulator | Model Planes and Helicopters | Free | Freeware | n/a | Windows | Joystick, controller adapters | http://modelsimulator.com/ | |
| FS One | Model Planes | Free | Proprietary | Yes | Windows | Real Controllers, USB Simulator Controllers | 2022-09-06 | https://www.fsone.com |
| Liftoff | Drone Racing Quadcopters | US$20 | Steam profile linked | No | Windows, Mac, Linux | Real controller, game controllers | http://www.liftoff-game.com | |
| neXt - CGM RC Flight Simulator | Helicopters, Model Planes, Multicopters and Drone Racing | US$89.90 | Proprietary | Yes | Windows, Mac, Linux | Real controller, game controllers | 2019-12-23 | https://next-sim.cgm-online.com/rc-flight-simulator_e.html |
| PhoenixSim | Model Planes and Helicopters | US$130–$175 | Proprietary | Yes | Windows | Real Controller | https://www.rc-thoughts.com/phoenix-sim/ | |
| PicaSim | Model planes | Free | Proprietary | Yes | Windows, iOS, Android | Joystick, Controllers, Touch | http://www.rowlhouse.co.uk/PicaSim | |
| PRE-Flight | Model Planes and Helicopters | US$25–$45 | Proprietary | Yes | Windows | Real Controller | http://www.preflightsim.com/ | |
| Great Planes RealFlight | Model Planes and Helicopters | US$200 | Proprietary | Yes | Windows | Real Controller | http://www.realflight.com/ | |
| Mugi Sim | Delta wing | US$1 | Proprietary | Yes | Windows, iOS (iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch) | Joystick, Controllers, Touch | 2019-03-27 | https://baawolf.itch.io/mugi-sim |
| Quadcopter FX Simulator | Quadcopters | Free | Proprietary | Yes | Android, iOS | Touchscreen, Joystick, Controller | http://quadcopterfx.3dcreativeworld.com | |
| Slope Soaring Simulator | Model planes | Free | GPL | Yes | Windows, Linux | Joystick | 2006-01-21 | http://www.rowlhouse.co.uk/sss/ |
| HELI-X | Model helicopters and planes | ~€60 | Proprietary | Yes. Also version 0.9 is free | Windows, Linux, Mac | System Joystick, Real controllers | 2020-07-01 | http://www.heli-x.net/ |
| Hover Here | Model helicopters | Free | GPLv3 | n/a. | Windows, Mac | Real controller, game controllers | 2022-08 | https://c.web.de/@949205153511112756/P_wvdHpRRLWNn-kKtXzr7g https://github.com/zulugithub/HoverHere |
| X-Plane | Just about anything | US$30 | Proprietary | Yes | Windows, Linux, Mac | System Joystick | http://www.x-plane.com | |
| AlphaMacSoftware's RC Helicopter Simulator | Helicopters | Free | Proprietary | Yes | Mac | System Joystick, Real Controllers | http://www.alphamacsoftware.com/index.php | |
| Ron's RC Flight Simulator | Electric Foamy Model Planes | Free | Ad supported | Yes | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android (Chrome or Firefox browsers only) | Logitech and Xbox Gamepads, OculusVR | 2013 | http://www.ostafichuk.com/rons-rc-sim/ |
| R/C Sim Sikorsky | Helicopters | €35 | Proprietary | Yes | Windows | Keyboard, Mouse, Joystick, Real Controllers | http://home.zonnet.nl/blacksphere2/rcsim.html | |
| Reflex XTR2 | Model Planes and Helicopters | €169 | Proprietary | Yes | Windows | Real Controllers | https://www.reflex-sim.net | |
| Zephyr Drone Simulator | Quadcopters/Drones | US$139.99 | Proprietary | Yes | Windows, Mac | Real Controllers | https://www.zephyr-sim.com/ | |
| VelociDrone FPV Racing Simulator | Quadcopters/Drones | £16.99 | Proprietary | Yes | Windows, Mac, Linux | Real Controllers | 2020-09-10 (v1.17) | https://www.velocidrone.com/ |
| EreaDrone 2023 | Quadcopters/Drones | $24.99 | Proprietary | No | Windows | Real Controllers, Game Controllers (Xbox, Logitech, etc) | 2023-06-23 (v1) | https://www.ereadrone.com/ |
| FPV FreeRider | Quadcopters/Drones | US$4.99 | Proprietary | Yes | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android | USB Controllers | 2019-02-05 | https://itch.io/profile/fpv-freerider |
| Wings | Model Planes | US$36 | Proprietary | No | Windows, Linux | Real Controllers, Xbox, PS4 | 2023-09 (1.17) | https://www.wings-sim.com |