Has anyone played a flight simulator that has also studied physics?

In summary, the conversation discusses the misconception that understanding basic physics can make one an expert at practical tasks such as piloting an airplane. The speaker shares their experience of feeling arrogant after learning physics, but then realizing their understanding was wrong when playing a flight simulator. They question whether their understanding of physics is just memorization or true comprehension. The conversation also touches on the idea that it is difficult to be an expert in everything, and that specific domain knowledge is necessary for different tasks. The conversation ends with a personal anecdote about a surprising experience with a radio control model and the realization that practical skills often require hands-on experience.
  • #1
InvalidID
84
3
Before you took high school physics, you all probably used your everyday experience to guess how the universe around you worked. For example: you probably guessed that everything eventually came to a stop. But then you learned Newton's laws and you realized that everything maintains constant velocity and never stops unless acted by an unbalanced force such as friction.

As soon as I learned some physics, I felt kind of arrogant. I saw the world in a different way and I felt like I had a solid understanding... until I played a semi-real flight simulator. I'm embarrassed to admit that my understanding on piloting an airplane was totally wrong. I feel embarrassed because if I had totally understood the basic physics, I should've been able to predict how it would work correctly before playing the flight simulator. I now understand the physics behind piloting an airplane and it matches what I learned in basic physics, but now I don't know if I'm just memorizing again or I truly understand it. ):<
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2


This post reminds me of Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory. Multiple times he espouces the opinion that he would obviously be excellent at a task despite never being trained because he understands the underlying physics :rolleyes:

IMO this type of thinking is flat out wrong. There are few complex, practical and vocational tasks that having a grasp of the underlying physics will allow you to pick up easily.
 
  • #3


I did both in more or less same time of my childhood. I thought I would play the simulator well knowing the basic physics and mathematics and really did so.

BTW: I played Novalogic's simulators.
 
  • #4


I'm a retired fighter pilot who once studied basic physics in an engineering course. How can I help you?
 
  • #5


Ryan_m_b said:
IMO this type of thinking is flat out wrong. There are few complex, practical and vocational tasks that having a grasp of the underlying physics will allow you to pick up easily.

So true, the only proof I need is to know how bad I am at billiards, even though the math behind the perfect shots is trivial.
 
  • #6


Uh, I work with engineering flight simulators.
 
  • #7


For those answering the title of this thread, I didn't mean to ask the question as a request - more as a "share if you had a similar experience to me" kind of question.
 
  • #8


If you've taken a flight dynamics course you shouldn't have that problem. A "basic physics" course, as you've put it, you really won't understand how aircraft behave (I am assuming something like a classical mechanics/"Physics I" course here). A simple example of something you most likely wouldn't take away from such a course is the coupling between pitch, roll, and yaw. If you've had flight dynamics, you could look at the yawing moment equation, for example, and see why that occurs:
[tex]
I_{yy}\dot{Q} + (I_{xx}-I_{yy})PR - I_{xy}(\dot{P} + QR) - I_{yz}(\dot{R} - PQ) + I_{xz}(P^2 - R^2) = M_A + M_T
[/tex]
To simplify things, if we assume a "conventional" aircraft, we can make the approximation that the aircraft is symmetric about the [itex]XZ[/itex] plane and thus [itex]I_{xy}=I_{yz}=0[/itex]. Rearranging,[tex]
\dot{Q} = - \frac{(I_{xx}-I_{zz})PR}{I_{yy}} - \frac{I_{xz}}{I_{yy}}(P^2 - R^2) + \frac{M_A + M_T}{I_{yy}}
[/tex]
And we see that, depending on the principal inertias, the pitch rate changes with roll and yaw. The second term on the RHS is the "Ixz effect", and is another type of coupling.

The take-away is that it's hard to be an expert in everything, and as you progress further into science/engineering/mathematics you get into a lot of domain-specific knowledge.
 
  • #9


InvalidID said:
I'm embarrassed to admit that my understanding on piloting an airplane was totally wrong. I feel embarrassed because if I had totally understood the basic physics, I should've been able to predict how it would work correctly before playing the flight simulator. I now understand the physics behind piloting an airplane and it matches what I learned in basic physics, but now I don't know if I'm just memorizing again or I truly understand it.
You didn't mention the specific issues that surprised you with the flight simulator. I don't recall any unexepected reactions of an aircraft, just a lot of new to me stuff that had to be learned, mostly aircraft specific, such as approach speeds when preparing for landing. I also fly radio control gliders, and used a flight simulator with a view from the tower for practice (the main learning curve is orientation, learning to fly an aircraft from an outside view).

In my case, the most unexpected reaction from a real radio control model was a snap roll that was induced with only elevator input (the model was an aerobatic model deliberately setup with excessive elevator throw to do this). I was aware of what a snap roll was, but still was surprised the first time it happened (since I wasn't warned the model was setup this way, I figured out what was going on and recovered, then had fun messing with snap rolls with that model). Some radio control flight simulators emulate snap roll, but I don't know if any full scale flight simulators model snap roll.
 
Last edited:
  • #10


rcgldr said:
You didn't mention the specific issues that surprised you with the flight simulator. I don't recall any unexepected reactions of an aircraft, just a lot of new to me stuff that had to be learned, mostly aircraft specific, such as approach speeds when preparing for landing. I also fly radio control gliders, and used a flight simulator with a view from the tower for practice (the main learning curve is orientation, learning to fly an aircraft from an outside view).

In my case, the most unexpected reaction from a real radio control model was a snap roll that was induced with only elevator input (the model was an aerobatic model deliberately setup with excessive elevator throw to do this). I was aware of what a snap roll was, but still was surprised the first time it happened (since I wasn't warned the model was setup this way, I figured out what was going on and recovered, then had fun messing with snap rolls with that model). Some radio control flight simulators emulate snap roll, but I don't know if any full scale flight simulators model snap roll.

Well, I'm used to flight physics now, but I can remember one good example. It was a shock to me that when flying, you could exchange altitude and speed with each other. I knew that flying with an angle more perpendicular to Earth would require more effort but I failed to realize that as you go up in altitude, you also are storing more potential energy.
 
  • #11


I did not use many complicated formulas. Just kept track of speed, acceleration and torque of the plane, And yes I understood positive and negative feedback loop. So that helped.
 

1. What is the benefit of playing a flight simulator for someone who has studied physics?

Playing a flight simulator allows individuals to apply their knowledge of physics to a practical and interactive setting. This can help with understanding and visualizing concepts such as aerodynamics, gravity, and forces in motion.

2. Can playing a flight simulator improve one's understanding of physics?

Yes, playing a flight simulator can help individuals gain a better understanding of physics concepts, as they are able to see and experience how these principles apply in a real-world scenario.

3. Are there specific flight simulators that are more beneficial for those who have studied physics?

While any flight simulator can be helpful for understanding physics, there are some that are more realistic and accurately simulate the laws of physics. These include professional-grade simulators used for pilot training, as well as high-quality video games with advanced physics engines.

4. Is there a particular aspect of physics that is most relevant to flight simulation?

Aerodynamics is a key component of flight simulation, as it deals with the forces and movements of objects in motion through the air. Understanding aerodynamics is crucial for accurately controlling and maneuvering a simulated aircraft.

5. Can playing a flight simulator be a practical way to apply physics knowledge?

Yes, flight simulation allows individuals to apply their knowledge of physics in a hands-on and engaging way. This can be especially helpful for those who are visual or kinesthetic learners and prefer to learn through practical applications.

Similar threads

  • General Discussion
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • STEM Academic Advising
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • Engineering and Comp Sci Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
906
  • General Discussion
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • STEM Academic Advising
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • STEM Academic Advising
Replies
9
Views
906
  • STEM Academic Advising
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • STEM Academic Advising
Replies
15
Views
1K
  • Science and Math Textbooks
Replies
26
Views
2K
  • General Discussion
Replies
8
Views
1K
Back
Top