FlightGear
Encyclopedia
FlightGear Flight Simulator (often shortened to FlightGear or FGFS) is a free, open-source multi-platform flight simulator
developed by the FlightGear project since 1997.
David Murr started the project on April 8, 1996. The project had its first release in 1997 and continued in development, the most recent release being version 2.4.0 in August 2011. It has specific builds for a variety of operating system
s including Microsoft Windows
, Mac OS X
, Linux
, IRIX
, and Solaris.
FlightGear code is released under the terms of the GNU General Public License
, thus being free software
.
The commercial products Flight Pro Sim, Pro Flight Simulator, and others, are direct copies of FlightGear.
FlightGear incorporated other open-source resources, including the LaRCsim flight model from NASA, and freely available elevation data. The first working binaries, using OpenGL for 3D graphic code, came out in 1997. Enthusiastic development of newer versions for several years resulted in progressively more stable and advanced versions. By 2001, the team was releasing new beta versions regularly, and by 2005, the maturity of software lead to more widespread reviews, and increased popularity. 2007 marked a formal transition out of beta development with the release of version 1.0.0, ten years after FlightGear's first release in 1997.
In 2008, version 1.9.0 of FlightGear included a major change from PLIB
to OpenSceneGraph
, which caused the temporary loss of some features like 3D clouds and shadows, while newly added features, such as particles, imparted another degree of realism to the simulation.
drivers to achieve smooth frame rates. Using only software rendering, FlightGear typically has frame rates of about several frames per second. With a 3D accelerated card you can expect much higher. On a 2–3 GHz CPU, frame rates in excess of 60 frame/s are reasonable to expect in most situations. The actual frame rate changes with the scene complexity (which changes from area to area and changes as your view direction changes) and your hardware. FlightGear had support for 3dfx
cards, but this was dropped as hardware requirements increased.
. It is used both as an end-user application and in academic and research environments, for the development and pursuit of flight simulation ideas.
This customizability of FlightGear is illustrated by the wide range of aircraft
models that are available in FlightGear, from Glider
s to helicopter
s, and from airliner
s to fighter jets. These aircraft models have been contributed by many different people.
Currently only one terrain engine is used, TerraGear. Weather effects include 3D clouds, lighting effects, and time of day.
, YAsim, or UIUC as of version 0.9.10. UIUC and YASim were developed specifically for FlightGear.
Early versions of FlightGear used a FDM based on LaRCsim by NASA
, which was then replaced with more flexible FDM. Specialized FDM, such as lighter than air aircraft can be custom written, or external FDM sources can be used.
, which is the underlying simulation engine for FlightGear. TerraGear is not a dependency, but simply a name for the default terrain data program in FlightGear. OpenAL
is used for sound/audio software, including support for SDL (since 0.9.5). PLIB
is used for hardware support routines, formerly used for sound support also which was taken over by OpenAL. OpenGL
is used for its integrated 3D graphics routines, and other hardware acceleration (namely DirectX) is not supported. OpenSceneGraph
is also integrated into FlightGear. Finally, Simple DirectMedia Layer
is a software library which is also used. Some of the dependencies vary depending on which platform the code is being compiled for. FlightGear users must either compile the code themselves, or find a third party to release a binary, if it is not among the ones available from the project.
options allow FlightGear to communicate with other instances of FlightGear. A multiplayer protocol is available for using FlightGear on a local network in a multi aircraft environment. This could be used for formation flight
or control tower
simulation. Multiplayer was soon expanded to allow playing over the internet. Other features include a Google maps
based moving map that allows users to observe where other players are.
Several instances of FlightGear can be synchronized to allow for a multi-monitor environment. If all instances are running at the same frame rate consistently, it is possible to get good and tight synchronization between displays.
There are programs that are either integrated into FlightGear (dependencies) or perform a function with it. Some of these are included in the release of FlightGear for a specific platform but made by the project, while others are independently distributed but are hosted by the FlightGear project.
One major additional software is the actual interface for launching an executable of FlightGear. For most of its early life FlightGear was only run through command line interfaces. However, the FlightGear Launch Control has been included with the FG launcher front-end since 0.9.3 in 2003. KFreeFlight is a launcher/front-end for KDE
. FGTools is an alternative windows launcher front-end. FGKicker is a GTK+
based front-end.
Other significant programs include editors and projects for Terrain Data. Atlas is a chart/map support for FlightGear; Kelpie Flight Planner is a Java
based flight planner for FlightGear. FlightGear Scenery Designer is a FlightGear scenery editor for working with terrain data. The World Custom Scenery Project is a project coordinating custom scenery efforts. Taxidraw is an editor for airport runways and taxiways. FGCom is a project for live VOIP simulating Radio traffic to air traffic control and other aircraft in Flightgear which now has its own GUI FGCOMgui. FGCom uses the open source Asterix server.
.
The actual source code is distributed via GIT and dates apply to standardized and stable release of code, which is then compiled into a executable program. Both the development, the code releases, and the binaries are all created by those who volunteer their time to FlightGear. To create a runnable program the code must be compiled, which requires several specific libraries (see section of #FlightGear dependencies), including some general ones and, in some cases some platform specific ones. However, since this too difficult for most mainstream users, other contributors will work to make binaries available for a specific platform and operating system. These packages vary in their stability, performance, dependencies, and how up to date they are with the code base. For example, some older binaries work on Mac OS 9
but newer releases require specific Mac OS X versions.
For example, by late 2007 the latest code release was 0.9.11-pre1 (pre-release) and 0.9.10 (final). However, the actual binaries available vary significantly. Examples of actual binaries available a year after the release of the 0.9.10 code release:
By early 2008, many versions for 1.0.0 became available although older releases remained for several aforementioned platforms. Increased hardware requirements for 1.0.0 reduced performance on older systems.
By early 2010, version 2.0.0 was released and binary packages became available for various environments by December 2010 were as follows:
Although not developed or typically analyzed solely as a game in the traditional sense, FlightGear has nevertheless undergone reviews in a number of online and offline publications, and received positive reviews as a flight simulator game. FlightGear 1.0.0 was noted as being impressive for a game over a decade in the making, with a wide variety of aircraft and features.
FlightGear 0.9.10 received many reviews, being highlighted as an accurate simulation but requiring patience and some pre-game work. PC Magazine noted how it is designed to be easy to add new aircraft and scenery.
"Flightgear" 1.9.1 was also chosen by users of Softonic as the best free game.
The basic installer is limited to about 15 aircraft, with several dozen more official aircraft at varying states of development for download. The CD/DVD version includes all official aircraft and terrain data, though all the same material can also be downloaded for free. Non official aircraft from third-party sources also exist, but are not included here. Also included are a number of custom buildings, especially around San Francisco; a Nimitz class aircraft carrier
is included as well (which aircraft can land on). In addition, several of the developmental UIUC aircraft developed in the late 1990s were still included but were not all maintained.
All official aircraft for 0.9.10, with flight data model type and cockpit type listed for some such as found on the 0.9.10 CD release of FlightGear. Some aircraft are FDM only, having no 3D visual model. Third party aircraft that do not have a GPL compatible license are excluded from the list but may be used with FlightGear. Aircraft in 0.9.10 installer are noted with a *, and ** for the 1.0 installer. New or heavily re-worked aircraft up to 1.0 public release, including some that came out with the 0.9.11-pre1 FlightGear (pre-release version) as well as 9.10 aircraft. Many aircraft that have not been updated no longer work, such as ones before .7.x/.8.x/.9.x as well as a number in the later releases that were not maintained to the current version depending on the model and its dependencies. Includes from about 0.7.0 to 0.9.10 and 1.0.0.
) and even home-built cockpits.
A complete list is available at the Flightgear wiki.
under several aliases and product names, including but not limited to Flight Pro Sim, Pro Flight Simulator, Earth Flight Sim, Real Flight Simulator and Flight Simulator Plus. Usually, $47 USD is charged for the main program and $67 USD is charged for the full World Scenery Package. Numerous ads and review articles that are very similar in wording can also be found scattered across the Internet posted by "affiliates." A number of Facebook
pages for these products have also been posted.
Because FlightGear is licensed under the GNU General Public License
, this is technically fully legal; however, the morals of these operations are questionable, as many customers who have purchased these products are very dissatisfied with what they receive and feel they have been scammed. Additionally, an investigation by a number of FlightGear developers has found virtually no difference between the source code made available by the FlightProSim, etc. websites and the official version of FlightGear 1.9.1. In fact, FlightProSim, Pro Flight Simulator, etc. almost never recognize that their products are deriratives of FlightGear Flight Simulator, use images from the FlightGear wiki, and are not involved in any way with the FlightGear project.
The FlightGear developer team made an official statement/FAQ about the situation.
Flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...
developed by the FlightGear project since 1997.
David Murr started the project on April 8, 1996. The project had its first release in 1997 and continued in development, the most recent release being version 2.4.0 in August 2011. It has specific builds for a variety of operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s including Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, IRIX
IRIX
IRIX is a computer operating system developed by Silicon Graphics, Inc. to run natively on their 32- and 64-bit MIPS architecture workstations and servers. It was based on UNIX System V with BSD extensions. IRIX was the first operating system to include the XFS file system.The last major version...
, and Solaris.
FlightGear code is released under the terms of the GNU General Public License
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
, thus being free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
.
The commercial products Flight Pro Sim, Pro Flight Simulator, and others, are direct copies of FlightGear.
History
FlightGear started as an online proposal in 1996 by David Murr. He proposed a new flight simulator developed by volunteers over the internet. The flight simulator was created using custom 3D graphics code.FlightGear incorporated other open-source resources, including the LaRCsim flight model from NASA, and freely available elevation data. The first working binaries, using OpenGL for 3D graphic code, came out in 1997. Enthusiastic development of newer versions for several years resulted in progressively more stable and advanced versions. By 2001, the team was releasing new beta versions regularly, and by 2005, the maturity of software lead to more widespread reviews, and increased popularity. 2007 marked a formal transition out of beta development with the release of version 1.0.0, ten years after FlightGear's first release in 1997.
In 2008, version 1.9.0 of FlightGear included a major change from PLIB
PLIB
PLIB is a suite of Open Source portable computer game libraries, originally written by Steve Baker in 1997 and licensed under the LGPL.PLIB includes sound effects, music, a complete 3D engine, font rendering, a simple windowing library, a game scripting language, a GUI, networking, 3D math library...
to OpenSceneGraph
OpenSceneGraph
OpenSceneGraph is an open source 3D graphics application programming interface, used by application developers in fields such as visual simulation, computer games, virtual reality, scientific visualization and modeling....
, which caused the temporary loss of some features like 3D clouds and shadows, while newly added features, such as particles, imparted another degree of realism to the simulation.
Requirements
FlightGear requires a reasonable hardware accelerated 3D card with OpenGLOpenGL
OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
drivers to achieve smooth frame rates. Using only software rendering, FlightGear typically has frame rates of about several frames per second. With a 3D accelerated card you can expect much higher. On a 2–3 GHz CPU, frame rates in excess of 60 frame/s are reasonable to expect in most situations. The actual frame rate changes with the scene complexity (which changes from area to area and changes as your view direction changes) and your hardware. FlightGear had support for 3dfx
3dfx
3dfx Interactive was a company that specialized in the manufacturing of 3D graphics processing units and, later, graphics cards. It was a pioneer in the field for several years in the late 1990s until 2000 when it underwent one of the most high-profile demises in the history of the PC industry...
cards, but this was dropped as hardware requirements increased.
Simulation engines
The simulation engine in FlightGear is called SimGearSimGear
SimGear is a group of libraries, which provide capabilities useful for simulations, visualizations, and even games building.SimGear is a relatively new project, and while quite a bit of code has been written in conjunction with the FlightGear project, the final interface and arrangements are still...
. It is used both as an end-user application and in academic and research environments, for the development and pursuit of flight simulation ideas.
This customizability of FlightGear is illustrated by the wide range of aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
models that are available in FlightGear, from Glider
Glider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
s to helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s, and from airliner
Airliner
An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such aircraft are operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an aircraft intended for carrying multiple passengers in commercial...
s to fighter jets. These aircraft models have been contributed by many different people.
Currently only one terrain engine is used, TerraGear. Weather effects include 3D clouds, lighting effects, and time of day.
Flight Dynamics Models
Flight Dynamics Models (FDM) are how the flight for an aircraft is simulated in the program. FlightGear uses a variety of internally written and imported flight model projects. Any aircraft must be programmed to use one of these models. Currently FlightGear is the only graphical flight simulator for which all the FDM are used. FlightGear aircraft use one of three main data models JSBSimJSBSim
JSBSim is an open source Flight Dynamics Model software library that models the flight dynamics of an aerospace vehicle. The library has been incorporated into the flight simulation packages FlightGear and OpenEaagles and a commercial . It can also be called from a small standalone program to...
, YAsim, or UIUC as of version 0.9.10. UIUC and YASim were developed specifically for FlightGear.
Early versions of FlightGear used a FDM based on LaRCsim by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, which was then replaced with more flexible FDM. Specialized FDM, such as lighter than air aircraft can be custom written, or external FDM sources can be used.
- JSBSimJSBSimJSBSim is an open source Flight Dynamics Model software library that models the flight dynamics of an aerospace vehicle. The library has been incorporated into the flight simulation packages FlightGear and OpenEaagles and a commercial . It can also be called from a small standalone program to...
- the default flight dynamics model software since 2000. Started by Jon Berndt. - YASim - an FDM using different calculation methods. Introduced starting in 0.7.9 in 2002. Developed by Andy Ross. It is presently the only FlightGear FDM that provides simulation for rotorcraftRotorcraftA rotorcraft or rotary wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air flying machine that uses lift generated by wings, called rotor blades, that revolve around a mast. Several rotor blades mounted to a single mast are referred to as a rotor. The International Civil Aviation Organization defines a rotorcraft...
, a feature developed by Maik Justus. - UIUC - another included FDM, developed by the UIUC Applied Aerodynamics Group at University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignThe University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, also made use of LaRCsim.
FlightGear dependencies
Unlike proprietary software titles, the main output of the project is simply the release of a collection of software source code. To turn it into a usable program it must be compiled for a given platform. The software libraries used to create FlightGear have varied over time. The main one is SimGearSimGear
SimGear is a group of libraries, which provide capabilities useful for simulations, visualizations, and even games building.SimGear is a relatively new project, and while quite a bit of code has been written in conjunction with the FlightGear project, the final interface and arrangements are still...
, which is the underlying simulation engine for FlightGear. TerraGear is not a dependency, but simply a name for the default terrain data program in FlightGear. OpenAL
OpenAL
OpenAL is a cross-platform audio API. It is designed for efficient rendering of multichannel three dimensional positional audio. Its API style and conventions deliberately resemble those of OpenGL.- History :...
is used for sound/audio software, including support for SDL (since 0.9.5). PLIB
PLIB
PLIB is a suite of Open Source portable computer game libraries, originally written by Steve Baker in 1997 and licensed under the LGPL.PLIB includes sound effects, music, a complete 3D engine, font rendering, a simple windowing library, a game scripting language, a GUI, networking, 3D math library...
is used for hardware support routines, formerly used for sound support also which was taken over by OpenAL. OpenGL
OpenGL
OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
is used for its integrated 3D graphics routines, and other hardware acceleration (namely DirectX) is not supported. OpenSceneGraph
OpenSceneGraph
OpenSceneGraph is an open source 3D graphics application programming interface, used by application developers in fields such as visual simulation, computer games, virtual reality, scientific visualization and modeling....
is also integrated into FlightGear. Finally, Simple DirectMedia Layer
Simple DirectMedia Layer
Simple DirectMedia Layer is a cross-platform, free and open source multimedia library written in C that presents a simple interface to various platforms' graphics, sound, and input devices....
is a software library which is also used. Some of the dependencies vary depending on which platform the code is being compiled for. FlightGear users must either compile the code themselves, or find a third party to release a binary, if it is not among the ones available from the project.
Networking and multi-display
Several networkingComputer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
options allow FlightGear to communicate with other instances of FlightGear. A multiplayer protocol is available for using FlightGear on a local network in a multi aircraft environment. This could be used for formation flight
Aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport...
or control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
simulation. Multiplayer was soon expanded to allow playing over the internet. Other features include a Google maps
Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
based moving map that allows users to observe where other players are.
Several instances of FlightGear can be synchronized to allow for a multi-monitor environment. If all instances are running at the same frame rate consistently, it is possible to get good and tight synchronization between displays.
Additional software
One major additional software is the actual interface for launching an executable of FlightGear. For most of its early life FlightGear was only run through command line interfaces. However, the FlightGear Launch Control has been included with the FG launcher front-end since 0.9.3 in 2003. KFreeFlight is a launcher/front-end for KDE
KDE
KDE is an international free software community producing an integrated set of cross-platform applications designed to run on Linux, FreeBSD, Microsoft Windows, Solaris and Mac OS X systems...
. FGTools is an alternative windows launcher front-end. FGKicker is a GTK+
GTK+
GTK+ is a cross-platform widget toolkit for creating graphical user interfaces. It is licensed under the terms of the GNU LGPL, allowing both free and proprietary software to use it. It is one of the most popular toolkits for the X Window System, along with Qt.The name GTK+ originates from GTK;...
based front-end.
Other significant programs include editors and projects for Terrain Data. Atlas is a chart/map support for FlightGear; Kelpie Flight Planner is a Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
based flight planner for FlightGear. FlightGear Scenery Designer is a FlightGear scenery editor for working with terrain data. The World Custom Scenery Project is a project coordinating custom scenery efforts. Taxidraw is an editor for airport runways and taxiways. FGCom is a project for live VOIP simulating Radio traffic to air traffic control and other aircraft in Flightgear which now has its own GUI FGCOMgui. FGCom uses the open source Asterix server.
FlightGear code vs. binaries
FlightGear is mostly written in the C++ programming languageC++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
.
The actual source code is distributed via GIT and dates apply to standardized and stable release of code, which is then compiled into a executable program. Both the development, the code releases, and the binaries are all created by those who volunteer their time to FlightGear. To create a runnable program the code must be compiled, which requires several specific libraries (see section of #FlightGear dependencies), including some general ones and, in some cases some platform specific ones. However, since this too difficult for most mainstream users, other contributors will work to make binaries available for a specific platform and operating system. These packages vary in their stability, performance, dependencies, and how up to date they are with the code base. For example, some older binaries work on Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as...
but newer releases require specific Mac OS X versions.
For example, by late 2007 the latest code release was 0.9.11-pre1 (pre-release) and 0.9.10 (final). However, the actual binaries available vary significantly. Examples of actual binaries available a year after the release of the 0.9.10 code release:
- Win32 has ~138 Mb package (v0.9.10) (For Windows 98, 2000, ME, 32-bit XP)
- Linux- pre-built packages for specific Linux distributions
- SlackwareSlackwareSlackware is a free and open source Linux-based operating system. It was one of the earliest operating systems to be built on top of the Linux kernel and is the oldest currently being maintained. Slackware was created by Patrick Volkerding of Slackware Linux, Inc. in 1993...
package (v0.9.10), Fedora CoreFedora (operating system)Fedora is a RPM-based, general purpose collection of software, including an operating system based on the Linux kernel, developed by the community-supported Fedora Project and sponsored by Red Hat...
[2,3,4] packages (v0.9.10), PardusPardus (operating system)Pardus is a Linux distribution developed with support from the Turkish government. Pardus’ main focus is office-related work, including the use in Turkish government agencies. Despite that, Pardus ships in several languages. Its ease of use and availability free of charge spawned numerous...
(v0.9.10), DebianDebianDebian is a computer operating system composed of software packages released as free and open source software primarily under the GNU General Public License along with other free software licenses. Debian GNU/Linux, which includes the GNU OS tools and Linux kernel, is a popular and influential...
(v0.9.9)
- Slackware
- Solaris packages either for it running on either SPARCSPARCSPARC is a RISC instruction set architecture developed by Sun Microsystems and introduced in mid-1987....
or x86 processors.- SPARC (v0.9.8), x86 (v0.9.9)
- Silicon GraphicsSilicon GraphicsSilicon Graphics, Inc. was a manufacturer of high-performance computing solutions, including computer hardware and software, founded in 1981 by Jim Clark...
IRIXIRIXIRIX is a computer operating system developed by Silicon Graphics, Inc. to run natively on their 32- and 64-bit MIPS architecture workstations and servers. It was based on UNIX System V with BSD extensions. IRIX was the first operating system to include the XFS file system.The last major version...
;at the time had SGI binaries for (v0.9.9) - Mac OS XMac OS XMac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
has a version for Mac OS X 10.4 (v0.9.10) and for Mac OS X 10.3 (v0.9.9) - FreeBSDFreeBSDFreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant...
Ports Collection (v0.9.10)
By early 2008, many versions for 1.0.0 became available although older releases remained for several aforementioned platforms. Increased hardware requirements for 1.0.0 reduced performance on older systems.
- Win-32 has a ~172 Mb package (v1.0.00) (For Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP, Vista)
- Linux- pre-built packages for specific Linux distributions included (v1.0.00) for SlackwareSlackwareSlackware is a free and open source Linux-based operating system. It was one of the earliest operating systems to be built on top of the Linux kernel and is the oldest currently being maintained. Slackware was created by Patrick Volkerding of Slackware Linux, Inc. in 1993...
and DebianDebianDebian is a computer operating system composed of software packages released as free and open source software primarily under the GNU General Public License along with other free software licenses. Debian GNU/Linux, which includes the GNU OS tools and Linux kernel, is a popular and influential... - Mac OS X 10.4 (v1.0.00)
By early 2010, version 2.0.0 was released and binary packages became available for various environments by December 2010 were as follows:
- Win32 has a ~292 Mb package (v2.0.0) (For Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP, Vista and 7)
- Linux- pre-built packages for specific Linux distributions included (v2.0.0) for SlackwareSlackwareSlackware is a free and open source Linux-based operating system. It was one of the earliest operating systems to be built on top of the Linux kernel and is the oldest currently being maintained. Slackware was created by Patrick Volkerding of Slackware Linux, Inc. in 1993...
and DebianDebianDebian is a computer operating system composed of software packages released as free and open source software primarily under the GNU General Public License along with other free software licenses. Debian GNU/Linux, which includes the GNU OS tools and Linux kernel, is a popular and influential... - Mac OS X 10.4 (v1.9.1)
- FreeBSD Ports
Critical reception
FlightGear 0.9.10 received many reviews, being highlighted as an accurate simulation but requiring patience and some pre-game work. PC Magazine noted how it is designed to be easy to add new aircraft and scenery.
"Flightgear" 1.9.1 was also chosen by users of Softonic as the best free game.
Models and aircraft
FlightGear started out with an aircraft included in NASA's LaRCsim, a Navion, which was replaced by a Cessna 172 by 2000. UIUC as well as JSBsim development brought several more aircraft with them, as did the development of YASim which have since become the main FDM used in FG. As of version 2.4.0 more than 400 aircraft are provided (some independently from the project), in over 550 unique liveries based on real life aircraft.1.0.0 and earlier aircraft
Nimitz class aircraft carrier
The Nimitz-class supercarriers are a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy. With an overall length of and full-load displacements of over 100,000 long tons, they are the largest capital ships in the world...
is included as well (which aircraft can land on). In addition, several of the developmental UIUC aircraft developed in the late 1990s were still included but were not all maintained.
All official aircraft for 0.9.10, with flight data model type and cockpit type listed for some such as found on the 0.9.10 CD release of FlightGear. Some aircraft are FDM only, having no 3D visual model. Third party aircraft that do not have a GPL compatible license are excluded from the list but may be used with FlightGear. Aircraft in 0.9.10 installer are noted with a *, and ** for the 1.0 installer. New or heavily re-worked aircraft up to 1.0 public release, including some that came out with the 0.9.11-pre1 FlightGear (pre-release version) as well as 9.10 aircraft. Many aircraft that have not been updated no longer work, such as ones before .7.x/.8.x/.9.x as well as a number in the later releases that were not maintained to the current version depending on the model and its dependencies. Includes from about 0.7.0 to 0.9.10 and 1.0.0.
Applications and Usages
FlightGear has been used in a range of projects in academia and industry (including NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
) and even home-built cockpits.
A complete list is available at the Flightgear wiki.
Commercial redistribution
FlightGear Flight Simulator version 1.9.1 has been actively marketed over the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
under several aliases and product names, including but not limited to Flight Pro Sim, Pro Flight Simulator, Earth Flight Sim, Real Flight Simulator and Flight Simulator Plus. Usually, $47 USD is charged for the main program and $67 USD is charged for the full World Scenery Package. Numerous ads and review articles that are very similar in wording can also be found scattered across the Internet posted by "affiliates." A number of Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
pages for these products have also been posted.
Because FlightGear is licensed under the GNU General Public License
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
, this is technically fully legal; however, the morals of these operations are questionable, as many customers who have purchased these products are very dissatisfied with what they receive and feel they have been scammed. Additionally, an investigation by a number of FlightGear developers has found virtually no difference between the source code made available by the FlightProSim, etc. websites and the official version of FlightGear 1.9.1. In fact, FlightProSim, Pro Flight Simulator, etc. almost never recognize that their products are deriratives of FlightGear Flight Simulator, use images from the FlightGear wiki, and are not involved in any way with the FlightGear project.
The FlightGear developer team made an official statement/FAQ about the situation.
| FlightGear is an open-source flight simulator that was created in 1996. It is released under the GNU General Public License v2, and as such, it is free to use, modify and distribute with few restrictions. It has been developed with the collaboration of a large number of individuals over the last 14+ years. The complete FlightGear application and source code can be always downloaded for free from http://www.flightgear.org. Flight Pro Sim is a commercial product that simply rebrands FlightGear. Investigation by a number of the FlightGear developers has found no difference between this and the FlightGear v1.9.1 release other than a change of name. Flight Pro Sim is in no way endorsed or supported by the core FlightGear development team. |
External links
.........See also
- Microsoft Flight SimulatorMicrosoft Flight SimulatorMicrosoft Flight Simulator is a series of flight simulator programs for the Microsoft Windows operating system, although it was marketed as a video game. It is one of the longest-running, best-known and most comprehensive home flight simulator series...
- X-Plane (simulator)