Ilan Papini is the creator of the wonderful Vehicle Simulator. He began the project in 2009, and as the name suggests, it is a sim whereby you get to control numerous land, sea and air vehicles. During each stage of its development, Ilan continually tweaked the program, smoothing and shaping it from a software point of view, until he was happy with the way it looked and ran. The result: an amazing physics engine, breathtaking water and weather, and a simulator that can offer countless adventures in the vehicle of your choice.

System requirements can be found at www.hangsim.com/vsf/, but I can tell you now, the program is very forgiving in terms of the hardware needed, so you don't need a monster of a machine to run it well. A user manual can also be found and downloaded at the above web site. In terms of controls, all the key commands can be assigned to your choosing, but the standard assignments have been well selected and are highly intuitive, especially for those people with simulator experience.

If you decide you want additional vehicles or sceneries, there is a wide choice available (at no cost) at www.hangsim.com/vsf/download.php. Also, numerous other resources can be found if you click on the 'links' menu on the web site. Click on the 'add-on library' and you will be taken to a page that allows you to upload your own custom-made vehicles which will be available to all. There is also a 'vehicle designer' which allows the player to create their very own custom made vehicles from the program's standard elements. Here you have the option to let your imagination run wild, creating both serious and crazy inventions!

To utilise this section of the site all you need to do is register, which again, is free.

As any good pilot, captain or driver will tell you, you must be able to handle your vehicle in all weather conditions. In Vehicle Simulator you can customise the weather so as to suit your own needs. If you are choosing to fly, you can make the thermals and airflow visible, allowing for an optimal flight experience. Numerous situations are already pre-loaded into the program, but if you prefer you can create, and then save, your own scenarios. Another small, but exciting aspect of this simulator is the wildlife which surrounds you on your adventures! You will see all manner of animals in their natural habitats, and these really help bring the world to life.

When it comes to flying, there are different ways to get into the air; if you are in a glider you can have an aerotow, or car tow. If you are in an airplane you can start your flight already in the air or you can take off from your chosen runway.

Check out this Youtube video:

Once you are airborne the simulator's physics engine handles the aerodynamics extremely accurately, so if you are in an appropriate plane, aerobatics are not only doable, but highly realistic at the same time. Vehicle Simulator will calculate what is happening after the stall, so stalling, spinning and flick rolls work really well. Even when you fly a tailslide and the plane falls backwards, the aerodynamics from the rear are realistic.

Ilan not only has the physics of airplanes well covered, but also that of helicopters. If you are a beginner, the helicopter physics can be turned off, making then a lot easier to handle. However, if you're an expert, you can turn all the features on and fly them to their limits. For example, losing cyclic control at 0 g, inverted cyclic control at negative g-loads as some helicopters have it (depending on the rotor system), ground effect, autorotation...

Gyrocopters are their own class of aircraft and here too you will find highly realistic flight models. For example, you can use the prop wash on the rudder to make sideslips or pirouettes at zero speed, and more!

Most of the models used within the simulator are of good quality (depending on their age), but some have flight models may need to be improved. Inside the add-on library you will find reworked flight models for many of the aircraft used in the simulator. When you search for 'elements', the necessary files can simply be replaced.

Of course, navigation is incredibly important when it comes to flying, so an accurate GPS, complete with moving map is included in the simulator. To aid navigation further, several windows can be opened, such as an extra 'glass panel' (good for outside views), radar, HUD, etc. The GPS can also be used to change the position of the aircraft, setting out the route for autonomous flying when combined with the autopilot. If you want to fly at night, night vision can also be used.

Another helpful and interesting feature is the replay function. Flights can be recorded, saved and replayed, so you can practice formation flights or create situations with other vehicles.

Vehicle Simulator includes a variety of different weapons, such as guided/unguided missiles, bombs guns, plus a few others, and it is here that the replay feature comes into its own. Watching combat from numerous camera views is exhilarating to say the least! Network players can also have dogfights, fly military missions or explore the sceneries together.

Incidentally, exploring sceneries works very well with quadcopters, which is a new feature for Vehicle Simulator (minimum version: 2.6.4). Ilan Papini added a stabilisation system (GPS supported) to his program, which makes it possible to fly these machines just as you would in real life. You can control them from the pilot's position on the ground, and the transmitter (complete with camera screen) can be switched on as an external panel. Also, a separate screen showing the camera view from the drone can be opened, as shown in the video below:

With Vehicle Simulator, different views for all kinds of vehicles are available. You can choose from cockpit view, chase, flyby, and many more! For those of you who have a head tracker device, Vehicle Simulator will work with that too. In fact, a head tracking devices such as TrackIR is recommended for use in aerobatics, dogfights and formation flying.

So there you have it, the wonderful world of Vehicle Simulator. If you're tempted by what you just read and seen, then you're be interested to know that a demo version (activated with a key) is available for a limited time from Ilan's web site. The full version costs (at the time of writing) $30, but with that, you certainly get a lot for your money!

Give Vehicle Simulator a whirl...you won't be disappointed!

Thomas Bruckelt

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