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Review: Condor 2 Soaring SimulatorBy Nils LipsCondor 2 is the new version of the successful Condor SoaringSimulator available for Windows, and Apple computers with Windows andBoot Camp installed. For flying purposes, I am a person that likes to have just onesimulator installed, and one that does all the tricks reasonablywell. This means though I have to deal with compromises. However, Itook the opportunity recently to improve my understanding of thegliding scene, and so have spent a great deal of time with Condor - agliding simulator which I have seen in some pretty extensive cockpitbuilds. /images/reviews/condor2/t/Shot7.jpgIn this review I'll walk through the simulator step-by-step byusing the functions available on the start-up screen. After which I'llexpand on the total experience of the user interface and of course thefeeling of flight. System RequirementsPCTo install and run Condor you will need Windows 7, 8 or 10Intel i3, i5, i7 CPU or equivalent5.5 GB of free space on hard drive or SSDA dedicated graphics card with 1 GB memory. The graphics card should have benchmark (http://www.videocardbenchmark.net) result of 1000 minimum, 4000 is very good and 8000 perfect.(Integrated graphics cards and cards with benchmark result below 1000 are usable, but with severely reduced graphics settings)Internet connection required for activationApple MacTo install and run Condor you will need Windows 7, 8 or 10 running in BootcampIntel i3, i5, i7 CPU or equivalent5.5 GB of free space on hard drive or SSDA dedicated graphics card with 1 GB memory. The graphics card should have benchmark (http://www.videocardbenchmark.net) result of 1000 minimum, 4000 is very good and 8000 perfect.(Integrated graphics cards and cards with benchmark result below 1000 are usable, but with severely reduced graphics settings)Internet connection required for activationSource:condorsoaring.com User ProfileThe first thing you need to to is create a user profile. This is aprofile that will be used to store your stats and allow you to fly onmultiplayer. You can select a country, registration, tail code andname. /images/reviews/condor2/t/Condor2FlightSchool.jpg /images/reviews/condor2/t/Condor2SetupGraph.jpgFlight SchoolThe flight school section of the sim is rather interesting. It usesa solid method of first reading the theory, then watching theinstructor perform the dance, and finally you trying the same. TheoryThe theory is comprehensive, yet compact enough to supply thestudent pilot with the required information. This is a highly welcomedaddition to what would otherwise be a very dry monkey-see-monkey-dotraining exercise. The information is well written and clear, and notat all difficult to comprehend. View LessonThis is the monkey-see part of the story. The theory has been givenand the instructor will now show you the trick. It's great to have anexample of how to do it, and works incredibly well in combination withthe theory. Try LessonThe really fun part of the lesson, is trying it foryourself. Unfortunately, there's no real instructor to slap you on thehead if you get it wrong here, so it will require plenty of selfreflection, since there's little feedback to your actions. The flight school comes with a variety of lessons, sorted bydifficulty level. The beginner part of the story is the basictraining; performing takeoffs and landings. From there, you go on toactually flying the aircraft, finding thermals, ridge lift and waves,and learning how to intercept and stick with them. Outlandings arepart of the intermediate training as well. As you progress further, the lessons include the use of the PDA,and software to calculate both the best performance and use ofballast. The final, most advanced flight school section is aboutaerobatics! Having seen a couple of glider aerobatic displays, I'dhave to say it's more spectacular than one might think at first. So to conclude: the lessons are clear, compact, and the learningcurve is not that high. Plus there's the ability to perform someaerobatic lessons, which is really nice. Free FlightThe free flight option allows you to select a flight of your ownplanning. It also contains additional options to customize the flightto your own wishes. The different options are laid out over a coupleof tabs/pages which mostly speak for themselves: /images/reviews/condor2/t/Condor2FlightPlannerTask.jpg /images/reviews/condor2/t/Condor2FlightPlannerWxTherm.jpgTaskFlight PlansTimingTask PointsWeatherWindThermalsWavesHigh CloudsHangarClassTypeSkinBy default, Condor 2 contains seven gliders and four towplanes. Other gliders can be bought from Condor as payware, and I'll expanda little on that below the aircraft list. Lange Antares 18SLET L-13 BlanikAvionic Diana-2Schempp-Hirth Duo Discus XLSportine Aviacija Genesis 2Schneider Grunau Baby IIbJonker JS1C-18 EVO*Jonker JS1C-21*DG Flugzeugbau LS8-sc Neo*Schneider Schulgleiter 38*Schempp-Hirth Standard CirrusMarganski Aviation Swift S1*Ventus 3-15* & 3-18* to be published (web site stated late June...)* payware add-on /images/reviews/condor2/t/Shot0.jpg /images/reviews/condor2/t/Shot1.jpgCustom AircraftNow this is an area in which plenty of people will consider adownside - the lack of custom aircraft, however the Condor developmentteam has a very good explanation for this. The flight model used bythe aircraft is so heavily dependent on the actual simulator, that thecreators believe a realistic behaving custom aircraft is simply notfeasible without a thorough understanding of the inner workings of theCondor software. This being the case, they have decided to keep themonopoly on aircraft and provide the user with a couple of extrapayware aircraft in which to expand the experience. SettingsOf course, no simulation would be complete without a couple ofextra options to choose from. One important option is the selection ofballast, usually done by filling ballast tanks with water. Here youcan select whether you want the ballast to be fixed. The center ofgravity bias (tail or nose heavy) can be set, as well as the windspeed. The other options are more in depth, like the moisture content,wing loading, and analysing the options by using the polar curvegraph, showing the indicated airspeed over the vertical speed (you canuse this graph to find your optimum glide). NOTAMThe "Notice to Airmen" tab, is highly useful and used to set thebasic operational environment in which you fly in. Here are theoptions to choose from: Aerotow / Winch / Airborne startThe three basic start options for gliding, and they speak forthemselves. To add a little more depth to these options and also toperform emergency scenarios, the rope length, plus the rope breakpossibility, can be set. For the airborne option the initial startheight can be adjusted. An extra option here is to set the Acro Box. RealismThe realism setting menu is used to adjust: the range in which youcan see plane icons, the range for which you can see the thermalhelpers, and the range for seeing helpers at turnpoints(waypoints). /images/reviews/condor2/t/Shot10.jpg /images/reviews/condor2/t/Shot11.jpgAllowThese options are there to allow the use of 'sim' options, such asthe PDA, real time scoring, external views, padlock view, smoke, planerecovery, height recovery and mid-air collision recovery. PenaltiesJust like other types of racing, gliding competitions featurepenalties in which to prevent people from cutting corners or usingsim/unsafe practices. These include: flying through clouds; penaltiesfor the above mentioned recoveries; flying in penalty zones; wrongwindow entrances and the use of thermal helpers. GhostsCondor has a ghost glider to race against. This can use yourprevious time records so as to get a visual representation of yourperformance enhancement, or loss... MultiplayerA great feature of Condor is the multiplayer section. The skies canbe very lonely without other folk to fly with, or even competeagainst. The general server attendance is something to keep in mind,as I'll explain later after I go through the main functions step bystep. LAN Server ListIf Condor is connected to a local area network (LAN), eachmultiplayer session currently being hosted on the LAN is listed in asubpanel. Address BookSaves handy servers, so you can easily refer back to them later on. /images/reviews/condor2/t/CaptureENDFLT.jpg /images/reviews/condor2/t/Condor2FlightPlannerNOTAM.jpgDirect Connect ToUnfortunately, a big downside to the multiplayer element, is thatthere are hardly any players using the multiplayer option. On quite afew occasions I checked the servers, and there were simply no playersactive. I saw a couple of people online the first time I checked thefunctions of Condor, but not since. My guess is the user base (atpresent) is too small for an all-time active multiplayer, so you mightbe better off making appointments on the forums. Dedicated ServerSo there's another application that comes with Condor 2: DedicatedServer. This tool can be used to host a server (apart from the hostfunction in the multiplayer section of Condor). Some of the multiplayer servers run custom landscapes, so if thisis the case, you would be unable to join a server without the requiredlandscape installed. Custom LandscapesNow, to be clear, I did not test any custom landscapes, however,the least I can do is to inform you of their existence. There areplenty of custom landscapes to download, especially from sites likecondor-club.eu. This (non-official) web site hosts a number of newlandscapes that are compatible with Condor version 2, and include thelikes of: Nephi, Luxembourg, and Tehran. I do however believe that apaid account is required in which to be able to obtain theselandscapes. Condor have a number of toolkits for scenery development readilyavailable, so here at least they support the creation of 3rd partycontent. Flight Replay And AnalysisA highly valued option of any flight simulator, is the ability toassess your performance. A home simulator is pretty tricky to use forflight skill improvement, since the feedback is often lacking. Thatsaid, this analysis can be used to at least give an insight into whichaspects of the flight can be improved upon. A PC based simulator willnever replace real flight and instruction, but it can supplement it,if used with care. /images/reviews/condor2/t/Shot12.jpg /images/reviews/condor2/t/Shot2.jpgThe flight analysis display has a couple of features: generic map;barograph (altitude); pilot; flight plan; flight info and the optionsto load and/or export flights for analysis. SetupThe setup page is where all the generic settings can be found. Isay generic, but it's quite comprehensive actually. GraphicsGraphics settings are what you'd expect; screen resolution,anti-aliasing, monitor setup, texture size, objects, etc. SoundMaster, effects, vario (I love the special vario settings, sincethe vario beep is so prominent for much of the time). It also has a 3Dsound setting, which I presume means for surround effects. Control InputThe usual input device setup, with sensitivity, null zone,linear/non-linear. NetworkIcons / Plane type tags, that's all. OptionsThese are the more intricate options, and are described below: InstrumentsUnits (Metric, Imperial, Australian)Altimeter setting (QNH (above mean sea level), QFE (above field elevation)Vario Time ConstantsAverage Time ConstantMiscellaneousLanguage (EN std)Field of View Auto PanningView SmoothingVertical View ControlScreenshots type (BMP or JPG - I'd advise using the latter)NMEA output (port for COM or GPS hardware, for example)Smoke Options: colors: (W/W, R/W, R/G, R/B, B/B, B/W) /images/reviews/condor2/t/Shot3.jpg /images/reviews/condor2/t/Shot4.jpgHelpThe help tab will redirect you to the Condor web site helpsection. My Flight ExperienceUser InterfaceOn my first couple of flights I had some difficulty getting theuser interface set up correctly. I had issues of not being able toreturn to the sim when I selected alt+tab, or when clicking on thewrong window. On one occasion, my sim kept turning the sound off every3 minutes (not sure what was going on there). I did not have the issuein other tasks I was performing. Something I'd really want to see infuture updates, is being able to use my left (2nd) monitor for genericuse (say YouTube for example) in every mode of operation (full screen,full screen emulation or windowed). Having to alt+tab in combinationwith the aforementioned issue, is tricky. Full screen emulated seemsto work the best for me (with limited testing). FlightI'll have to be honest here, and state that I've never flown aglider, so I have no personal experience in which to offer first handexperience. However, I do have a few gliding friends, and I've watchedsome webinars and plenty of videos to get a certain feel for what Ithink it should feel like. So if I go by the above, Condor 2 feels very realistic, in thesense that I noticed a lot of work had been put into how theatmosphere and the glider interacted with each other. The little bumpsand winds, the ridges, everything seemed to work really well. For asecond generation dedicated glider sim, created by some verypassionate and knowledgeable people, this is exactly what Iexpected. Of course, it's not an exact replica of the real deal, whichis unattainable for a sim, but anybody with half a brain would knowand understand that. Nevertheless, from what I've seen, heard andread, this sim is supposed to be pretty realistic. Flying each of the different gliders available in Condor, it's easyto notice the attention to detail, as each one has its own personalitytraits (even to a rookie like myself). /images/reviews/condor2/t/Shot5.jpg /images/reviews/condor2/t/Shot6.jpgFollowing the flight school lessons, a beginner can be up andrunning rather quickly. Yet gliding is a tough challenge! I highlyrecommend watching plenty of gliding videos to supplement the CondorFlight School. This will help empower your understanding and knowledgeof this beautiful branch of aviation. With some basic know how, you'llbe able to keep your glider airborne for quite some time, which, in myexperience, is a really fun challenge in its own right! There is though, one payware glider that doesn't really glide verywell, but is still an interesting and highly challenging glider tofly, and that is the Schneider Schulgleiter 38. Compared to the othermodern gliders, this contraption flies like a brick! I know, it soundsterrible right? But having hugged some trees with high speedenthusiasm, it appears that the Schneider Schulgleiter 38 is a greatglider in which to learn basic gliding skills in. Why? Because itoffers no instruments, nothing! It is in all intents, and purpose, astick, rudder, wooden frame and wings...and boy does it test you! The other odd-one-out is the Marganski Aviation Swift S1. Thisglider is an aerobatic glider. Having seen a couple of glider shows(both during the day and at twilight) I'm very impressed by what aglider can do on its way back down to earth. It certainly looksfun! Gliding ClassesA number of glider competition classes exist and these aredistinguished by performance differences and cost. The Open Class is the oldest competition class, and isunrestricted, meaning all types are welcome. The Standard Class was introduced in the late fifties as analternative to the increasingly heavy, difficult to fly and costlyOpen Class gliders. The 15 metre Class was created specifically to end thetrailing-edge airbrake controversy in the Standard Class. The classhas been very successful, being since its inception, a feature of allWorld and European Championships. The 18 metre Class allowed for economical spans exceeding 15metres. Manufacturers started to exploit this potential by offeringtip extensions for their flapped sailplanes. Two Seater Class speaks for itself. A two-seater class appeared forthe first time in a World Championships in 1952. The reason for havinga separate class was that the drag of the larger fuselage put twoseaters at a significant disadvantage compared to single seaters. If your glider fits none of the aforementioned classes, or you'rejust there for fun, you'd be in the Club Class. /images/reviews/condor2/t/Shot9.jpg /images/reviews/condor2/t/Shot8.jpgConclusionHaving tested Condor 2 intensively over a long period of time, it'sclear to see that this is a simulator developed by a team of peoplepassionate about gliding. Along with the fantastic flight models, the default Slovenianscenery, while not as visually stunning as some of the latestsimulators available, is still very beautiful to behold. There aremountains, forests, and meadows, and coupled with the well balancedtextures, create an environment just perfect for soaring! Condor's UI is clear, has many options, and the flight trainingsection of the simulator will get you on your way, both effectivelyand quickly. Yes, the UI had some small issues which I mentioned earlier, butoverall Condor 2 works very well. If you are at all interested in gliding, then I highly recommendgetting your hands on this highly interesting and entertainingsimulator; it really is great fun! /images/reviews/condor2/condor2.jpgNils Lips Condor 2 web site