Hi Jan and Dave,
Jan, yes, that big yellow Waco is impressive. I believe it is scaled to match a kit made in Canada that is very impressive. In fact, I was looking into it before the Great Planes one came out, which is the one I have. By the way, in answer to your question as to whether or not I am still flying those on my list for real, yes, mostof them. In fact, I am in the process of getting them ready to go for the start of the season now. Almost done. The ones I have now are:
1. Waco YMF-5 72" (1830mm) wingspan, 13lbs flying wght.
http://public.fotki.com/modelrdh/radio-control/great-planes-waco-y/
2. Ryan STA-M 82" (2080mm) wingspan, 11lbs flying weight
http://public.fotki.com/modelrdh/radio-control/great-planes-ryan-s/
3. Curtiss P-6E Hawk 76" (1930mm) wingspan, 15lbs flying weight
http://public.fotki.com/modelrdh/radio-control/great-planes-p-6e-hawk/
4.Curtiss P-40C 65.35" (1660mm) wingspan, 9lbs flying weight retracts and flaps
http://public.fotki.com/modelrdh/radio-control/black-horse-models-p-40c/
5. Grumman F7F Tigercat 82" (2080mm) wingspan, 21.25lbs flying weight retracts and flaps
http://public.fotki.com/modelrdh/radio-control/asm-f7f-tigercat/
6. Boeing P-26A Peashooter 31.5" (800mm) wingspan, 21.2oz, 600g all foam
these are all ELECTRIC powered. I used to have the Top Flight Staggerwing, 72.5" wingspan flying weight 21.5 lbs, also electric with retracts and flaps, but after it's 4th crash, I decided to sell it. Tiesco del rey on here bought it.
http://public.fotki.com/modelrdh/radio-control/top-flight-beech-st/
Some of those picture collections have videos buried in the collection. There are also picture folders of aircraft I've had over the years since I started R/C in 1981 on the site.
If you haven't gotten the F7F tigercats yet, one of them is a giant scale with an awesome radial engine sound pack.
I don't remember flying at the field you have there. I've only tried out about a half dozen of the more than 40 or 50 in my folders. The photo real ones are awesome. Is that B-26 from the swap pages? I don't have but a very small number of those available. I don't recall it being in my list. Will have to go have a look see.
Dave, I have flown most of those sims you are looking at, as well as the one Jan pointed out, at the big Hobby Show held in Chicago in the fall. I go every year. While not having much stick time on them, because of the crowds, they are not bad. Real Flight is the grandpappy of the R/C commercial sims, and is much more mature, all of the others are more or less copies, as close as legally able, and cover different brands of models. No one brand covers them all, nor allows them all on their individual software. None of those transmitters will work with other brands, AS FAR AS I KNOW. So don't quote me on that. Each has different software, so it's kind of like trying to get an FS plane or scenery made for X-Plane to work with FSX. All of them are useful tools to help to learn R/C. Each has it's own pluses and minuses. I just personally feel that Real Flight V6.5 has the most realistic "FEEL" in the FDEs. But for just to play with, they all work well. Now, as to whether or not a given transmitter can be bought without software and can you get the software later? Not that I know of, legally, but then, I'm not a lawyer, so... Real Flight does not allow it, and they will not support software purchased that way. That means you can not even update the software that you bought from your brother, (as an example) unless he removes his ownership of the serial numbered disk and interlink (transmitter,) from the website, and then you must register it. That info is posted on the website, and I have gone thruogh the procedures myself, when I bought my first one used, and sold it later after upgrading to the next version requiring new interlink. Only the V1 and V2 units required this. The V3 (I believe) and up interlinks all work on the following versions. V4 for sure, which is what my interlink is. Real Flight has made upgrade software for each of the versions from V3 on, which required a registered copy of the previous/earlier software to be installed. Since each program disk must be registered on the site even just to get software fixes, you cannot pass them around. I do not know how any of the other brands work.
None of those pictured by you or Jan appeared to be transmitter/intrelink only, they both appeared to include the program disk.
My LHS sells the Real Flight system and the one sold by the company that distributes the Spectrum/JR radios. The Phoenix R/C software, by Runtime Games, Ltd, is available with out a transmitter, you supply your own REAL R/C transmitter, or you can buy a real Spectrum 6 channel transmitter packaged with the software. It will also work with other brands of radios, you may have to buy an adaptor to get it to work. I use my personal Spectrum DX8 eight channel radio on my Real Flight software when I am flying my planes in setup. As for those other brands you and Jan are looking at, I don't know. The one Jan is looking at does have the software, and it is distributed by a known company. Two guys at our field have a couple of their R/C planes. The one you are looking at is unknown to me, but does include the software disk.
Don
Would be great see it in RF !
However, when I really want to learn, or check something out, I do really concentrate there. Since I can also hook up my real transmitter to the sim, a Spectrum DX8 2.4GHz, 8 channel, and control the ones I have set up like my real R/C planes, I get the feel of my own sticks when learning a new manuever. Comes in very handy.
)..plus i got lost on the E-toys site because they have 1/16th scale RC tanks acouple under 100 bucks...