Clearview RC Simulator

Have you ever fancied taking control of a remote controlled plane but can neither afford to or even know how to go about getting hold of one />

ClearView is a fun remote controlled plane simulator that lets you take control of both mini-helicopters and planes in a variety of different scenarios. The program provides a number of flying sites and several models to choose from including 3D Raptors, Scale JetRanger, Lama, Apache and the impressive sounding, TRex450. Enthusiasts will be pleased to know that you can even choose from a light weight electric “Shockflier” to a 4-stroke aerobatic Pitts Special, F15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Dedicated remote control fans can even use their own radio transmitter joystick connected via one of the COM ports.

After the quick installation procedure, ClearView opens within a smaller window on your desktop. In the demo, you can only choose from a few aircraft and helicopters and one scenario (a park) but its enough to give you a feel for it. To obtain the control instructions, use the drop down menu at the top of the screen where you can configure your own controller or choose the keys you’d like to use. As a quick start guide, the default settings are “Q” and “W” to accelerate and brake which along with the cursor keys, are the only ones you’ll really need. Other features unavailable in the demo include a multi-player mode, hi-res sceneries with full collision scenes, dynamic camera mode and zoom modes. You can even record, replay and share your best flights with friends.

To really enjoy this game, it would definitely be necessary to upgrade as the one scene gets rather boring after a few flights. The main problem with this simulator is that after flying no more than a few meters, you lose total sight of the plane until you might as well be flying a pixel through the sky. There’s no option to walk underneath the plane or helicopter or move through the scenarios you find yourself in. The scenarios themselves are excellent though – the surroundings are based on real photographs so you feel like you’re really in the middle of the field in the demo. The controls, especially for the helicopters, are tricky to get to grips with at first. I spent the first few minutes simply taking off and dive bombing straight back into the ground until I became a bit more sensitive to them.

ClearView is a great game for living out all your remote control plane fantasies and in a strange way, its actually quite therapeutic to imagine being out in the open-air flying your free-as-a-bird mechanical toy. It’s a particularly useful game for anyone who wants to get used to flying a remote controlled plane without the fear of smashing a real one up. Strap yourself into the cockpit and give it a go.

Pros: Great graphics, Realistic actions, Quick to load and get going

Cons: Limited scenarios and planes in demo, Plane disappears from view quickly, No uninstaller