The NHP/CSM 3 Simulator is distributed worldwide by J. Perkins Ltd., London, and distributed in the United States by Horizon Hobby in Champaign, Illinois. When CSM introduced the heli simulator, it met with resounding success due primarily to its realistic flight performance. Six months later, the airplane simulation was added. From raw beginners to seasoned experts, people raved about the realism and benefits of practicing with it. As with other R/C simulators, the emulation of the flight characteristics is more important than realistic graphics. For this reason, vector graphics are used but are more than adequate for this type of simulator.

In the front of the instruction manual, there is a reality warning which when first read sounds like the common build-up found with any other new products. The statement says, "Real live scientists have been used in the production of this simulator program. Their ruthless and unfailing attention to mathematical and aerodynamic detail has been unflinching. In our experience no other simulation inflicts so much realism on the user. Your views on R/C simulators may be fundamentally altered after using this program". It was after using the simulator that realization occured that it was not meant to be a bunch of hype and every word was serious.

The computer that is used with the simulator must meet the hardware requirements. If the computer has a printer connected to the parallel port, a switch box is required. It connects to the printer port and the printer and interface adapter are connectd to the switch box. This allows switching between the printer and the simulator. The NHP simulator has been designed as a serious training tool for model aircraft and helicopter pilots at all levels of competence. To ensure a high degree of realism, the program uses a detailed set of aerodynamic equations to calculate the motion of an airplane or helicopter in real time. This may sound like a lot of hype but it is not.

The menu is quite extensive and if it were described here, it would read like "War and Peace". The following is a list of parameters that can be modified within the simulator:

Under each of these categories, there is a list of all the changes that can be made to the model being simulated.

The flying field also has various obstacles that can be configured. A word of caution may be required. Any change, no matter how small, will change the performance of the aircraft. This is a plus for designers. The aircraft section features a powerful user-friendly menu that allows testing the latest creation. The aircraft simulator includes an airfoil section library from which sections can be loaded, modified and saved back to the library. There are 10 airplanes and 15 helicopters from which to choose. The one major flaw is that, unlike the helicopters, all the airplanes are basically generic in nature. The helicopter names are easily recognizable even those who don’t fly helicopters. When the manufacturer was contacted about this, all that was said is that there will be an upgrade coming out sometime late this year and that it will include a lot of suggestions or correct complaints that were submitted. Non-generic airplanes should be included for people like me who want to practice flying planes like the Extra 300, Piper Cub, P-51, and maybe an Ultimate or some other biplane. Another item that should be included in the upgrade is the ability to choose between using a 2 cycle or 4 cycle engine.

Due to a lack of experience with helicopters, only airplane simulation will be covered. The SIG LT-40 was entered into the library using all the measurements, weight, CG, and engine specifications that were available. Since this was the model that was currently in use, it was decided that this would be a good test of the simulator. The way the simulator duplicated the flight characteristics of the model was very impressive. The only flaw that was found was in the speed of the simulated model. It was faster then the real model but that is not a problem since the simulated speed can be set to any percentage of the calculated speed. A factor of 75% was found to be perfect for this model. The nice thing about being able to set the speed is that it can be reduced for practicing aerobatics while becoming familiar with the correct stick inputs for the stunt you being practiced. As proficiency improves, the speed can be gradually increased 100%. The simulator has been used to practice flying and landing in high winds which improved confidence and ability and it ss very realistic. When mistake is made, this simulator does not forgive as easily as some of the other simulators. If the approach is to slow resulting in a tip stall, the plane is rekitted. At least a lesson is learned and it does not require rebuilding an airplane. The simulator takes care of that instantly. This is a learning tool worthy of praise. Even with the jeers that are included, the question remains, "Would this simulator be considered again for purchase even knowing some of flaws?" The answer is definite, "Yes".