MiniCopter: Adventure Flight for the Nintendo Wii is a new video game where you control various RC Helicopters. The game is controlled by the Wii remote or a classic controller - your choice. MiniCopter: Adventure Flight has 42 different missions and 7 landscapes making this game a blast for any RC helicopter fan. Your RC helicopters can be modified with various body kits and performance parts to improve performance. A two player mode lets you and a friend race your rc helis in an effort to collect the most rings.

Here are some screen shots from the MiniCopter: Adventure Flight for the Nintendo Wii.

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Read more about MiniCopter: Adventure Flight, an RC helicopter video game, at the IGN Web site.

Flying your rc helicopter for the first time can be risky, especially if you have not had prior experience. Using a simulator is a good way to see what the hobby is all about and to practice without risking a crash.

There are many simulators available, both commercial products and free software. Any of them can provide a realistic way to try flying an rc helicopter. There are several benefits of using a flight simulator, the most important being you cannot damage a model while learning how to fly. Simulators can provide a good way to improve your flying skills. Many simulators support using your actual rc helicopter transmitter to control the simulated model, further enhancing the realism, while others require the use of a controller specifically designed to connect to your computer and simulate an rc transmitter. RC helicopter simulators will allow you to fly a variety of models, under different conditions. Most simulators will allow you to adjust various flight parameters. This means that you can simulate your own rc helicopter, and even simulate equipment failures. Unlike real flying, the simulator is not dependent on weather or time of day. Some simulators have training systems that will let you control different axis of motion, while the simulator controls the rest. This makes learning easy for the beginner.

Some available simulators include:

• The Dave Brown Products Ratio Control Flight Simulator 2001
• The Great Planes RealFlight R/C Flight Simulator G-3
• The Flying Model Simulator (FMS) - free!

There are many more simulators to be found online. Much of this software is upgradeable, and expansions can be either ordered, or found online. Flight simulators are a great way to learn to fly, without risking your expensive model.

What do you do if you want to learn to fly an RC helicopter, but you don’t want to take the chance of crashing it on your first try? If your RC transmitter has a standard trainer port or buddy port connector, you can use it as a controller for a computer based flight simulator. All that is required is a USB FMS interface cable with the correct end to plug into your transmitter, and the simulator software to run on your PC. Using your actual transmitter you use when flying your real rc helicopter on the flight simulator software allows you to familiarize yourself with the controls in a safe environment.

Screenshot of an RC helicopter model in the FMS Software

Free FMS Flight Simulator Software For Your PC

The most well known free software that can be used with these cables is called the Flying Model Simulator, or FMS. You can download this from the FMS Homepage. The FMS flight simulator is extremely good, it allows you to load many different models of aircraft and landscape that can be found on the internet. Even without an RC TX, you can install this program and fly aircraft with you keyboard. This software is compatible with Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP. It will not work with Vista or Mac operating systems.

Connecting Your Transmitter to Your Computer

GWS sells a great FMS transmitter to USB interface cable in three types: Futaba, Hitec, GWS and JR. These GWS interface cables take the signal from the trainer/buddy port on standard RC transmitters and convert it into data that your computer interprets as coming from a USB joystick or game controller.

Getting Help with the FMS Software

The FMS Forum is a great community resource for learning and troubleshooting the FMS Flight Simulator Software.