FS Force Features

Ground Forces

During ground movements, FS Force provides a number of force feedback effects to enhance your simulator experience.  Please note that all forces are customizable and can even be turned off.  Everyone has different preferences as to what they want to experience.  If you want absolute realism, you may find yourself disabling some forces, like braking or cornering forces.  Others want to be immersed in the flight experience as much as possible and will want to feel all forces, even if the experience is not 100% realistic.

Pavement Grooves

This is a simple, subtle effect that gives a dynamic sense of movement as you taxi over the ground.  What you will feel is a light, regular "bump", "bump" as you taxi.  The frequency of the bumps increases as you speed up.  The bumps are spaced approximately 15 to 20 feet apart.  During your take-off run, the sense of speed build-up is very dramatic.

 

Full Throttle Vibrations

When your engines are near or at full throttle, you will feel a steady vibration that scales according to engine power output.  This effect is especially well suited to heavier aircraft, although it can be used on light GA planes as well.  The initial part of the take-off roll is where this effect really shines -- you will literally feel the power of your engines surging through the airframe as you slowly pick up speed.

Braking Forces

There are two components of this effect.  The first is a forward pull on the joystick that is felt whenever you apply the brakes.  While not 100% realistic (in a real airplane you would actually feel braking forces through the "seat of your pants"), many people find this effect provides a high degree of immersion.  The second component of this effect is referred to as high speed braking vibrations.  This refers to a vibration that will be felt when you apply brakes at a high ground speed, such as just after landing.

Touchdown Forces

What pilot doesn't take pride in a smooth, "greased on" landing, or feel embarrassment at a real bone cruncher of a touchdown?  With FS Force you will literally "feel" how good your landing was.  At touch down a bump (or maybe a jolt!) will be felt at the moment of touchdown, depending on the airplane's vertical speed at landing.

 

Static Forces

There are two effects available in this category : friction and damping.  They will add a certain degree of stiffness and friction to the movement of the joystick.  These are not strictly ground forces, as they could theoretically be felt while in the air, but they are often limited to when the airplane is on the ground due to the fact these forces do not combine very well with the centering forces you will feel once in the air. On some joysticks the forces feel very "notchy" when these forces are combined. 

 

 

Cornering Forces

This effect is mentioned last due to it's extreme unpopularity with the author of FS Force.     In fact, it is disabled by default in FS Force.  If you choose to enable it, you will find that the joystick pulls to the left or right when you corner sharply during taxiing. 

 

 

Next up is a description of Airborne Forces ...

 

    

 

 

 

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