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But he did not really accomplish anything amazing. He most likely read the forums at DCS http://www.digitalcombatsimula... and or xPlane http://www.x-plane.com/desktop...

Doing what many others have done already. The rift has been used in sims since it came out. With extensive instructions on how to simulate every detail of a cockpit from a simple 172 to 777 to an F-18. How to get all of that working on a PC. As a simmer myself. Much of it is simple stuff.

Looking at his build, it is cool. But in no way amazing.

Here you go. hundreds of pages on users of the rift in aircraft sims. http://forums.eagle.ru/showthr...

Of what is considered to be the best sim right now. DCS https://www.digitalcombatsimul...

Can be done cheaper then that. Those in the Digital Combat simulator http://www.digitalcombatsimula... and xPlane http://www.x-plane.com/desktop... community have been building stuff like this for years. With extensive instructions on how to use everything from MFD's to rifts to io boards for all the buttons and switches. With all age groups and budgets.

This individual is probably a user on one of those very forums. The blogger who wrote the article just saw something cool. Did no research and blogged about this awesome thing this kid did that no one "to him" has done before

Simers in the DCS http://www.digitalcombatsimula... and xplane http://www.x-plane.com/desktop... community have been using the rift since day 1. With home simpit builds that put this "news worthy pit to shame.

I believe they have thermal sensors in there - perhaps more than just "BATTERY HOT" could be in order - maybe some thermistors designed to register fire temperatures, and something to make the detection of such a bit more obvious. Example, in an A-10 aircraft those fire extinguisher handles along the top light up like Christmas trees. Airliners have similar features as well - why not a car?

The A-10C is a much upgraded variant of the original. And with the Lightening II pod and Mavericks it can hit targets like tanks from a decent range. It can perform CCIP and CCRP bombing too. It can get up close and blow a kiss goodbye at its target as it's blowing it to pieces, but it does not have to.

Pretty decked out study sim if you want to get an idea of what it can do: http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/series/warthog/

it is of course a sim, but about as detailed as you will find...

Interesting question. I guess it's more about being "open to the public", i.e. you don't have to be on the payroll, or even a member of a special testing team. Possibly there's no NDA associated with it; that to me would be a strong indicator, but certainly not the only indicator.

Access to the DCS: A-10C Warthog 'open beta' is only open to those who pre-purchase the game. Does that qualify as an "open beta" or does it have to be open to everyone for free, since it excludes people who can't/won't buy things online or who can't download a few gigs?

If that is open, then is restricting it to people who pre-purchase it all that different to restricting it to those who win the lottery (i.e. are picked at random to receive an invite)? Arguably yes, but then; whether or not an individual happens to have been born into a life whereby they can afford to spend $60 on a video game is pretty much a lottery, too.

Dude, you need to try DCS: BlackShark or DCS: A-10C full flight simulators. Nothing dumbed about those puppies. If they're too undumb for you then try LockOn Modern Air Combat or rFactor for car racing. And it that is still too hard core then try Armed Assault II. If you can't take that then get a Wii.

See:
http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/
http://lockon.co.uk/
http://www.arma2.com/
http://www.rfactor.net/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smvv3IkglvQ LockOn trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLoBsD6VdHI BlackShark trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm8NIBjTDvs DCS:A-10C trailer

I hear the KA-50 Black Shark simulator is pretty close.

Rigid body dynamics equations have been used to calculate the helicopter's flight trajectory. In essence, this means that all external forces and force momentums are used to calculate a body's position and rotation in 3-D space.

The Ka-50 airframe aerodynamic properties are derived from its sub-element parameters: fuselage, wings, tail, and landing gear. Each of these has its own position and orientation within the airframe local-coordinate system and each has their own aerodynamic characteristics. Each sub-element is calculated by independent lift-drag coefficients diagrams, damage degree influencing the lift properties, and center of gravity (CG) position and inertial characteristics. Aerodynamic forces acting on each sub-element of the airframe are calculated separately in their own coordinate system taking into account local airspeed of the sub-element.

Then it continues to describe each system (rotors, hydraulics, electrical, etc) and how it simulates each one.

You might want to have a look at DCS. Haven't tried it myself, but it looks like a pretty decent hardcore helicopter combat sim. Also Rise of Flight is said to have pretty decent flying physics. So the genre is not totally dead (yet).