Funkshaw:
After two years modeling in X-plane, I'd say...
Not necessarily less realistic, just different. If you were calculating the volume of a box, would you masure the height first, or the width?
For tables vs. blade element, the choice comes to the situation. If you have a plane where the target numbers are well known, you can hit them more precisely with tables. That's why REAL simulators (like the airlines') do it this way. If you're modeling an airplane that cannot now be tested, blade element modeling is better than wishful numbers imported from a different airplane.
(Even blade element models ultimately depend on tables, but they are tables of airfoil lift that are well distributed and available.)
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Funkshaw: After two years modeling in X-plane, I'd say... Not necessarily less realistic, just different. If you were calculating the volume of a box, would you masure the height first, or the width? For tables vs. blade element, the choice comes to the situation. If you have a plane where the target numbers are well known, you can hit them more precisely with tables. That's why REAL simulators (like the airlines') do it this way. If you're modeling an airplane that cannot now be tested, blade element modeling is better than wishful numbers imported from a different airplane. (Even blade element models ultimately depend on tables, but they are tables of airfoil lift that are well distributed and available.)