FlightGear

Concorde in FlightGear

Mass balance, ground reactions, propulsion, aerodynamics, buoyant forces, external forces, atmospheric forces, and gravitational forces can be utilized by JSBSim, the current default flight model supported by FlightGear, to determine flight characteristics.[5] FlightGear also supports LaRCsim, UIUC, YASim, the use of an external source like MATLAB, and custom flight models for hot air balloons and spacecraft.[6]

Several networking options allow FlightGear to communicate with other instances of FlightGear. A multiplayer protocol is available for using FlightGear on a local network in a multi aircraft environment. This can be used for formation flight or air traffic control simulation. Soon after the original Multiplayer Protocol became available, it was expanded to allow playing over the internet. It is possible to see other players in game if they have the same aircraft models and viewing their flight path is possible with the game's online multiplayer map.[7]

Several instances of FlightGear can be synchronized to allow for a multi-monitor environment.

The game includes real-time weather patterns

FlightGear uses metar data to produce live weather patterns in real time.[8] Detailed weather settings allow for 3d clouds, a variety of cloud types, and precipitation. Precipitation and terrain affect turbulence and cloud formations.[9] Aloft waypoint settings allow high altitude behaviors of wind to be modeled from live weather information, and thermals can also be modeled.[10]

The simulator has been used by numerous institutes and companies, such as NASA/Ames Human Centered System Lab.[18][19] Pragolet s.r.o. [20] and the Endless Runway Project; a consortium of several European aerospace institutes.[21][22]

• MathWorks FlightGear to Simulink interface.[23]
• NASA/Ames Human Centered System Lab - 737NG full scale cockpit simulator.[24][25]
• Pragolet s.r.o. for light and ultra-light sports aircraft.[26]
• PAL-V Europe NV[27]
• Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Germany, HeliLab[28] and MPI CyberMotion Simulator[29]
• Institute for Scientific Research[30]

Endless Runway Project, consortium of several European aerospace institutes.[31][32]

• Minia University, Egypt[33]

• The Department of Aircraft and Aeroengine from the Chinese Air Force Engineering University[34]
• Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China[35]
• Shenyang Institute of Automation, China[36]

• RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia[37]

• Institute of Aerospace Engineering at the RWTH Aachen[38]
• University of Naples, Italy[39]
• University of Wales Intelligent Robotics Group, Aberystwyth, UK[40]
• Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands[41][42][43][44]
• Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany[45]
• Technical University of Munich[46]
• Czech Technical University in Prague[47][48]
• French Aerospace Lab (ONERA) and University of Toulouse, France[49]
• Pázmány Péter Catholic University and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences[50]
• University of Sheffield, England[51]
• Supaéro[52]
• Durham University, England[53]

• University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, USA[54]
• Northeastern University, Boston, USA[55]
• Arizona State University, USA[56]
• The Center for Coastal & Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center at the University of New Hampshire, USA[57]
• University of Michigan, USA[58]
• University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Canada[59][60]
• Purdue University, Indiana, USA[61]
• University of Arizona, USA[62]

• National Technological University, Haedo, Argentina[63]
• Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil[64]