KP: Will the game feature multi-player?

LP: This version does not have a multi-player feature.

KP :Are there any special features that are in the game because of user input?

LP: Almost every feature that exists now in the game is based on user input and feedback. This starts with the flight model that has been tested and approved by many pilots and ends with the user interface and options in the software itself.

KP: What OS(s) will Hangsim be made for?

LP: Win95, Win98,and Win 2000--technically every OS that supports DirectX6 and Pentium code.

KP: Do you have any other game planned after Hangsim?

LP: Indeed, the engine that has been built for Hangsim will be the base for new projects to be developed in the future.

KP: Will the game be powered by hardware acceleration? will it feature a software acceleration mode?

LP: The game is based on 3D hardware acceleration and is meant to make use of any Direct3D hardware on the market today. Since Hangsim requires very detailed graphics, it is not recommended for working without 3D hardware although it will work in software emulation mode giving up to 10 FPS in this mode.

KP: What video card that you have tested runs the game with the best image quality? What Video Cards have you tested?

LP: We have tested most video cards currently on the market. Best ones are without a doubt the Riva 128 or Riva TNT based cards, giving excellent graphics and frame rates. The Viper 330 and 550, are also excellent and we feel that they are the most reliable cards. The ones I am not pleased with are the ATI cards which tend to display problems and depend on updated drivers posted from time to time on the web.

KP: What inspired you to make a different flight game?

Being a pilot who flew Hang Gliders for more than 5 years, light airplanes for more than 10 years and an aeronautical engineer, I feel attracted to anything that is related to flight. I know enough to recognize when a flight sim is giving me just motion in 3D and not a true flight. I have tested the flight dynamics of these programs and it disappoints me time after time to find that stalls are not as they should be, spins are not spins and the cockpit is confining you to a "tunnel vision". This feeling of uneasiness grew in me for years until I decided to write my own flight sim program. I then made a wish list which looked something like this:
1) I want to be able to fly very low and experience realistic scenery.
2) I want to be able to look freely in all directions (virtual cockpit always).
3) I want a high frame rate.
4) I want to hear the real sounds of flight and it's effects on my wings.
5) I want great flight dynamics with great handling in extreme maneuvers.
6) I want the winds to be felt according to the scenery I fly above. This wish list led to the development of Hangsim and it indeed is satisfying my needs and I expect it will do the same for the many other flight enthusiasts out there like me.

Speedy 3D would like to thank the lead programmer of Hangsim very much for taking the time to do this interview with us.

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