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Author Topic:   Eagle Lander 3D: Apollo mission simulator
Philip
Member

Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 02-22-2002 03:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Certainly worth a visit: Eagle Lander 3D
Eagle Lander 3D (EL3D) is an authentic simulation of the Apollo lunar landings and includes accurate renditions of scenery, flight dynamics and the lunar module. Currently EL3D includes Apollo 11,12, 15, 17, a LM racing course and an orbital flight. Other missions 'plug-in'.

EL3D is designed to realistically render the physics and dynamics of the lunar module as well as the terrain of the lunar surface. EL3D uses the latest in graphical 3D technology to provide high resolution renditions of the LM, it's instruments, and the lunar surface in the region of the current landing site. All primary flight instruments work like the originals with many operating control panel switches too. The Apollo Guidance Computer has been modeled and works just like the original including the famous 1201 Alarm Code on Apollo 11!

monsenrm
New Member

Posts: 1
From: Dhahran, Saudi Araba
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 02-23-2002 11:19 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for monsenrm   Click Here to Email monsenrm     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
As the author of Eagle Lander 3D, I welcome everyone to come over and try it.

It is now available for download. — Ron Monsen

ALAIN
Member

Posts: 355
From: GENT, Belgium
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 10-20-2002 05:37 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for ALAIN     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Certainly worth a visit... thanks for sharing!

Scott
Member

Posts: 3307
From: Houston, TX
Registered: May 2001

posted 08-13-2003 09:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Scott   Click Here to Email Scott     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I found this free Lunar Lander game, Eagle Lander 3D by Ron Monsen. It is GREAT!! No more green stick figures! I don't think I'll ever leave the house again. Guess I'll get laid off. Oh well....

Edgar Mitchell has been told about this game and his response on his website is (to paraphrase) "practice makes perfect"!

Good luck. Hope everyone survives!

(I just played it and you can not only land, but then go down the ladder, walk around and plant the flag. All the while the actual recording of Armstrong is playing, synchronized to what you are doing!)

Editor's note: Threads merged.

bruce
Member

Posts: 916
From: Fort Mill, SC, USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 08-14-2003 09:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for bruce   Click Here to Email bruce     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Okay, so after watching Dad crash six times and then finally land the LM, my 12 year old daughter sat down to try her hand at the controls. The result? First time, perfect landing!!

She got a 485 on Landing Site accuracy and a Smoothness rating of 1000 out of a possible 1000! I am quite proud of her, to say the least! I just wish we could now go out and do an EVA together around Tranquility Base!

Scott
Member

Posts: 3307
From: Houston, TX
Registered: May 2001

posted 08-14-2003 09:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Scott   Click Here to Email Scott     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I know what you mean, Bruce. Kids these days are so smart.

I just went really far away and explored the crater you land near. It is much bigger up close than it looks when you are landing. I then turned around and looked back to find the LM and I could see it in the distance with the flag, just the like the LM in the distance in many lunar photos.

Scott
Member

Posts: 3307
From: Houston, TX
Registered: May 2001

posted 03-19-2004 02:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Scott   Click Here to Email Scott     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Eagle Lander 3D creator Ron Monsen has announced he is just days away from releasing his shareware and full versions of the latest Eagle Lander 3D game. The beta testing is completed. This new one will have the Apollo 12 (you'll even be able to walk over to Surveyor III) and Apollo 15 missions in addition to Apollo 11. I can hardly wait.

For those of you who have not downloaded and played Ron's revolutionary LM game, let me tell you that you are in for a treat. It is the best lunar landing simulator ever, and I'm just talking about the old version. I cannot describe it in words - it must be seen and played. I cannot imagine what the new one will be like. It actually gave me a chance to do the impossible, to know what it was like to land on the Moon and walk around on its surface. Thank you, Ron.

Visit the website where he has loads of screenshots, etc.

Rizz
Member

Posts: 1208
From: Upcountry, Maui, Hawaii
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 03-19-2004 03:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rizz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Apollo 15. LRV?

Scott
Member

Posts: 3307
From: Houston, TX
Registered: May 2001

posted 03-19-2004 03:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Scott   Click Here to Email Scott     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Oh Man. I didn't think about that. I looked at the site and didn't see anything about a functional LRV. But that would be icing on the cake and I'll bet Ron adds that in the future.

Here is a game features summation from the website:

Highly detailed 3D LM. Lower polygon models are also provided for ëslowerí systems.

The mission landing site topography is extensively researched and very accurate.

Simulates the final few minutes of flight including:

P64 mode the automatic flight mode from about 8000í to 400í. In this mode primary flight control is from the computer. The astronaut can redesignate the landing site by moving the controller while lining up the Landing Point Designator (LPD) with the computer readout.

P66 mode the final landing mode where the Commander maneuvers the LM to its final resting spot.

Orbital Flight. Maneuver the LM near the Command Module while flying in a 60 mile orbit over detailed renditions of the lunar surface.

EVA. Leave the LM through the front hatch, down the ladder and into history!

Multiple Missions. Apollo 11,12 and 15, Orbital flight and a Racing Course are included. New missions plug-in.

Hardware accelerated stencil shadowing creates the realistic LM shadow. An alternative synthetic shadow is available for computers that do not have a powerful graphics card.

Replay. Flights can be recorded and played back later. Each mission includes a pre-existing replay if you want to just ëride alongí for the first time.

Dust kicks up near the ground and obscures the visibility of the landing site.

Scoring of performance. Your approach and landing is graded based on actual NASA landing criteria. Factors such as accuracy, smoothness and velocity control are all used to determine your score.

Multiple camera views including. Spot view with keyboard / joystick POV (point of view) commands to move the camera to any relative position Cockpit view.

A detailed 2D panel through the commanderís (CDR) window.

Ground view. A view from a fixed position near the actual landing site.

Virtual Cockpit. A detailed 3D cockpit with working switches.

Sounds are the actual astronautsí voice transmissions 'triggered' at the appropriate altitudes, attitudes and velocities.

Users can select graphics modes and options best suited to their computer systems. Any screen resolution supported by the graphics card is available.

Joystick or keyboard controls. Using a 3 axis joystick with a twisting yaw axis like a Microsoft Sidewinder Pro, will give maximum realism becuause the actual LM controller that had a twist action for yaw. Alternatively the keyboard or mouse can be used as well.

All keyboard and joystick controls / buttons / commands are user definable. Multiple joysticks can be used and most items can be assigned joystick buttons. Cockpit designers will love the flexibility.

LM Racing. In order to have a little fun and build your flying skills, there is a deep valley race course. You are scored on time and altitude (lower altitudes are best).

Working instruments. All of the primary flight instruments are available and many switches and other items are active as well.

Authentic Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC). You interact with the flight computer via the DSKY (Digital Display Keyboard) exactly in the same fashion as the original. This is probably the first time a functioning Apollo computer has been simulated in this detail since the last flight over 30 years ago.

In-flight aborts and ascent from the lunar surface are modeled. Also, the famous 1201 program alarm that occurred on Apollo 11 occurs at exactly the same time!

burnsnz
Member

Posts: 74
From: Auckland, New Zealand
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-19-2004 05:17 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for burnsnz   Click Here to Email burnsnz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I downloaded version 2 around 15 months ago and I have been keenly awaiting version 3, mainly for the views coming in to land at Hadley-Appenine. Apollo 12 is an unexpected bonus. I will certainly be downloading on by broadband connection at work on Monday!

Who has the best Version 2 score? I have 2860 to open bidding - any advance on that?

Lunatiki
Member

Posts: 237
From: Amarillo, TX, USA
Registered: Dec 2006

posted 05-22-2007 10:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lunatiki     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Has anyone ever played around with this Eagle 3D simulator? I'm downloading the demo, it's a fairly big file.

Editor's note: Threads merged.

Lunatiki
Member

Posts: 237
From: Amarillo, TX, USA
Registered: Dec 2006

posted 06-14-2007 01:09 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lunatiki     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well, I have become hooked on Eagle Lander 3D, their demo version with the short flight. Took about 40 tries to actually succeed landing the Eagle.

I'll most likely buy the full version (lots of extras) and I'm wondering if any other members have purchased it and what you think of it. I have read several reviews and they all agree its about as accurate as possible, like Microsoft Flight Simulator is to flying. There are even pictures of Gene Cernan on the website showing him flying it.

But to the point, anyone else have the full version?

HelmetHair
Member

Posts: 104
From: Georgia
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 01-29-2008 06:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for HelmetHair     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Eagle Lander 3D is a bit of fun...

Scott
Member

Posts: 3307
From: Houston, TX
Registered: May 2001

posted 01-29-2008 06:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Scott   Click Here to Email Scott     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I love that game! It is well worth the purchase price IMO. The only downside is that it requires a powerful video card to enjoy it completely. Playing this game was the first time I got the sense of what it must have been like to land and walk on the Moon.

HelmetHair
Member

Posts: 104
From: Georgia
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 01-30-2008 11:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for HelmetHair     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
At the start, I could not work out the controls, except that the + and - keys on the keyboard controlled the rate of descent (ROD). I managed to land the Eagle using ONLY those keys-remember that the attitude was also afected by the ROD, and it is a lot harder than you may think!

Scott
Member

Posts: 3307
From: Houston, TX
Registered: May 2001

posted 01-30-2008 03:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Scott   Click Here to Email Scott     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It sure is difficult, isn't it? It is certainly not a child's game, that's for sure. I didn't get anywhere near learning all the controls and settings (which are all authentic simulations) and it took me several tries before I landed without crashing. The limited fuel and general awkwardness makes landing a real challenge - but it makes for a more authentic experience. Gene Cernan played it and had some interesting comments.

holcombeyates
Member

Posts: 243
From: UK
Registered: Dec 2010

posted 08-13-2014 09:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for holcombeyates   Click Here to Email holcombeyates     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Does anyone know what has happened to the Eagle Lander 3D simulator for the PC?

It's a great sim, but the website hasn't been updated since 2009. Am I looking in the wrong place?

Also I get an error message "cannot find .DLL file" when I try to run this on my laptop - any ideas? Thanks.

Editor's note: Threads merged.

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