UNIT.City — місце, де люди працюють... КРАЩЕ! Обирай свій простір просто зараз 👉
Олександр КузьменкоGameDev Eng
12 June 2026, 15:58
2026-06-12
"Bridging the gap between the game and combat." Ukrainian military officer talks about the advantage of the TrypFPV simulator over Liftoff for training drone operators
A Ukrainian military man with the nickname Dionis_Aphonich on X (Twitter) believes that the TRYP FPV simulator is much more effective than the popular Liftoff for training operators of heavy 7-inch kamikaze drones. In his opinion, it allows cadets to develop the right muscle memory faster thanks to realistic physics and training on moving targets.
A Ukrainian military man with the nickname Dionis_Aphonich on X (Twitter) believes that the TRYP FPV simulator is much more effective than the popular Liftoff for training operators of heavy 7-inch kamikaze drones. In his opinion, it allows cadets to develop the right muscle memory faster thanks to realistic physics and training on moving targets.
The soldier shared his impressions in a thread on the social network X (Twitter). According to his observations, although Liftoff remains a classic tool for learning the basics of piloting, the specifics of real combat work require fighters of the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) to quickly transition to more modern virtual platforms.
The serviceman explained that Liftoff is focused on lightweight 5-inch drones for freestyle flying. Because of this, the virtual device in the game «floats» and forgives mistakes that in real conditions would lead to instant loss of equipment. In contrast, a real 7-inch drone with a warhead is a heavy and inert structure.
«In TRYP FPV, physics conveys mass much better. You make a sharp U-turn and you sink in altitude. Muscle memory is formed correctly from the first hours of training,» noted Dionis_Aphonich.
Separately, the military notes the scale of the maps. In Liftoff, flights are usually limited to small stadiums or parks. At the same time, combat sorties in real conditions often take place at distances of 5 to 15 kilometers or more. The huge open locations of TRYP FPV, tens of kilometers long with mountains, forests and industrial zones, according to him, are ideal for training in terrain orientation and long flights.
The main advantage of TRYP FPV for training kamikaze operators, the military calls the built-in dynamic targets — buggies, cars and ATVs. Thanks to this, the cadets independently learn to approach the target in motion and take the right overtaking. In Liftoff, for this, it was necessary to involve another person who had to simulate the target in multiplayer.
In addition, TRYP FPV saves a lot of time thanks to its simple setup. Dionis_Aphonich emphasizes the advantage of the plug-and-play format in the simulator: «I chose 7» drone, added 200% mass, launched a map with moving vehicles — and you’re done.» In Liftoff, on the other hand, you have to spend time in the «workshop» selecting propellers and setting PID parameters.
Remove that liftoff and forget it like a nightmare — RDS, TrypFPV, UFDC, that’s what you need to teach. TrypFPV has the ability to add weight to the drone. And you feel it. According to the cadets' feedback, it is almost no different from a seven-engine drone with a warhead on the training ground. After that, the cadets adapt faster pic.twitter.com/5sf0SqvRBC
— ᛞᛁᛟᚾᛁᛊ ᚨᚠᛟᚾᛁᚲᚺ 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 (@Dionis_Aphonich) June 10, 2026
The military officer summarized that Liftoff is great for understanding the basics — working with the control sticks, taking off, and holding the horizon (plus, the game has an official Ukrainian localization). However, it is advisable to transfer the cadets to TRYP FPV immediately after mastering the basics.
«This simulator objectively wins thanks to the more realistic physics of the inertia of heavy vehicles, large maps, and a ready-made system of training on moving targets, bridging the gap between a computer game and a real combat mission. Saving weeks of training,» concludes Dionis_Aphonich.
He also noted the Ukrainian simulator Remote Reaper. According to him, this product is still under development and there are certain questions about it, but «for practicing impression skills» it is suitable.
TRYP FPV technical base: what is known about the simulator
According to the description of TRYP FPV on the game’s Steam page, the developers have focused on maximum compliance with real flight conditions. The simulator’s physical engine operates with control via a PID loop, which allows for accurate calculation of inertia and gravity.
Environmental effects—air resistance, acceleration, and wind—are calibrated using «digital twin» technology. An additional factor of immersion is the realistic soundtrack, where the sound of the engine and gusts of wind help the pilot assess the condition of the aircraft by ear.
The simulator offers 5 detailed large-area maps scanned from real locations (mountains, skyscrapers, city blocks), and several game modes: free flight (TRYP), freestyle (Challenge), camera control (Scenario) and multiplayer racing (Race). The game also has flexible customization: users can adjust the speed of stick response, camera angle and choose from a wide range of real frames, propellers and LiPo batteries.
TRYP FPV is still in early access on Steam. The simulator does not have Ukrainian localization and is available in the Ukrainian region for 360 UAH.
Recall that in 2025, the Belgian game studio LuGus Studios, best known for the game Liftoff®: FPV Drone Racing, announced on the social network X (Twitter) that it has a solution for military drone operators and is contacting authorities in Ukraine for cooperation.
The developers of the Liftoff FPV drone simulator spent two years trying to reach out to Ukrainian authorities for cooperation. They succeeded after a public outcry on X (Twitter)
