A lot of challenge is doubtless authentic, but a portion comes from the fudged physics. Like the carrier landings, lifting and lowering things from a helo turns out to be devilishly tricky. Most require delicate work with the hoist or sling. Many of these imaginative excursions feature twists and decision points. There's floating rocket capsules to be recovered, drowning trawlermen to be rescued, drug traffickers to be chased down, and nervous geologists to be plucked from rumbling volcano summits. Reflecting its multiple real-world roles, the lucky EH101 gets twice as many outings. The Hornet stars in around half a dozen of Acceleration's 35 missions, including a spooky intercept above Edwards Airforce Base that's guaranteed to infuriate FS puritans. Promisingly, it appears to be relatively easy to add working tail hooks and launch bars (the bit of kit that allows the F/A-18 to use the carrier's catapult system) to other add-on planes, and place CVs in new locations (They are already integrated into FSX's sea traffic system, though finding them can be tricky) so the future for carrier ops looks bright. Maybe it's a good thing that the devs haven't modelled parked planes or deck crew. So far most of my attempts have ended up looking more like this than this. Even if you've remembered to deploy the latter device, landing the F/A-18 on Acceleration's carrier is a nerve-shredding experience. Tinker with the myriad switches and MFDs and you'll discover amongst other things, a sophisticated autopilot, a working radar (with ability to lock-up targets and adjust scan parameters) and the button that lower the all-important tail hook. While it doesn't come with wings festooned with working Sidewinders and Mavericks, it does go like supersonic shingle off a shovel, and feature a surprisingly functional virtual cockpit.

The Hornet is my pick of the new flyables. Use large flat-decked ships to catch falling planes! (Actual mission premise may differ) Had ACES been generous enough to include an A380 or a 787 then just about every element of their customer base would have been catered for. For flying incredibly slowly you've got a versatile EH101 whirlybird, and for flying incredibly stylishly there's a gorgeous P-51 Mustang (de-gunned, sadly). For flying incredibly fast you've got a remarkably detailed F/A-18 Hornet strike-fighter. This one boasts three high quality machines that couldn't be more different. Most of the packs produced by publishers such as Just Flight, Aerosoft, and Flight 1 contain one plane type only. Meet the fleetĪn Aladdin's alcove of new aircraft, missions, scenery areas, and experiences, Acceleration immediately stands-out in the crowded world of FS add-ons thanks to its size and eclecticism. FSX added a welcome dollop of drama to a staid series, and this official expansion pack continues the good work. It's taken them twenty-odd years, but MS have finally realised that not everyone buys realistic non-combat flight simulations to Sunday-drive Cessnas, and autopilot Airbuses. Result: a bullet-riddled helo, a flaming engine, and an unscheduled landing in the middle of a lion-infested game reserve. I was trailing them in my Bell JetRanger and foolishly ignored the co-pilot's advice about not getting too close. (It's only been 138 days since that last happened.) No, last night I was shot down in Microsoft Flight Simulator.īack in nineteen-eighty-something-or-other the culprit was one of FS1's dastardly Fokkers (sadly absent from FS2, FS3 etc.) last night it was a gang of rhino poachers in a speeding 4WD. Something happened to me last night that hasn't happened for around 25 years.

Flight simulator x aceleration pack