Acceleration provides a superb re-creation of carrier landings, complete with 'calling the ball' and an on-deck flight officer talking you in. Easy enough, but as any naval flight sim fan can tell you, landing on the deck of a moving carrier is a nerve-racking experience in the best of conditions throw in bad weather and/or darkness and you'll be wiping the sweat off the keyboard. Taking off is a blast, literally: Gently taxi up to the catapult, lower and attach the launch bar, throttle up, and then fire the catapult and hang on as you're launched off the edge of the carrier. While there are, alas, no useable weapons on this simulated jet, it is fully capable of carrier operations, and most of the included missions involving the Hornet require both a takeoff and landing on a carrier. The Boeing F/A-18A Hornet is a fighter/attack jet with a breathtaking amount of power. The three new aircraft are very different from one another and provide fascinating new capabilities, introduced via the new missions.

If you're a Flight Simulator X aficionado, this expansion pack is a must-have. Microsoft's new add-on, Flight Simulator X: Acceleration, adds more of what makes the sim great, offering three new aircraft, more than 30 new single-player missions, and 19 multiplayer missions/races. While you can compile a laundry list of features that make Flight Simulator X a jaw-dropping piece of software, it's the wide variety of aircraft and goal-oriented missions that create such a compelling experience for even the casual flight-sim fan.

Fsx red bull helicopter aerobatic