Anyone having both Microsoft Flight Simulator X and a reasonably decent internet connection knows that FSX is almost infinitely expandable, and if you’re willing to spend the time separating the wheat from the chaff with regards to downloaded add-ons, a lot of really good stuff is available for absolutely no cost. Third party airplane designers have all of the tools they need to create very high-end products, and Microsoft enables that practice by including the Software Development Kit (SDK) with the Deluxe version of the retail FSX package.

With that in mind, I thought it would be very interesting to see what kind of additions Microsoft would be offering in the Flight Simulator X: Acceleration expansion package, and even more interestingly, how the additional features would compare to what is available for free. As you’ll see as you read further, the answer to that question is mixed. There are some things that fall into the category of “Well, it’s about time,” and some that fall into “WTF?” In one notable case, both of those answers apply.

As noted in my initial review of FSX, one of the more compelling enhancements was the new Missions system, whereby the success or failure of missions would actually be tracked. My assumption was that any expansion pack for FSX would include not only new aircraft, but new missions as well. Indeed, such is the case. There are three new aircraft available, and a collection of missions to go with them. The aircraft are the F-18 Hornet carrier-based jet fighter, the venerable P-51 WWII fighter in an air racing configuration, and the AgustaWestland EH-101 helicopter.

The missions for the F-18, in one of the aforementioned “It’s about time” examples, allow for takeoff and landing on aircraft carriers. The capability had been kludged together my modders at least as far back as Flight Simulator 2004, but the new work from Microsoft makes it much more seamless. My experience with carrier operations showed that both the catapult launch and cable arrested recovery worked well, but worked much better if I set aside the Microsoft F-18 and used a free download F-14 instead. I found the F-14 to be far more forgiving on landing; with the F-18 I was able to get to the deck and catch a wire, but every single time, the airplane would flip and crash on the ship’s deck. I grant that my inferior piloting skillz were very likely to be the problem rather than anything in the modeling of the airplane, but the fact remains that the free F-14 offered a more gratifying (and survivable) experience. The F-14 was more stable in the approach, and quite possibly more forgiving of my ham-handed flying than the F-18. The F-14, however, wasn’t capable (in its current iteration) of using the launch catapult, so I had to use raw engine power and prayer to get it off the deck. My hope is that the additional carrier capabilities will encourage third-party modders to create a collection of new carrier-based airplanes for me to download.

Another “It’s about time” feature is the addition of Reno air racing. This too has been available in the past as a scenery download and an online racing club, but Microsoft has added the ability for a single player to race against AI planes. This appeals to a hermit such as myself in that multiplayer requires scheduling with other people, and a devotion to said schedule that I’m afraid I cannot commit to. Unfortunately, the Reno feature is combined with one of those “WTF?” moments. The P-51 included in the expansion is far below the standards available for free download when it comes to the instrument panel. The air racing tutorial (very well done, by the way) puts a great deal of emphasis on monitoring engine parameters, but the associated gauges on the panel are virtually unreadable. This may have something to ...