NEWS -

Here are some 2005 FS show dates for the social simmer and there's news of a program from Just Flight that promises a credible FS career path for the virtual pilot. Why not get yourself a new PC on the cheap, thanks to the government (honestly!) and check out the first aircraft to use London?s Heathrow airport in 1946. Wings Of War gets a series of welcome upgrades to turn it into more of a sim than a game and word is that Battle of Britain II is on its way shortly. Rick Piper?s Meteor and an interesting pair of WW1 aircraft see the light of day.


Cockpit instruments ancient and modern for FS2004 aircraft rub shoulders in the shape of a new HUD and a freeware bubble sextant. There?s a new book out which is well worth a look and an easy way to recycle old printer cartridges and do someone a favour at the same time.


REVIEWS -


The wait is finally over for DreamFleet?s 727 and it comes as no surprise to find that it?s been well worth it - this latest aircraft from the renowned development team will delight the pilot who prefers hand-flying his aircraft to having all the hard work done for him. If you?ve always craved voice commands for your FS2004 ATC interaction instead of unrealistic keyboard inputs, then the new VoxATC program is just the job.


The USA finally gets the true VFR Photographic Scenery treatment and very good it looks too. Carenado?s Piper Cherokee proves to be a delightful training aircraft and the Piaggio Avanti from FSD International is a faster and more exotic but no less enjoyable proposition.


FS2Crew: 737 Professional lives up to its promise of providing a truly interactive cockpit environment for PMDG?s 737 series of aircraft and we take a good look at the latest package on offer from ELITE, answering that age-old question of whether top-end training packages have anything to offer the average home flight simmer who?s not actually looking for professional flight training.


HARDWARE -


If you?ve ever looked at the price of top-end flight controls and shaken your head in despair, take heart from boat builder Mike Dauscher. Finding himself a bit short of cash for a new flight yoke, he built one himself for under a tenner. Never let it be said that flight simmers aren?t an ingenious bunch!


FEATURES -


HoverControl?s Steve Hanley lays to rest some of the myths and inaccuracies surrounding flying FS helicopters and introduces his exceptional head-up gauge for FS2004 choppers; it?s guaranteed to give you all the visual feedback and cockpit information you need to become an expert rotary-wing pilot.


After some 9,500 hours in Boeing?s 727, United Airlines veteran Leo Angevine has probably forgotten more about this classic than the rest of us are likely ever to know. Here he gives us some fascinating recollections of this wonderful aircraft along with a few thoughts on the simulated DreamFleet version.


If you feel that your aircraft ought to sound every bit as good as they look, here?s a quick and simple guide to replacing aircraft sounds in FS2004 - get your Merlins roaring rather than purring! We have a chat with FS sound specialist Aaron Swindle and find out a bit more about how he deals with those FS sounds we?ve been enjoying over the years.

TUTORIAL -

In this issue we step up from our usual Mooney Bravo and take to the skies instead in the FS2004 Boeing 777 for a flight into Innsbruck. Plenty of tips on hand-flying the heavies should help you complete this tricky approach with finesse!