Flight Sim X Demo takes flight

Microsoft have released a preview of the upcoming Flight Simulator X. Only a 640mb download away, it’s an impressive look at what the release will offer. The trial version includes two airports, three missions, and three different aircraft all based around St. Maarten in the Caribbean.

It installed and configured itself seamlessly, defaulting to medium-low for most graphics, on my machine. In that mode it seems to run at least as well as FS 2004 & most things seem to work, even ATC. The only glitch I’ve noticed is the losing the view on 3D cockpits and naked cars (model with no texture). Reading Tdraggers post it’s apparent I’m not the only one seeing this but it’s not complete, work is still in progress. The interface has some nice, glassy menus but the layout is familiar which makes for an easy transition.

Noticeable are increased levels of scenery, moving traffic, boats, airport service vehicles, and even flocks of sea-birds. As Mario shows, Flight Simulator has come a long way in 25 years! Can’t wait for the release version, the hard work is appreciated!

Flight Simulator X Website: http://flightsimulatorx.com