Sometimes, it’s the little things that really add to the experience.
Although it’s several years old, FSX is still a pretty decent flight simulator, especially with nice add-on aircraft like A2A‘s Boeing 377 with Accu-Sim or PMDG‘s Boeing 737 NGX. I’m a systems geek, so I appreciate the detailed systems modeling in the larger aircraft — from engine, fuel, and oil management on classic supercharged propliners like the 377 to long-haul computer-assisted navigation in state-of-the-art aircraft like the NGX. It still doesn’t always really feel like flying, though — but until just recently, I wasn’t sure just why.
Accu-Feel, an unassuming $14.99 add-on from A2A, changes that. It mostly models all of the subtle sounds associated with your flight. This doesn’t sound like much of an improvement — but it changes everything. Landing a Cessna in a crosswind no longer simply triggers a tire-screech sound. Instead, Accu-Feel’s code checks to see when and how each tire contacts the ground (and what type of ground it contacts), and dynamically generates sounds accordingly. Subtle cues like this really add to the experience in a big way. Accu-Feel models several other effects, as well, including pre-stall buffeting according to the wings’ dynamically-calculated angle of attack during flight.
Check out A2A’s video on the features of Accu-Sim — and if you’re a FSX enthusiast like me, you’ll end up wanting to try it for yourself. If so, you won’t be disappointed.
