Rotary Wing Flight sims

Released in 1987, this sim must have been one of the first to support head to head play via a modem. For it's time it looked outstanding with 3 dimensional polygon choppers and scenery.

"Action combat flight simulator based on the Russian Mi-24 Hind assault helicopter."

One of the best AH-64 Apache sims, published when PC's were really getting some serious processing power.

"'Arma 3 Helicopters, the second premium DLC for Arma 3, features the highly detailed CH-67 Huron and Mi-290 Taru heavy-lift helicopters, a Sling Loading showcase scenario, and four exclusive helicopter Time Trial challenges. The DLC is complemented by a major free platform update for Arma 3, which lands the new Support MP mode, sling loading, RotorLib, firing from vehicles, and more."

"5,000 units were manufactured after 1945. The helicopter saw worldwide use as executive transport, general utility transport of people and cargo, air ambulance, commuter flights, aerial surveying, and a variety of military applications, including liaison and reconnaissance."

The graphics engine used "Voxel" technology which was a novel way of treating pixels to gain more detail and speed. Rather than applying bitmaps to 3D terrain, each pixel actually contained it's own altitude data. The result was the most exciting terrain seen on a PC to that point in time. It excelled at producing a sensation of low altitude flight.

It was one of the last sims to run in DOS.

"The best-selling Comanche series returns with this fast-paced action game that places you at the controls of a Comanche RAH-66 helicopter."

"Since 1996, crazed rotor-heads have wanted more of that paranoid, heavy metal, hi-tech thrill-ride that is Longbow 2. FIVE years on and the uber simulation of helicopter combat is still as exciting as it ever was, unfortunately our desktop computers and operating systems have moved on making it difficult at best, impossible at worst, to fly our favourite sim."
Richard "Flexman" Hawley, October 15, 2001

Allowed you to fly the Westland Lynx in a ground Attack role and may have been the first sim to feature 3D terrain with rolling hills?

This sim has the finest of pedigrees, based as it is on the best helicopter dynamic campaign engine ever built.

Enemy Engaged: Apache vs. Havoc had arguably the most successful modelling of dynamic battle environments ever seen on a PC in the 1990's. It featured not one, but two of the premier Helicopter Gunships, created in stunning detail and placed in dynamic combat environments. The world of EECvH is so dynamic and interesting that it invites you to get in there and look around, beyond the attraction of flying missions. It really set a gold standard for this kind of sim environment that has still not been matched some 20 years later.

It was early April 2000... and two of the world's most fearsome helicopter gunships landed on home PCs worldwide. One of the best pieces of news to me was that 'Enemy Engaged: Comanche vs Hokum' is backward-compatible with Enemy Engaged - Apache vs Havoc, meaning you still have access to the campaigns and flyable helos from AvH. That of course is if you have AvH installed - if you don't, and you have a PC 300 Mhz or faster and a 3D graphics card, then run out and get it!

"Flying Club series updated to the latest FSX SP2 and DX10 Preview standard."

In Gunship there were no external views available, just a cockpit with a bedazzling array of engine sensors and weapons displays. Engine start left, Engine start right then drop the clutch to start the rotors spinning. Collective up and the rotor blades bite savagely into the air. With a leap and whoops, you're airborne! 1987 had never been more exciting!

Gunship 2000 was an Apache Gunship sim released in 1991 by Microprose. As usual with their products, a strong sense of atmosphere was maintained by seamless menu screens and music. You could also fly the A H-1 Cobra, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, MD 530MG, UH-60 Blackhawk, RAH-66 Comanche and AH-64B Apache Longbow. 1998: "If you only have a 386 and want some exciting chopper action then get this!"

One of the last great sims from Microprose, this reprised their 1988 and 1991 AH-64 Apache simulations and took full advantage of the relatively new technology of 3D graphics acceleration.

"Become a professional pilot and rescuer. Control different helicopters, protect the city and be a part of the rescue team!"

Mobile sim focussed on military rotary wing operations.

"Become an emergency pilot and test your skills to their limits, as you sit in the cockpit of an emergency helicopter, across more than 40 challenging missions. Choose from 8 models of 'copter, each varying in size, ability and specs."

Hind campaigns were based in Korea, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan. The flight model felt very smooth and responsive. All in all, Hind is one of the shining lights in the firmament of combat flight sims.

Belonging to a small group of flight sims that gave you real-time tactical control of a campaign, the sim used the same graphics engine as AV-8B Harrier Assault except that it only ran in 320 x 300 resolution. This was hard to understand as the campaign system and other features were pretty much the same.

Sporting what was probably the most detailed low level environment ever seen in a flight sim, the sim looks fantastic and should have been a flagship product for the publisher. Sadly it was released without fanfare and at a budget price in April 2000. Unfortunately an early build of the code appears to be the one shipped to consumers.

The cockpit is simple looking now, but in 1990 it was state of the art! You could configure the MFD's to your taste as well. You could fly the Apache, Blackhawk, Osprey or the LHX. The Boeing Osprey VTOL which was featured in the novel "Hammerheads" by Dale Brown . This was the only simulation of the Osprey until the year 2000.

Longbow from Janes was released in 1996 and remains possibly the most immersive simulation of the AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter.

Longbow 2 has a more sophisticated campaign engine than Longbow, giving you the ability to preview Allied missions, alter waypoints and arming and select which choppers will be flown.

Rory Geoghan reminded me about this great little sim. It's a good way to kill 10 minutes and you can run it with the keyboard. "The Merlin Helicopter Challenge was developed for use by the Royal Navy for recruitment purposes. We gratefully acknowledge their permission to release Merlin to the general public. If you would like further details on careers in the Royal Navy, please contact your local recruitment office."

The sequel to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000, this sim added interactive ATC, dynamic 'auto-gen' scenery, terrain mesh mapped for the entire planet and all with much smoother frame rates than it's predecessor.

Also titled "A Century of Flight""or FS-9, the sim recreates important historical aircraft and flights, as well as modelling the entire globe, 20,000 airports and flight tuition. Without a doubt the most sophisticated flight simulation on the market in the first decade of the 21st century.

After a 14 year hiatus Microsoft re-envisioned their flagship IP. A combination of Bing satellite mapping, cloud storage, Azure cloud computing, photogrammetry, atmospheric physics modelling and many other bespoke software technologies have delivered a quantum leap in the flight sim experience. The next decade looks to be the best yet for flight sim fans!

With MSFS X the series received it's usual 2 year reissue, with the now expected upgrade in both performance and features.

"Climb into the cockpit of a military attack helicopter and take on five life or death scenarios, or make your own missions in the included level editor!" - Steam

Super Huey II added extra missions to 1985’s "Super Huey". Renegade, Brush Fire, Gulf of Terror, Arctic Rescue and Oil Blaze.

Tribute to the classic 1985 Commodore sim.

Take on Helicopters is a civil helo sim with campaign built in the ARMA 2 engine. This sim was released in 2011 and still looks great 10 years later. The fluid feel of the flight dynamics and the immersive campaign put it into my list of all time favourites. I can only hope that Bohemia Interactive release more titles like this, they don't need to update the engine - just give us more great stories to fly through!

Team Apache was a fun chopper sim which gave a real adrenaline rush as you flew nap-of-the-earth, (hopefully) avoiding enemy fire and pounding enemy locations with rockets. It was one of the earliest 3DFX sims and looked gorgeous. Brian Walker, a US Army helicopter pilot, was involved with the development.

"Thunderchopper was available for the PC and Apple II. I've played both. Thunderchopper can actually load Flight Simulator scenery disks! It's also one of the first chopper sims that had rescue scenarios (well, maybe except Super Huey Helicopter Simulator.)" - Kuo-Sheng "Kasey" Chang.

"Experience furious helicopter action in this relentless, adrenaline (and lead) pumped arcade shooter!" - Steam

A good representative of the state of DOS, AMIGA and ATARI flight sims at the beginning of the 1990’s.

Tomahawk was released in 1985 and was one of the earliest attempts to model an Apache Gunship on a personal computer.