As the social distancing and lockdownsstarted and we all began to contemplate extended time at home,planemaker A2A made their Accusim P-40 Warhawk available for free, forboth FSX and P3D. I fly almost exclusively A2A aircraft these days andhave eleven others, but this was one I had never seriouslyconsidered. With the Mustang and Spitfire in my hangar, what need hadI of another "fighter"? But the offer was too good an opportunity topass up, so I logged on and grabbed it. And boy am I glad I did.

For me, one of the most appealing things about A2A's planes istheir very distinct individual qualities. Every new one is a newlearning experience, a unique piece of machinery to get the hang of,and the P-40 is no exception. When first reading up about how to makeit go, I found the hydraulic system a bit intimidating; it needn't be,it's just a different way of doing things. On the first flight thetakeoff was more alarming than I expected. And I'm still working on mylandings. (I think I'm aiming for a three-pointer when the proper wayto do it is to fly it on in a tail-low wheel landing.) In the air,trimmed, it's rock steady, a joy to hand fly. The engine noise isdifferent, almost like a big auto engine. The view is exceptional. Allin all, it's a truly exciting experience.

I had an Airfix model of the Tomahawk as a kid, back when I wouldrun around my room with my planes, making gnneeeowwwww noises. Itturns out that same plane is one of the color schemes in thepackage. Thanks, A2A! You made my day.

If it's still available for free, grab it now. If not, grab itanyway.

Ian Radcliffe

A2A Simulations' original announcement

Free P-40 available at A2A store

See other A2A Simulations models at the FlightSim.Com Store