1979 · Flight simulation · Simulation

FS1 Flight Simulator

A British Flying Ace simulator for the Apple II and the TRS-80.

Released: 1979
Platforms: Apple II TRS-80 TRS-80 Model I
Genres: Flight simulation Simulation
Developers: —
Publishers: —
Series: Flight Simulator
Perspective: First person Bird view / Isometric
Country: United States

About

Flight Simulator is a 1980 flight simulator video game published by Sublogic for the Apple II (internally cataloged as A2-FS1 Flight Simulator). A TRS-80 version (T80-FS1) followed later that year. It is the first in a line of simulations from Sublogic which were also sold by Microsoft as the long-running Microsoft Flight Simulator series, beginning in 1982.

Sublogic later released updated versions for both the Apple II and TRS-80 on 5 1⁄4 inch diskettes. The updates include enhanced terrain, help menus, and a bomb sight.

Keywords

flight simulator

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Flight Simulator is a flight simulator in which the player pilots a somewhat modernized Sopwith Camel.

Development

Computer-graphics specialist Bruce Artwick and pilot and marketing student Stu Moment were roommates at the University of Illinois. Released for the Apple II computer as A2-FS1 Flight Simulator with British Ace - 3D Aerial Battle, it was their first product after forming Sublogic, has black and white wireframe graphics, with very limited scenery consisting of 36 tiles (in a 6 by 6 pattern, which roughly equals a few hundred square kilometers), and provides a very basic simulation of one aircraft.

Sublogic advertised that the $25 FS1 "is a visual flight simulator that gives you realistically stable aircraft control", with a graphics engine "capable of drawing 150 lines per second".

Reception

J. Mishcon reviewed FS1 Flight Simulator in The Space Gamer No. 31. Mishcon commented that "all things considered, this is single most impressive computer game I have seen.

It creates a whole new standard. I most strongly urge you to buy it and see for yourself".