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Have you the security clearance and the courage to fly the LHX Attack Chopper? There's some dangerous work to be done on the world's battlefields, but medals and promotions are the rewards for the most valiant members of the Air Cavalry...

There are three theatres of war to explore: Vietnam, central Europe and the Middle East, and five skill levels, indicated by the pilot's expression.

Your mission briefing. There is a wide variety of missions, from supply drops and behind-enemy-lines rescues, to flying shotgun for B-2 Stealth Bombers. Boy, these new-fangled flyers can sure be a pain in the butt!

Once you've chosen your aircraft and armed, it memorise the mission plan. Once you've done hit a key and the screen zooms right down onto the runway when your chopper is ready and waiting for takeoff.

Each helicopter is kitted out with advanced targeting systems to pinpoint the exact position of the enemy and your objective. Here, for example, is a Russian T-72. Better launch a Hellfire before it gets you in its sights!

For most missions you get the choice of all four helos, but the rescue sorties and supply drops require the cargo bays of the Black Hawk or Osprey.

The Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey Multi-Mission VTOL Aircraft. Though its fuselage resembles that of a transport plane, the Osprey has two huge propellers mounted in rotatable pods which let it take off like a helicopter, then fly like an aeroplane. This gives it a sizeable speed advantage over the other machines, and it's worth getting used to the unusual handling as the Osprey is perfect for making fast getaways after a supply drop.

The LHX (Light Helicopter eXperimental) Scout/Attack Helicopter. Never seen by taxpayers' eyes, this top secret gunship features state-of-the-art avionics and weapons capabilities. It has no vulnerable tail rotot, and instead a ducted fan counteracts the torque generated by the main rotor. Unfortunately, this one got in the way of one heatseeker too many and is about to become several million dollar's worth of scrap metal.

The bird on the ground is the Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk Multi-Role Utility Transport Helicopter. Bigger and slower than the Apache so it's best used in rescue missions, but fully armed, the Black Hawk can still pack a powerful punch when faced with enemy ground forces.

The McDonnell AH-64 Apache Anti-Armour Attack Helicopter. Armed with a pair of Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, some Hellfire air-to-ground rockets and a 30mm chain gun, this makes a formidable opponent in all combat situations.

Simulations of "make-believe" aircraft are rarely as stimulating as games based on the real thing, but LHX Attack Chopper is the exception to the rule, especially as there are also three proper choppers to take to the skies in!

The number of warzones is initially disappointing, but when you see the list of scenarios for each one, everything is put into perspective. Each craft has a distinctive flying feel, which means you need to alter your strategy each time you play, and even on the easiest level, the enemy are tough nuts to crack, calling for all your skill and nerve if you want to live to fight another mission.

Graphically, LHX is nothing short of outstanding. Each helicopter looks exactly as it should, as do the tanks, choppers and jets, and as well as the usual mountains, bridges, roads and bunkers, the ground detail also extends as far as tents and camels in Libya, men with AK-47s in Vietnam and half-timbered houses in Germany!

When you choose a rescue mission, the rescuee even waves his arms in the air to attract your attention!

Brilliant though it is, this still isn't the best flight sim available (F15 Strike Eagle II holds that accolade) but it's the best helicopter sim ever. If you've got a PC, put LHX Attack Chopper right at the top of your games shopping list.