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Flight simulators have become a very popular feature of the games world on most home micros, and the 737 and 747 airliner simulators for the Beeb have proved no exception. Now Acornsoft have brought out something rather different in the form of a flight simulator for a World War II Spitfire.

As with other similar programs, the lower part of the screen is an instrument display, with the various instruments appropriate to a Spitfire, while the upper half at all times provides a forward cockpit view of the world outside. A map provided as part of the package is essential for finding your way.

The landscape that you fly over (or crash into as often happened to me), is a novel feature of the whole program as it is in a three-dimensional form, displaying fields, trees and mountains. There is also a river that you can follow with a bridge to fly right under when you have developed the necessary skill and panache - this scores extra points. You can score even more points by locating the town of Acornsville and flying along its streets at a frighteningly low level. Although these features are represented quite crudely, the overall impression is uncannily realistic as you see the peak of a mountain looming up in front of you, or the river twisting and yawning away beneath you.

Controlling the Spitfire is much more difficult that the typical modern airliner, and the plane is very much more sensitive to the controls; at the same time the plane is very manoeuvreable, and aerobatics are within the scope of most would-be pilots, indeed looping the loop is achieved with unintentional ease. In fact a colleague of mine found that this was the easiest way of landing back on the runway - take off and climb without changing direction until the plane is upside-down - fly back over the runway in the same inverted position before completing the loop to approach the runway again for a perfect landing! Navigation is certainly quite difficult with no radio beacons and only the crudest location finder.

There is a further feature of Aviator in the form of a game called 'The Theme'; here you fly sorties in your Spitfire against waves of attacking aliens. You can choose whether or not to include 'The Theme' at the start of each flight.

I have two minor criticisms of Aviator in comparison with other flight simulators. There is no option to practise particular aspects of flying, such as take offs or landings, and there is no pause key while you go and eat your sandwiches or whatever.

This is a first rate exmple of its kind and well worth its rating of four stars out of five.