Xbox held its annual games showcase event at the weekend and, among many other things, revealed that a free 40th Anniversary Edition upgrade to Microsoft Flight Simulator will bring a stack of new aircraft to pilot.

In addition, it made an additional free upgrade downloadable immediately that gives you the controls of the Pelican craft from Halo Infinite.

You can get it in the in-sim marketplace, whether you own the full game or have downloaded it from Xbox Game Pass.

The forthcoming 40th Anniversary Edition will add so much more, however. As well as classic airports and planes from previous Flight Simulator versions, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator X and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight, there will be helicopters to pilot for the first time.

Halo Pelican added to MS Flight Simulator, helicopters coming too photo 1
Xbox

A new fluid dynamics simulation system has been created to replicate the flight of choppers accurately.

Gliders will also be available to fly in the edition, plus historical aircraft. Xbox has so far released the following list, although more are expected:

Historical Aircraft

  • Wright Flyer
  • Ryan NYP (“Spirit of St. Louis”)
  • Douglas DC-3
  • De Havilland Canada DHC-2-Beaver

Helicopters

  • Bell-407
  • Guimbal Cabri G2

Gliders

  • DG Flugzeugbau LG8-18
  • DG Flugzeugbau DG1001E neo

True-to-Life Airliner

  • Airbus A310

The Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition upgrade will be available to download this November.