The Aviator combines two controllers into one, placing the throttle controls traditionally placed on a separate unit for flight controllers right on the base of the stick, giving players relatively easy access to all the buttons, sliders, and toggles they need to succeed in games like Ace Combat 6, Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X., and the Blazing Angels series.

One of the first fruits of the union between Saitek and Mad Catz, does Saitek's console debut soar, or does Mad Catz keep it grounded?

Loved
Sturdy As She Goes: I've been purchasing Saitek peripherals for quite some time now, and have generally been impressed with their construction and overall feel of their products. The Aviator does not disappoint. The controller is deceptively light, but very sturdy, making it just as easy to play with it sitting in your lap as it is with the controller resting on a flat surface.

Smooth And Responsive: The aviator performed admirably in both Ace Combat 6 for the Xbox 360 and the PC version of Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.. After a brief adjustment period I found myself flying more naturally than I ever had with an Xbox 360 controller, banking and rolling with a twist of the stick. Flying games just feel more natural with a stick, and the Aviator does the trick nicely. I should also note here that the installation on my Windows 7 PC was a breeze. I didn't have to install drivers or fiddle with settings; simply plugged the stick in and it reacted like as if the PC were an Xbox 360.

Hated
Two Thingsism: The Saitek Aviator is one thing trying to do the work of two things, and as well as it handles the basic functions of the games I played with it, it doesn't come close to the experience of having a separate joystick and throttle control at your disposal. Moving the stick around with one hand wrapped around the base of the joystick simply feels off, and you wind up throttling blind because your hand on the stick obscures your view. There's also a problem if you have to consistently push one of the face buttons during battle, as there is no way you can grip the stick, access the throttle, and press the buttons at the same time. It works well enough, but it could never replace a two-handed setup.

More than anything, whether or not you should pick up the Saitek Aviator depends on your experience with flight controllers. If you've never experienced the joy of a dual stick/throttle setup and are simply looking for a reasonably inexpensive way to add a little more realism to your arcade flight sim experience, then the Aviator could very well be the controller for you. On the other hand, if your flight sim tastes run more on the simulation side or you've gotten used to a controller like the Hori flight stick that shipped in the Ace Combat 6 premium bundle, you'll most likely find Saitek's single-stick offering fails to achieve liftoff.

The Saitek Aviator Flight Stick was manufactured and released by Saitek / Mad Catz in January 2009. Retails for $49.99 (MSRP, seen for as low as $29.99 online). Manufacturer provided an Xbox 360/PC unit for purposes of review. Played several hours of both Ace Combat 6 for the Xbox 360 and Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. for the PC using the controller.

Trust me, that's a much better value when the US dollar isn't in the toilet.

Despite all of the large, useless hunks of plastic littering my living room area, I shall not be truly fulfilled until this flightstick rests on my coffee table, buried under a pile of WoW cards, video game wrapper plastic, and Mountain Dew cans. Thank you Namco Bandai.

NAMCO BANDAI GAMES RE-LAUNCHES ACE COMBAT® 6 FLIGHTSTICK BUNDLE WITH EXCLUSIVE DVD

Exclusively at Best Buy Stores, "Speed & Angels" Documentary Included in Bundle with Leading Flight-Combat Video Game and Critically-Acclaimed Flightstick

Santa Clara, Calif., (October 21, 2008) – Leading video games developer and publisher NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., announced today that the Ace Combat® 6 Flightstick Bundle is once again available, exclusively at Best Buy retail stores nationwide. Including the critically acclaimed Ace Combat® 6: Fires of Liberation for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, HORI’s exclusive ACE-EDGE™ flightstick and a custom Xbox 360 faceplate, the newly released bundle also includes an exclusive DVD of the award-winning flight combat documentary Speed & Angels.

Speed & Angels follows two young aspiring fighter pilots as they follow their dreams of taking to the skies in F-14 Tomcat aircraft. Providing a behind the scenes look at the extraordinary people that pilot the world’s most advanced fighter planes, the film was the recipient of the Audience Award at the 2008 Newport Film Festival and an official selection at the 2008 Sedona International Film Festival.

Thrusting players into massive living battlefields, Ace Combat 6 lets players pilot cutting-edge real world aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor and A-10 Thunderbolt as they take on screaming enemy fighter jets, ground-based anti-air emplacements and hulking naval vessels. Up to 16 players can test their dogfighting skills online in a variety of multiplayer modes, including objective-based air raids and exclusive cooperative missions. Unanimously praised by critics and fans alike, Ace Combat 6 was chosen as one of Time Magazine’s top 10 games of 2007 and lauded as “bigger, better and even more photorealistic than its predecessors” by USA Today.

The Ace Combat 6 Flightstick Bundle with the Speed & Angels DVD is available exclusively at Best Buy locations nationwide and carries a suggested retail price of $149.99. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation is available at retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $59.99 and is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB. For more information, please visit www.acecombatsix.com and www.speedandangels.com.

Yes, next week 8 more planes will be hitting Xbox Live, with two standalone planes and three package deals. Packages include Razgriz Set 4 (3 planes, 300 points), the Jungle Flamingo Set (2 planes, 300 points), and the Idolmaster Ami Mami set, featuring two mercifully unpink planes for 400 Microsoft points.

Have any of you actually been keeping up with these, collecting the whole set, so to speak?

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation

Xbox Live® Market Place Downloadable Content Available 29 May 2008

Su-33 - TYPE ACE2- (200 Microsoft Points)
Ace Combat 2 Aircraft. A faithful recreation of the Ace Combat 2 aircraft performance design. Outstanding stability and lack of recoil provide for a truly unique sense of flight. Although possessing an extremely durable body, this aircraft lacks SP weapons, which were not introduced until after Ace Combat 2.

Su-47 -GRABACR EMBLEM- (FREE)
Ace Combat: Squadron Leader Grabacr Squadron Aircraft. An aircraft that boasts increased mobility in designated speed zones, but a slight decrease in all other zones. The need for precise speed control makes this aircraft suitable for experienced pilots. The signature aircraft of the Belkan Air Force 229th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Originally employed as an Osean Federation offensive squadron, they took their final stand for the pride of Belka against the rival Razgriz squadron.

RAZGRIZ SET 04 – (300 Microsoft Points)
This is a 3 airplanes set with the colors from the Razgriz airplane colors from Ace Combat 5. The 3 airplanes included are: F-22A、F-117A、Mirage2000-5

• F-22A Raptor - RAZGRIZ
The heroes of Ace Combat: Squadron Leader, Razgriz Squadron Aircraft. Advanced accident prevention systems, and high durability have been incorporated into the design to ensure the survival of all squadron members. Known as both heroes and demons, the Razgriz Squadron's drive towards victory smashed all who stood before them. When history witnesses a great change, Razgriz reveals itself.

• F-117A Night Hawk – RAZGRIZ
The heroes of Ace Combat: Squadron Leader, Razgriz Squadron Aircraft. Advanced accident prevention systems, and high durability have been incorporated into the design to ensure the survival of all squadron members. Known as both heroes and demons, the Razgriz Squadron's drive towards victory smashed all who stood before them. When history witnesses a great change, Razgriz reveals itself.

• Mirage2000-5 – RAZGRIZ
The heroes of Ace Combat: Squadron Leader, Razgriz Squadron Aircraft. Advanced accident prevention systems, and high durability have been incorporated into the design to ensure the survival of all squadron members. Known as both heroes and demons, the Razgriz Squadron's drive towards victory smashed all who stood before them. When history witnesses a great change, Razgriz reveals itself.

JUNGLE, FLAMINGO SET – (300 Microsoft Points)
This includes the F-14 in green and the A-10A in pink.

• F-14D SuperTomcat - JUNGLE WING
Monotone color, Green Aircraft. A modified sky painting aircraft for shows and exhibitions, this aircraft is equipped with colored smoke missiles. The missile payload has been maximized for show purposes.

• A-10A ThunderBoltⅡ - FLAMINGO WING
Monotone color, Pink Aircraft. A modified sky painting aircraft for shows and exhibitions, this aircraft is equipped with colored smoke missiles. The missile payload has been maximized for show purposes.

THE IDOLMASTER AMI,MAMI SET – (400 Microsoft Points)
This set includes F-16C and the F-2A with some special Idolmaster colors.

• F-16C Fighting Falcon - THE IDOLMASTER MAMI
THE IDOLMASTER, Mami Futami Aircraft. It's time for this fun-loving prankster to strut her stuff! The battle will hinge on your ability to use her wild and mischievous qualities to your advantage!

• F-2A - THE IDOLMASTER AMI
THE IDOLMASTER, Ami Futami Aircraft. It's time for this fun-loving prankster to strut her stuff! The battle will hinge on your ability to use her wild and mischievous qualities to your advantage!

# # #

Oh, and I haven't forgotten about the cosplay contest. That will go up shortly.

Ace Combat 6 - Fires of Liberation

Xbox Live® Market Place Downloadable Content Available 24 April 2008

Typhoon - ORANGE WING- (300 Microsoft Points)
Monotone Color, Orange Aircraft. A modified sky painting aircraft for shows and exhibitions. This aircraft is equipped with colored smoke missiles. The missile payload has been maximized for show purposes.

Su-47 Berkut - VIOLET WING - (300 Microsoft Points)
Monotone Color, Violet Aircraft. A modified sky painting aircraft for shows and exhibitions. This aircraft is equipped with colored smoke missiles. The missile payload has been maximized for show purposes.

Typhoon - ROT - (200 Microsoft Points)
Ace Combat Zero, Rival Rot Team Aircraft. Extremely agile maneuverability assures this aircraft's dominance in a dogfight. Hindered by low durability, overwhelming attack prowess is its foremost form of defense. The elite Rot Team, led by the "Red Swallow", was charged with maintaining air superiority over Area B7R. The proud and deeply patriotic team leader, soon became the face of the Belkan Air Force.

F-16C Fighting Falcon - PJ EMBLEM - (Free)
Ace Combat Zero, Wingman PJ Aircraft. Increased maneuverability is attained via reductions in armor.
A thorough set of customizations enable this aircraft to adapt quickly to changes in the tide of battle. Initially a member of the Ustio Air Force's Crow Squadron, PJ flew as Galm 2 during the Belkan residual force sweeping operation, Stone Age. Fighting to protect the one's he loved, PJ's sense of justice remained steadfast to the end.

Tornado GR.4 + F-15E Strike Eagle + CFA-44 Nosferatu + F/A-18F SuperHornet - RAZGRIZ (400 Microsoft Points)
The heroes of Ace Combat 5, Razgriz Squadron Aircraft. Advanced accident prevention systems, and high durability have been incorporated into the design to ensure the survival of all squadron members. Known as both heroes and demons, the Razgriz Squadron's drive towards victory smashed all who stood before them. When history witnesses a great change, Razgriz reveals itself.

Rafale M - THE IDOLMASTER IORI - (400 Microsoft Points)
THE IDOLMASTER, Iori Minase Aircraft. Although her bratty attitude may send you for a loop, once under
your control she may just reward you with a flawless performance. Her characteristic "spoiled sport" attitude is the fuel that keeps her flying, even when she's in a tight spot.

# # #

My model plane is created from a 50pence piece, which is hammered flat, bent into shape and filed down. My grandfather used to make these all the time and thats how I learnt.

Here is my plane.
This is the carrot plane,it is made of carrot.
Yumm!

Here's my plane! It's made out of popsicle sticks! I included a nickel for scale! Cuz it's tiny! Exclamation Point!

So I know I don't score many points in the effort category here, but hopefully I make it up in the creativity and fan devotion categories :)

The idea is that it's a top down view of a B-2 "Spirit" bomber. Since it's a little esoteric I've attached a picture of a real B-2 for reference that maybe you can include with it.

Contest runs until this Friday. For those not hip to what's going on, let me bring you up to speed: Dress up as an airplane or make a three dimensional airplane out of anything tangible, but paper. So you can't make CGI planes! And you can't draw them either! But, you can make them out of anything else as long as it's not paper. Rocks, clay, toothpicks, whatever! And remember, that means make and not build a plastic plane model you bought in the store. Send entries to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom by this Friday at midnight PST and, like all contests, don't forget to add a "Kotaku" sign. Remember, we're giving away two copies of Ace Comabt 6 and INTERNET FAME. One copy for the best plane cosplay, the other for the best crafted plane.

[Pic]

My son is dressed as a plane, a radio controlled plane, or you can look at it as I made a plane out of my son.

Hit the jump for reader Adam's plane, which he based off the Wright Flyer and made entirely out of Q-tips!

Hit the jump for Kevin's plane, which he made out of 300 pipette tips.

The following plane variants will be available for download on Thursday, February 28:

F-117A Night Hawk - General Emblem (Free): An international conglomerate featured in Ace Combat 3, General Resource has used its access to the world's most powerful corporations to imbue this aircraft with increased attack power.

Mirage2000-5 - Advanced (200 Microsoft Points): Reduced armor and improved engine thrust have resulted in an aircraft with advanced handling and acceleration characteristics.

Su-33 Flanker - Crimson Wing (200 Microsoft Points): A fighter plane modified for air shows and exhibition performances, this aircraft is equipped with colored smoke missiles An increased missile payload and accelerated reload capabilities have been added for enhanced performance capabilities.

F-15E Strike Eagle - The Idolmaster Chihaya (400 Microsoft Points): While a little hard to handle when it's in a bad mood, this plane's talent is undeniable. Keep your head up, spread your wings and take to the skies!

Razgriz Set - Contains F-16C Fighting Falcon, F-2A, Su-33 Flanker and Rafale M (400 Microsoft Points): This set of four planes bears the emblem of the Razgriz squadron, the heroes of Ace Combat 5. Each plane is accentuated with advanced durability to ensure the survival of all squad members in even the most hostile missions.

The downloadable content for Ace Combat 6 launching next week also includes the following single player and online multiplayer stages and maps:

Battle Royale Download #1 (100 Microsoft Points): A maximum of 16 players can take part in this new online Battle Royale stage over the South Sea. Avoid the onslaught from the mighty Gyges and Kottos assailants and strike down the opposition!

Co-op Battle Download #1 (300 Microsoft Points): Up to four players can team up for this new online cooperative mission, hunting down the enemy forces that are hunkered down across a rocky canyon. Primary mission objectives consist of four individually timed operations, with a new secondary mission opening up once these objectives are met. Work with your wingmen to successfully clear all operations and unleash the full power of Ragno Fortress!

Siege Battle Download #1 (300 Microsoft Points): A maximum of eight players can take part in this new online Siege Battle above the snowy plains. The attacking side must dispose of enemy attack drones before attempting to down a unit of transport aircraft. A delicate balance of offense, defense and teamwork is required to lead your team to victory and see the transports safely to their destination.

Ace of Aces Mission #1 (350 Microsoft Points): A new single player stage for the masters of Ace Combat 6, this new mission's challenge exceeds that of the game's previous highest difficulty level. Introducing a new Counter-Charge system, players can gain additional allied support by destroying enemies within given segments of time. Time your attacks correctly and build a coalition to secure victory in this mission for the most hardened Ace Combat veterans.

Japan's favorite dogfighting series returns with a new made-up war, a brace of superweapons (best is the asteroid cannon), online co-op and a custom controller for superfans.