Aviation Reference Library & Aircraft Encyclopedia: You can navigate via a globe for locations, a time line, or category buttons (Early Aviation, for instance). A picture will be displayed while the narration scrolls below simultaneously with the audio. By moving the pointer around in the picture window, note balloons give additional information; click on a note balloon, and you will travel to a different entry about a related subject. By clicking on a word in the text window, you can locate index entries to articles in which that word appears; click on the name of the entry you want to see. To return, press the escape key. You can also print text or images. Information from the reference library forms the basis for the Trivia Quiz. (See below) [Top of Page]
Aviation Theater: After selecting a category,
make selections by clicking on the frames at the right of the movie
screen. Three categories of video clips are available:
Bloopers - humorous narration accompanies short video clips
Documentaries - historic and informational, but long and boring
compared to other parts of the program
Historical - These clips have no narration, but many are stunning.
Don't miss the Blue Angels' impressive precision flying.
NOTE: Click on members of the audience for a surprise! [Top of Page]
Aviation Lab: Ten different aircraft are available for inspection. You can view the exterior, or a cutaway diagram of the interior. Text will be read and scroll below the picture window. [Top of Page]
Paper Plane Factory: Learn to fold various paper airplanes by looking at the step-by-step images of the paper plane in the picture window, by listening to and reading the instructions. You can stop after each step and even move back or forward a step at a time as needed. Certain principles of flight (such as balance and angle of attack) are also explained. [Top of Page]
Glider Game: This part of the program was definitely NOT user-friendly. We did not succeed in getting our glider to fly, nor were we that interested in seeing a simulated paper airplane fly across a simulated room. [Top of Page]
Aviation Museum: Move through rooms, doors, and hallways suggestive of a "Doom" game. Click on pictures to hear and read more about them. The Dogfight Theater is a "must see." [Top of Page]
Aviation Adventure Trivia Quiz: Our favorite part of the program! Each multiple choice question offers four different pictures with sound narration and/or balloons explaining each suggested choice. Humor is at its best in this section. By logic and process of elimination you can usually limit the possible answers to two. Great audio reinforcers (That's Right! Good work! You're joking, right? Whoa! Try again!) for each question. For each level you will see an animated cartoon clip if you do well, or documentary disaster clip if you do poorly. Items are based on information in the Aviation Reference Library and Aircraft Encyclopedia. You can press the "hint" button (question mark) to get 60 seconds to try finding the answer in the library/encyclopedia section. [Top of Page]
Flight Simulator: Another area that was less than user friendly. If the user does not know what flaps do, for instance, it won't help much to know the "f" command. The simulation might be easier to run and more realistic with a joy stick rather than using the keypad. The user must become familiar with a number of commands on the keyboard before embarking on the training flight, much less an actual mission. With sufficient time and practice, you might actually become a proficient pilot! [Top of Page]
To Install:
Enter Windows.
Insert CD-ROM into drive.
From Program Manager, click on File; drag down to Run. In the
command line box type X:\SETUP (where X represents your CD-ROM
drive letter).
From this point, you can let the program install itself according
to default settings.
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NOTE: The product enclosure announced that "our programs are being translated into German, French, Spanish, and Hebrew, with more languages to come."
Order from Knowledge Adventure, Inc., 4502 Dyer Street, La Crescenta, CA 91214. For product information, phone (800) 542-4240 or e-mail info@adventure.com; For technical support, phone (818) 249-0212 or e-mail support@adventure.com