Third-party developer Heatblur has announced that its rendition of the legendary F-4 Phantom for DCS World is now available for pre-order.
The fighter looks absolutely insane, with a level of visual detail beyond most of what is available in the military simulator, and a promised level of simulation detail that is out of the world.
While a release date has been shared (besides a "winter" window, so it shouldn't be very far), like most complex aircraft for DCS World, it'll have a period of early access when it does become available, while the developers refine it.
The announcement was accompanied by an extensive trailer, which you can watch below.
It provides a look at the crazy level of details of both the exterior and the cockpit, on top of a presentation of the aircraft features, including a few unusual ones and the new version of the Jester AI copilot.
Pre-orders are available at Heatblur's own website, and you can order either the lone wolf or the crew pack (with one or two licenses) for $59.99 and 109.99 respectively.
The limited edition including a T-shirt is priced at $64.99. The Collector's Edition which adds the "Of Ghosts and Thunder" original soundtrack vinyl, is priced at $79.99, while the Founders Edition also includes the "Defenders of the Fleet" vinyl at $89.99.
According to the developers, the development of the aircraft took over two years, and they promise that the Phantom is the most advanced aircraft they have ever made.
Heatblur is well-known for its excellent F-14 Tomcat for DCS World, which they are currently converting for Microsoft Flight Simulator with the help of the Italian developer IndiaFoxtEcho. At the moment, we have no information on whether the Phantom will follow the same route.
If you're unfamiliar with DCS World, it's a highly realistic free-to-play military flight simulator, albeit you'll have to pay for additional modules like the Phantom if you really want to make the most out of it.