Third-party developers have shared plenty of news about upcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator add-ons, while two airports have been released.
We start with new screenshots of the freeware Boeing 787-9 in development at Horizon Simulations, already known for the -8 versions. Specifically, we get to see the popular version of the long-haul airliner in Qantas and Air New Zealand liveries.
It'll have its own custom flight model, an EFB, and both Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 and General Electric GEnx engine variants. At the moment, no release date has been announced.
Of course, it's based on the 787-10 version included in the Premium Deluxe edition of Microsoft Flight Simulator, so that'll be required to use this free add-on.
To follow this project, you can keep an eye on the developer's Discord server.
Next, we stay in the realm of Boeing airliners with a new video of the 757 by BlueBird Simulations, providing a development update and a few static views of the aircraft.
Speaking of videos, we get another showing off the F-14 Tomcat in development at Heatblur and Indiafoxtecho. At the moment, we don't know when it'll be released, but the developer mentions it's "approaching final approach" and more videos and details are coming soon while they determine the release timing and squash the remaining bugs.
You can watch it directly on Heatblur's Facebook page.
Moving on to something smaller but no less cool, Black Square and Just Flight announced the Socata TBM 850. As you can read from the official announcement below, it promises to be a high-definition add-on, including plenty of simulated failures.
Black Square’s TBM 850 brings you one of the most technically advanced aircraft simulations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, with nearly 100 possible failures, including new turbine engine failures, hot-swappable radio configurations and the most advanced pressurisation and cabin temperature simulations in MSFS.
Black Square’s failure system allows for persistent wear, MTBF and scheduled failures for nearly every component in the aircraft, many with multiple different failure modes. Experience real-world failures from popular YouTube videos, including generator failure, propeller governor failure, fuel control failure and compressor surging.
The 3D gauges are modelled and coded to meticulously match their real-world counterparts, with reference to real-world manuals. No piece of equipment appears in a Black Square aircraft without a real-world unit as reference.
Radio navigation systems are available from several eras of the aircraft’s history, so users can fly without GPS via a Bendix KNS-80 RNAV system or with the convenience of a Garmin GTN 750 (PMS50 or TDS). Other radio equipment includes EFS 40 EADI & EHSI, KX-155 NAV/COM radios, dual GNS 530, KR 87 ADF, KDI 572 DME, GTX 327 Transponder, and a Bendix RDR1150XL Weather Radar.
A 100+ page manual provides instruction on all equipment and 55 in-game checklists with control/instrument highlighting are included for normal and emergency procedures.
Primarily analogue instrumentation augmented with modern radio navigation equipment is still the most common aircraft panel configuration in the world. Challenge your piloting skills by flying IFR to minimums with a fully analogue panel and no GPS. You’ll be amazed at the level of skill and proficiency you can achieve to conquer such adversity and how it will translate to all your other flying. You also may find the analogue instrumentation much easier to read with the limited number of pixels available on a computer monitor, and even more so in VR.
We also get a single screenshot of the Bell UH-1H Iroquois (also known as Huey) in development at Blackbird Simulations.
Moving on to releases, today is India day, as we get Kempegowda International Airport (VOBL) serving Bangalore, courtesy of FSDG.
It's available on the developer's own store for €12,99, promising the following features.
- Accurate rendition of Kempegowda International Airport Bangalore (VOBL)
- Latest MSFS technologies like dynamic lights and ground materials
- New ground layout with two runways
- New Terminal 2 included
- Optimized for great performance and visual quality
- Compatible with all known addons
- Manual included
Next, Bagdogra International Airport (VEBD) has been released by Design India. It's available on Simmarket for $13.18.
You can take a look at a gallery of screenshots below.
Currently available for PC (via Steam and Windows Store), Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft Flight Simulator can also be experienced through Game Pass. For the latest insight into upcoming updates, you should keep an eye on TechRaptor. We provide daily news on Microsoft Flight Simulator add-ons.
Furthermore, you can delve into our interview with Microsoft's Jorg Neumann about the Antonov An-225 "Mriya," as well as our conversation with iniBuilds' CEO Ubaid Mussa about the activity of this renowned third-party developer.
In addition, you can peruse our reviews of Orbx's Stockholm Arlanda and Oslo Gardermoen Airports, iniBuilds' New York-JFK Airport, and RHDSimulations' Boeing 767-300ER.
