Third-party developers shared plenty of news and assets about upcoming aircraft and scenery for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
We start with SimWorks Studios, which provided a development update and plenty of screenshots for its Pilatus PC-12, including some progress and pricing information.
The exterior model is now complete and we is finalizing the base materials and pumping out liveries. What is left to do on the exterior is finalise the flap animations, chocks & reds. We are thinking also of animating the de-icing boots, but that will also require some effects work, so it is under consideration. Last thing will be the decals pass, where we will apply the rivets and stencils to the aircraft.
The cockpit is also in the hands of the painters and they are applying materials. To it. We have managed to make the interior customizable for repainters. This means that you will be able to customize the finishing of the interiors easily without having to repaint the entire thing. Wood, carpet and other materials are simple, seamless textures, so replacing Oak with Cherry should change the look of the wall sidings easily.
With the avionics shaping up nicely, we are finally approaching a point where we deem the aircraft ready for previewing and release.
Speaking of the “R” word, some of you may have noticed that we are -only slightly-behind schedule. Other than numerous personal setbacks we encountered, we want the PC-12 to be a new benchmark for SWS aircraft, and this takes time. The good news is that it is going to be our best plane when it is released. The bad news is that we need more time to make it what we envisioned it to be. What this means is that we will do a staggered release in two or three stages.
The initial release will be priced 25-35€ and contain:
- Four bladed PC-12/47 variant
- Detailed exterior with reds, chocks & opening exits
- Fully animated cockpit featuring a custom EFIS50, EIS, KR87/GNS530/430. If you use the TDS or PMS GTN then it will automatically switch to a GTN750/650 combination.
- Executive & Combi interior with passengers, cargo and lots of custom animations
- Hot starts, residual ITT and engine wear
- Sky4Sim tablet (PC-only)
A subsequent updates will add:
- Five-bladed propeller variant
- Cargo interior. Commuter being considered.
- Weather RADAR
- Fixes to any bugs reported
- SWS tablet
An expansion is also in development, but we haven't decided if it will be free or an upgrade. The feature set will be:
- Aircraft walk around with access to the engine, tail, fuel filter and all required preflight areas
- Random failures & failures from wear and tear
- Reds & chocks removable by walking around. Remember to remove those pitot covers!
- Functionality allowing you to service the plane and reset any failures
We are at a point where we can finally post regular updates about the aircraft. We won't drop an estimated release date as it hasn't worked out the past 32 times for us, but let's say we can see the finish line now.
Next, we take a look at a single screenshot of the Boeing 757 by Blue Bird Simulations, alongside a small development update.
Here's a WIP pic showing the level of detail on the nose section. Lots of time and effort is being put into the rivets, decals, and panel lines. It will truly bring the livery to life. Note this pic is not in the sim. We hope to preview a full livery in the sim in a couple of months if not sooner. Beyond that, lots of other progress is being made that we'll showcase later on down the road. We also plan to preview the new VC sometime in June. It's looking great so far.
Moving on to scenery, Drzewiecki Design showcased the progress of two of its airports, starting with Everett Paine Field (KPAE) in the United States.
We also get a few screenshots for Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport (EPGD) in Poland.
Last, but not least, Pacific Islands Simulation provided more images and a development update for Salt Lake City International Airport (KSLC) in the US.
We've spent the most part of April working on the GA area. We added the new Atlantic FBO's main building and 2 new hangars, built Signature Aviation's various hangars, added other general hangars that are also new to the GA area, and did more tarmac grunge texture work. (yes, more cracks and stains). We dug road tunnel under taxiway at the airport's west side, and altered XML file for airline-assigned gate parkings. Night lighting is already done with more info and pics to come next month. Last item on the list to accomplish is VDGS and interior updates. Just those final 2 items before testing begins.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is currently available for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox Cloud Gaming, including Game Pass. If you'd like to learn more, you should stay tuned on TechRaptor as we have daily Microsoft Flight Simulator news to keep you updated on the many add-ons coming and released for the sim. We have also recently interviewed Microsoft's Jorg Neumann about the Antonov An-225 "Mriya" and iniBuilds' CEO Ubaid Mussa on the work of the popular third-party developer. If you're interested in reviews, you can check out iniBuilds' New York-JFK Airport, Orbx's Oslo Gardermoen Airport, and RHDSimulations' Boeing 767-300ER.
