External developers continue to work to enrich Microsoft flight simulator with news and new plugin releases.
We start with the highly anticipated FS Traffic from Just Flight. The package, priced at $39.99 at JF’s own storeis the veteran developer’s take on adding realistic AI traffic to the simulator.
It comes with 48 models and variants and 700 liveries representing many real world airlines. It also includes its own manager with a multitude of options to adapt it to your needs.
You can see what it looks like in the trailer below.
(embed)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRLSrpS6-dw(/embed)
Then comes A2A, which aware a new screenshot of his Piper PA-24 Comanche 250 powered by the much-vaunted AccuSim 2.0 engine.
The plane is now in beta and the developers are still “working around the clock to add some exciting new features” so testing will take some time. That being said, tester feedback seems to be very positive.
In the meantime, you can see what it looks like below.
Moving on to another interesting aircraft, Sim Skunk Works posted the first look at their Leonardo SF-260 (or SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 if you prefer the old name for this light aircraft). The model and textures are not yet complete, but it already looks promising.
(embed)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbXB05sVDBo(/embed)
We also got an update. by PMDGwhich released not one, but two updates to its Boeing 737 lineup today. The updates bring improvements to ground handling and steering, plus the following.
- 0012223: (Pedestal – Radios/Comms/Navs) MMR introduction (GLS functionality pending) (abashkatov)
- 0012251: (Virtual Cockpit – Geometry/Textures) Black texture on all VCs (vscimone)
- 0012210: (virtual cockpit – geometry/textures) captain footrest adjustment (vscimone)
- 0012253: (Virtual Cockpit – Geometry/Textures) Texture clipping on NAV 2 panel (vscimone)
- 0012228: (Virtual Cockpit – Geometry/Textures) Comm 2 strange texture (abashkatov)
- 0012173: (Virtual Cockpit – Feature/Click Points) F/O BACK PAGE button is not animated (vscimone)
- 0012211: (Virtual Cockpit – Geometry/Textures) Right air outlet needs adjustment (vscimone)
- 0012198: (External Model – Geometry) Slight bleed through front cab walls (jbrown)
- 0012199: (External model – Geometry) Hole in front of passenger cabin (jbrown)
- 0012150: (FMS – Performance Pages) Constant use of custom payload ZFW value (emvaos)
- 0012190: (General – Ground Operations) Stairs 1L Arrival Even if JTWY INH (hvanrensburg)
- 0012175: (FMS – Configuration/Options Pages) EFIS/MAP options are still greyed out (hvanrensburg)
- 0012180: (External Model – Layouts) Texture Alignment between Fuse2 – Fuse3 Left Side (jbrown)
- 0012176: (Virtual Cockpit – Geometry/Textures) Black texture on top of glareshield (vscimone)
- 0012226: (virtual cockpit: functionality/click points) PMDG (hvanrensburg) mouse option switches
We also learn that the 737-900 has completed testing and the developer is “working to clean up some last minute details for its imminent launch.”
We also got an update on the EFB Universal Flight Tablet, which has been in development for quite some time.
“Also, work on the Universal Flight Tablet continues. We are still working on refining the communication methods between the plane (c++/wasm) and the tablet itself (jscript), which has been a much bigger and more difficult task than imagined due to Restrictions placed on C++/WASM projects Freedom to use common communication protocols at the platform level In addition, we have discovered (through trial and error) that the allowed secure communication channel has a bad habit of shutting itself down, and we are Waiting for some input from Asobo to see if there’s something we’re doing that’s causing this or if the underlying technology needs a bit of tweaking on the platform side.
All of this has required a bit of creativity to work with, such as creating a complete language and communications parsing construct to pass text and data through a restricted communication stream that can only take numerical data. It’s not a fun way to pass the time, but we’re doing functionality testing in some parts and if the current process works, it should eventually unlock progress on features that need communication between the tablet and the plane. This hasn’t been a fun process by any means, but it is what it is, and luckily we only have to reinvent the wheel the first time.”
Last but not least, TDM scenery design released new screenshots of its Almería Airport (LEAM) in Spain, showing the work carried out on the apron, runway and taxiways.
Microsoft flight simulator It is currently available for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox Cloud Gaming, including Game Pass. If you want to learn more, you should keep an eye on TechRaptor as we host daily Microsoft flight simulator news to keep you up to date on the many addons coming and being released for the simulator.