Today third-party developers had plenty of news to share about Microsoft Flight Simulator add-ons.
We start a release, the DHC-1 Chipmunk, which was launched by Aeroplane Heaven.
It’s available on the developer’s own store and Orbx Central for $28.95 and comes with the following features.
- All new hi-fidelity models with superb detail
- Beautifully crafted exterior and interior models built over contemporary detailed plans and drawings
- Authentic cockpit detail includes many bespoke animations and effects.
- Full PBR materials and textures include realistic “pillowing” of metal surfaces.
- Separately modeled military pilots selected automatically via camera views in cockpit.
- Removable pilots based on the weights window
- Switchable navigation instruments work with period style radios
- Highly accurate flight dynamics and performance based on real flight tests.
- Specially authored WWise Hi-Fidelity sound package.
- Unique code to “iron” out poor simulator tail-dragger performance.
- Choice of T10 long canopy or Bubble canopy models.
Next, we hear from DC Designs, which provided a development update and new screenshots of the AV-8B Harrier II, which should release between August and September.
“This week has been a LOT of fun. There are months of research, preparation and building involved in creating a model for MSFS before the fun stuff starts, and that usually begins with the addition of high-quality textures and PBR ( physically-based- reflections ). This week, the Harrier got its PBR work added, and I’m pretty sure you’ll all be able to see the significant differences visually between this weeks’ images and those of last week. Same model, just with proper texturing in place. This time, I have elected to go with panel lines and rivets mostly on the textures themselves, after using the decal method on the F-14s and Concorde. It’s just to see which method really works the best on a finished product. ( For Phantom Phans, next week’s update will show the F-4J with its PBR finish and hopefully much panel line work also ).
Other refinements have been on-going with the flight model, with further improvements to the V/STOL envelope and general handling characteristics. CodenameJack has been hard at work on this as always, and his efforts are really paying off well. We now have very smooth lift off and landing phases, a good transition into forward flight and good directional control in the hover. Forward velocity is capped at 30 knots, to allow the Harrier to pace ships for landing ( they normally move at 20 knots in flight simulators ) thus allowing for sea-based operations on any vessels with hard decks.
I was also this week fortunate enough to be approached by a retired United States Marine Corps FA-18 / AV-8B Harrier pilot, and MSFS fan, who wanted to help test the Harriers before launch. It’s not something that I advertise much, but the only airplane I have built that wasn’t tested in some form by a pilot of the real airplane, is Concorde. There are still a few folks out there who like to suggest that because I don’t worry about super-detailed systems modelling, that somehow the rest of the airplanes are not realistic either. How little they know. This time it was great to not have to hunt down a willing pilot with real-world experience, but instead be approached directly by somebody with the skills to help make the Harrier as realistic as we can in MSFS.
After some thought, I am now planning to add the AV-8B+ and GR9 variants to the package. These will be external model differences only, with the longer nose forward of the canopy and sensor additions – the cockpit will remain the same for all variants. This widens the user’s variant choice without creating excessive extra work that would push the price of the package up.
I have around a week’s more work to perform on the exterior model ( finer detailing, weathering, texturing etc ) before I can start on the interior, which is itself a scratch-build so will take some time ( much of the rest of the summer basically ). After this, I will introduce the other external model changes and start wrapping the project up for release. Publication will be simultaneously to the Marketplace and third-party stores this time, to avoid console users having to wait longer for their Harriers. A best guess for launch is late August / early September. We’ll see how it goes.”