Flight Simulation developers continue to provide daily news about upcoming products and relevant updates.
Every day, Simulation Daily publishes a roundup of all the news across the industry, to let you stay up to date with what’s going on.
But before we get down to business, here’s a link to relevant news that has been covered individually. If you’re interested in general gaming news, you can also check out our roundup dedicated to video games for today.
Indiafoxtecho Partners With Heatblur Again for New F-16A for Microsoft Flight Simulator
Today Indiafoxtecho and Heatblur have announced a new partnership for a new fighter jet for Microsoft Flight Simulator following the excellent F-14 Tomcat released a few months ago.
It’s the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon Block-15, and if you’re not familiar with the name Heatblur, they’re primarily known for their fantastic work on DCS World.
The Falcon, of which you can see some screenshots above showcasing work done on the 3D model, will be created based on “a new, rich library of laser and photogrammetry scanning data.” according to the announcement on Heatblur‘s and Indiafoxtecho‘s pages.
Interestingly, the developers also mention the possibility of additional variants like the -C down the line “as resources allow.”
Ford Trimotor 5-ATC Released for Microsoft Flight Simulator
TukanFlightSim released a rendition of the glorious Ford Trimotor, including both the passenger and cargo versions.
You can find it on Orbx Direct, priced at $24.90. The aircraft comes with a rich feature set, and you can check it out below.
- Highly detailed exterior and interior 3d models and textures
- Inspired by multiple versions for a faithful representation of this historic aircraft
- Clean optimized geometry to increase detail based on visibility
- Careful balance of geometry and textures for a great VR experience
- Textures UV mapped to improve space use and reduce memory cost
- Authentic cockpit with period instruments
- Aged texturing to enhance immersion
- PBR materials for realistic variation between different surfaces
- Accurate Normal map UV mapping and texturing for a realistic corrugated metal
- Careful placement of rivet decal strips to perfectly match the corrugated metal shape
- Classic Radio for communication and navigation
- Passenger and cargo versions
- Fully animated and interactive cockpit instruments
- Fully rigged cables and elastic bands for perfect deformation when animated
- Interior lighting includes independent instrument lights, and red and white lighting
Boeing 737 MAX For Microsoft Flight Simulator Gets New Screenshots
iFly released new screenshots of their Boeing 737 MAX8 in development, specifically showing off the progression of the light during the day on the area of the cabin door, and the rather fetching detail of the interior.
It’s worth mentioning that this is a completely separate project compared to the version in development at PMDG.
Arturo Michelena International Airport Released for Microsoft Flight Simulator
FSSDesigner released Arturo Michelena International Airport (SVVA) serving Valencia in Venezuela. You can find it on Simmarket for $23.
B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th Redux Gets Relevant Update
Today Microsoft has released a large update for its WWII sim B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th Redux. Numbered 1.0.12 and titled “Memphis Belle,” it includes plenty of features requested by users. Here’s an overview.
- New B-17, with the top level of detail coming in at just over 50,000 polygons.
- Cheyenne Tail Turret
- Upgraded Texture Damage
- Physical Damage Model
- Historical Liveries
- Serial Numbers
- Dynamic Crew in external view
- Rendering Improvements
- Optimized Graphics Settings
You can find the full patch notes on Steam.