Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Gets Sim Update 7 and National Championship Air Races
Today, Microsoft and Asobo released Sim Update 7 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, with the National Championship Air Races being the centerpiece of the update.
The free feature brings the full motorsports experience to MSFS 2024, allowing you to fly solo using Time Trials Mode, organize your own multiplayer races, and join established ones. It includes the following classes
- Unlimited Class: This category has no restrictions other than an aircraft must have a piston engine and a propeller. Unlimited Class aircraft at the National Championship Air Races are heavily modified variants of some of the great legends of the aviation world, notably the North American P-51 Mustang.
- Jet Class: This class contains non-afterburning, non-swept wing jet-powered aircraft, typically military trainers like the Aero L-39 Albatros.
- T-6 Class: This class is limited to the iconic North American T-6 Texan trainer and its direct production variants.
- Biplane Class: This category includes small biplanes like the Aviat Pitts Special S-1S and S-2S.
- STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) Drag Competition. In STOL Drag, racers compete on a 2,000-foot course, flying high-performance STOL aircraft that can leap into the air and then come to a stop on a dime. During STOL Drag events, two pilots fly against each other and must take-off, then land, then turn around and take-off again and then land, all within strict location and time parameters.
While the full racing experience is free, you can grab the Racer Pack 1 on the official marketplace, including 40 of the most famous aircraft that participated to the air races. It’s priced at $39.99.
That being said, the Sim Update includes much more, especially focusing on many bug fixes. You can read the full patch notes on the official site.
FSLTL Clarifies that Conversion for X-Plane Is Not Allowed
With some ATC and traffic suites supporting X-Plane, there is a demand for models and liveries to use with them. Sayintentions.ai created a paid tool named “Model Hopper” dedicated to converting MSFS models to a format that X-Plane can use, including the excellent free models by FSLTL.
FSLTL reacted by firmly denying permission to convert their package on their Discord server.
“FSLTL content is not supported for use within X-Plane. And any conversion of FSLTL content into a format that is usable in X-Plane goes against our published copyright of FSLTL content.”
FSLTL also mentioned that they may one day support X-Plane directly, although they did not make any promise.
Sayintentions.ai issued a fairly tone-deaf response on their own Discord, making Model Hopper free and issuing refunds to those who purchased it, while disabling conversion of FSLTL’s models.
In the meantime, the message basically sounds like “but you didn’t tell us we couldn’t use your work,” which sounds like a really weak excuse, considering that the responsibility of reaching out to establish communication definitely was with the party who wanted to use the other party’s product, which is Sayintentions.ai Itself. Obviously they did not, so it’s hard to find any sympathy for their situation.
Perhaps this should be expected from a company that heavily focuses on generative AI, considering that using other people’s work without permission pretty much describes Generative AI’s whole genesis.
Boeing 757 for MSFS 2024 Gets Manual Ahead of Release
With the release of the highly anticipated Boeing 757 by BlueBird Simulations just around the corner, the developer released the manual on its Discord Server.
You can download it here to get ready to fly this new bird.
Puerto Natales Teniente Julio Gallardo Airport and Torres del Paine National Park Released for MSFS 2024
Simulación Extrema released Teniente Julio Gallardo Airport (SCNT), serving Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.
It’s available on the official MSFS 2024 marketplace with the following features.
- 4K PBR-textured 3D models.
- Hand-modeled terminal and logistics areas, updated to current specifications.
- Hand-modeled terminal interior, including main entrances, check-in counters, arrival areas, and waiting lounges.
- Hand-modeled and sculpted 3D versions of the Torres del Paine and Cuernos del Paine mountains.
- Hand-modeled 3D version of the iconic Hostería Lago Pehoé—a world-famous tourist landmark.
- Inclusion of 3D models of local wildlife, such as guanacos and pumas.
- Custom runway and apron textures.
If you’d like to read more flight simulation news, you can find plenty in our previous roundup article from yesterday.
If you want to go further back, we have a handy overview video of the major flight simulation news in the past week. You can watch it below. As usual, leaving a like and a comment and subscribing to our growing YouTube channel is extremely helpful.
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