Flight Simulation developers shared news today, including scenery and aircraft for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and MSFS 2020, plus reveals about other sims.
Before we move on to the news, below you can check out a story that received its own individual coverage.
You can find all the flight simulation news below.
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk Announced for A1H Skyraider Gets Details and Price
Militech Simulations has a few announcements to share via an official blog post.
The Sikorsky MH-60 helicopter is getting an update “in the coming weeks” addressing the following issues. Incidentally, it has been the developer’s most successful release to date.
- APU Fuel Valves closing, making APU INOP.
- Multiplayer compatibility and model-matching improvements.
- MFD Stability improvements to avoid coherent or map crashes.
- Tweaked engine values (Torque, Ng)
- Adding explosion effects to hellfire craters (PC Only)
- Improvements to Autopilot and Trims
Perhaps even more exciting is that the developer has officially announced that the popular Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is coming, still in partnership with Blackbird Simulations.
The initial release will include the Alpha and Lima versions. Unfortunately, the Mike and other S70 versions are not planned at the moment.
It’ll be a standalone release, potentially with discounts for MH-60 owners. The goal is to launch in early 2026.
We also get news about the A1H Skyraider attack aircraft. First of all, we learn a few interesting details.
- Ultra-detailed 3D Model crafted by Blackbird Simulations
- Immersive animations and effects that bring the aircraft to life, from folding wings and startup smoke to realistic rotor impact damage
- CFD Flight Model validated by subject matter experts.
- Realistic soundset created by Echo 19, from recordings of the real aircraft.
- Full weapons system, featuring GBU bombs with impact craters and explosion effects, missiles and rocket launchers, cannons, and even the iconic ‘Toilet Bomb.’
- MISSION HUB: The aircraft will include a mission pack with over 10 Missions to be executed using Mission Hub.
- SUPERCARRIER PRO: Two new Vietnam-era Aircraft Carriers added for no additional cost: CV-11 Intrepid and CV-10 Yorktown. These carriers can also be placed with Mission Hub.
The aircraft is in the final stages of development. Sound is being integrated, and the developer is working on the manual as they get ready to move into beta testing.
Release is “not far off” and we learn that the price will be $24.99.
Haines Junction Airport Released for Free for MSFS 2024
Flak released a free rendition of Haines Junction Airport (CYHT) in Canada.
It’s available on Flightsim.to for the affordable price of zero dollars, and you can see what it looks like in the screenshots above.
Combat Pilot Enters Closed Alpha for Patreon Supporters
Entropy.Aero released a new version of its Pacific Theater combat flight simulator, Combat Pilot, to its Ace Tier Patreon supporters, and this is a relevant one as it marks the passage from pre-alpha to Alpha status.
As a special treat, former supporters who canceled their Ace Tier subscription will also receive access to the alpha build for 30 days.
The Alpha is a big step toward the team’s first retail release, Combat Pilot: Carrier Qualification, planned to release in 2026.
Here’s what players can expect from the new build, as announced on the official forums.
Main Features:
- Entropy FM Physics Engine (this is the biggest component of the update)
- F4F-4 aircraft as flyable
- A6M2 Model 21 aircraft as flyable
- USS Enterprise aircraft carrier where you can land and takeoff
- IJN Akagi aircraft carrier where you can land and takeoff
- Midway Atoll with Sand and Eastern Islands (Work in Progress, especially the vegetation)
- New Ocean (Work in Progress)
- Sky-dome and nighttime Celestial Map
- User Interface with support for Themes (Work in Progress)
- Quick Mission Screen (Work in Progress)
- Controller Assignments Screen (Work in Progress) (Not all planned functions work yet)
- Options Screen (Work in Progress)
- HOTAS support and Joystick Curves
- TrackIR support
- VR Support (Work in Progress) (Not optimized for performance)
- Virtual Instruments (Textual Data with Temporary Artificial Horizon)
Important Notes:
- Lighting is a work in progress and we are still experimenting with different solutions. You may experience strange artifacts, or other anomalies.
- The visual settings have been checked for HIGH/ULTRA. Settings below that have not been configured properly yet, which means that lighting will be off.
- Flying in pitch black (night) conditions will yield a lighting phenomenon where the cockpit looks brighter than external view.
- A6M2 cockpit and external textures are not final and are a work in progress.
- F4F-4 external is not final textures and is a work in progress. The cockpit it much further along in the texturing process.
- Ships do not have their final arresting wires or arresting gear installed. Both are missing some wires and barriers. Only two wires on Enterprise and five on the Akagi.
- Aircraft always collide with the landing wheels, even if the landing gear is visually retracted.
- Internal and external Cameras are not final several are missing corresponding keystrokes.
- G-force meter is buggy. A fix did not make it into the update. Blackouts and redouts do not work as well as they should
- No pilot models yet.
- No deck crew yet.
- No damage model yet.
- Cockpits do not have working instruments yet.
The Mighty Eight VR Sets the Mood With Brief Video
MicroProse released a brief video of its virtual reality B-17 Flying Fortress simulator The Mighty Eight VR.
According to the developer, the video is intended to capture the following elements.
- The stillness before the storm. The teaser opens on a nighttime airstrip. Rows of Flying Fortresses rest under the lights, waiting for the missions ahead. In VR, you can look around freely, soaking in the atmosphere before the chaos of combat begins.
- The camaraderie of the briefing room. Next, we move inside, where officers lay out the day’s mission. Airmen sit in silence, focused on the map ahead. The player glances down at their own hands – a reminder that you are not just watching, you are there.
- The crew that makes it possible. On a corkboard, you’ll see the eight essential roles of a B-17 crew – from pilot and bombardier to radio operator and gunners. Every position matters. Every role is part of the story.
- The chaos of combat. Suddenly, you’re in the heat of it, manning a gun, tracking enemy fighters across the sky. Tracers cut through the sky. The responsibility of defense rests on you.
- The world below. Finally, a sweeping panoramic view. From low altitude, you take in the countryside below, rich with detail and atmosphere. It’s a world alive, and you’re flying right through the middle of it.
The simulator is coming for PC, but it doesn’t have a release date or window just yet.
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.
