BlueBird Simulations has recently again showcased their upcoming Boeing 757 for Microsoft Flight Simulator. In the recent video, the team has shown especially the new sounds and the air conditioning system of the aircraft.
Starting points
At the beginning of the video, Sherman, the CEO of BlueBird Simulations stated certain things that might be important to the community. At the moment, the development team aims to provide us with a performance-friendly aircraft, that is going to work with most computers. The team is here for the long run, and we also might expect more projects apart from the 757 and the 767 in the future.
Speaking of the 767, the team is currently split in a ratio of 95% of the team is working on the 757 and the rest 5% is currently progressing with the 767 which will be a follow-up to the 757’s release.
Speaking of the development time, Sherman addressed that the long development time was a result of them developing a universal platform alongside the 757. Not only do they want to develop a high-fidelity plane, but also a basic platform for future development, ultimately shortening the development time of any possible future aeroplane by BlueBird.
Circuit Breakers
Sherman spoke about another notable feature coming on the release with the aeroplane. With the new electrical system, the BlueBird Simulations team decided to implement various circuit breakers to the 757 as well, as it “made sense”.
The systems will receive their individual circuit breakers soon, and on the release, the team aims to have at least a hundred circuit breakers simulated, with all 500 coming later in the development cycle. This shows the attention to detail the team aims to achieve with this aircraft.
First Sound Preview
The BlueBird Simulations team has for the first time shown the sounds of their Boeing 757 for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Sherman mentioned that all the sounds were recorded in the real counterpart. However, they are still not finished and while the sounds are already good, they are subject to change before the release.
In the video, we can hear various buttons, knobs, switches used, the cockpit ambience is present in the background with the noise from the running plane. The team also showed the APU sound, the cabin ambience from different perspectives, like in front of the wing or behind the wing. The cabin sounds were adjusted based on the camera’s position.
Furthermore, we can also hear the fuel and hydraulic pumps in action, together with the engine sounds of the powerful RB211. The Pratt & Whitney sounds should be previewed soon, as they are still being developed.
Textures and Animations in the 757
A short part of the video also shows textures and animations of the aircraft. While the cockpit textures are currently under development and only placeholders are in the video, we will get the v5 cockpit textures previews soon according to Sherman. The textures will be revolutionary compared to the previous version according to the team. Thus, the video does not represent a final product.
The most notable feature among animations that was showcased is the windmill effect in the engines. The windmill effect occurs when the wind hits good enough on the engine blades, causing them to rotate when they are turned off.
The BlueBird Simulations team took into consideration all the possible situations that can occur during the windmill effect. This includes wind strength, direction and fuselage. If the wind hits well enough, one engine will spin faster than the other, as the fuselage will block the wind, for example. This means that the animations on both engines are independent.
Air Conditioning System
The longest segment of this video shows the air conditioning system in this Boeing 757 rendition. This segment was previewed by developer David, who is responsible for the ACU, textures and programming.
This is an extensive showcase of how air conditioning in the 757 works and how it manages hot bleed air as well as cockpit and cabin temperature.
For example, the cabin temperature will adjust based on the temperature selector or other external factors, like opened windows or doors. With the buttons on the air conditioning unit, you are actually managing different valves in the aircraft, making this system not only cosmetic but also functional.
A lot of work has been done on the ACU, but it is still work in progress and the BlueBird Simulations team wants to have it as accurate as possible to the real aircraft.
Closing of the Video
In the end, Sherman then spoke about the v5 cockpit textures and mentioned that they should be finished in two weeks. Later in the process, they will be showcased to the community in future previews when ready.
The BlueBird Simulations team will also be attending FSExpo this year, where they will showcase more systems of their Boeing 757.
Lastly, Sherman mentioned that nothing is being rushed during the development, and if there is a need, they will put off the release until 2025. As stated at the start, they are here for a long run, and the 757 is just the beginning of Bluebird’s development.
You can also read our previous article about one of their development updates here.
