A few days ago, FlightFactor took to its social media, showcasing the level of detailing in its model work for the new and improved, built-from-the-ground-up recreation of the beloved Airbus A350 for the X-Plane 12 desktop flight simulator.
The product was first released in the simulator market in December of 2014, barely a year after its prototype flew from Toulouse. The system depth offered left simmers wanting more compared to other airliners at the time. Certain advanced ECAM features and MCDU functions were missing, which is owed to the quite quick development time FlightFactor took to release the aircraft. The texturing was also very rough, but the aircraft was not quite ‘unflyable’; it was far from that. There had been discussions as far back as the end of 2019 regarding a much-needed upgrade to an aircraft that the X-Plane community loved a lot.
FlightFactor and ToLiss have been working for several years now on the newer version and are expecting the release to be in late 2026. It will be a completely new aircraft with a focus on every aspect, and it will definitely have its own separate price tag from the current version.
In the previews posted a few days ago, the first two images show the main landing gear bogie and the wing view as observed from the cabin, with the last two previews showing the aft cargo hold and the gear bay door with some of the interior.
The Detailing: The modelling on the main landing gear is exceptionally detailed. They seem to have physically modelled the complex hydraulic brake lines, fluid conduits, and electrical wiring running down the shock strut and across the bogie beam with much craft, which means these are distinct 3D objects. The torque links and especially the brake cooling assembly housings on the wheel hubs look crisp and highly accurate. It will be interesting to see how well these 3D objects (the strut and the wiring) will animate when the landing gear tilts upon takeoff and landing.
The wing rendering has beautiful detailing that captures the advanced wing design Airbus adopted for its A350. In the render, the flaps are fully extended, exposing the internal structural tracks and mechanical carriages. The spoilers are also deployed, and one can see the hydraulic actuator attachment points on the underside of each raised spoiler panel. Also, do not forget the iconic blended winglet that tapers into a smooth, high-polygon curve free of jagged edges, and this is just the first preview!
The aft cargo door also has mechanical accuracy. The rotary actuator arm assembly is accurately rendered. Along the bottom edge of the door, you can clearly see the intricate hook-latch mechanisms. The interior is not modelled currently, but the textures can cover it. The real Airbus A350 cargo bay features distinct composite wall liners, recessed lighting strips, cargo netting attachment brackets, and a prominent manual control panel near the door frame for the ground crew, so only texturing will not cover it. Further previews could help us gain better insight into this aspect.
Lastly, looking at the gear bay, the stiffener ribbing on the door panel perfectly replicates the weight-saving, geometric grid pattern seen on the real aircraft. Even the secondary, forward-hinged door panel on the left features its tiny, independent mechanical actuator arm, complete with accurate mounting brackets. Once again, further previews will showcase whether the interior of the bay will be modelled or if texturing will take over.
All in all, the detailing and accuracy look to be top-notch, and for the users who have loved the systems and always overlooked the modelling and texturing will now get that fresh and hugely improved look hopefully by the end of 2026! With FlightFactor constantly posting their Boeing 777 updates, these previews would get an enthusiastic Airbus A350 enjoyer something to look forward to.
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