Flightsim Studio AG, a developer known for its diverse portfolio of airframes and sceneries, took to its Discord server to announce update 1.0.6 for the B727 Freighter, along with an update regarding compatibility for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
What does Update 1.0.6 bring to the table?
Short answer? A lot. Long answer? Let’s get into it.
Flightsim Studios AG appears to have put a lot of work into this update, along with various bug fixes and improvements. In addition to the basic update, they added two new variants of the 727-200 – the Oil Spill Response variant and the Zero G variant. There was also an update regarding the GNX-XLS flight management computer.
Oil Spill Response
Having once relied on the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, British Oil Response switched to modified versions of the Boeing 727-200 after maintenance costs on the C-130 began to rise. Used to disperse chemicals to assist in containing oil spills, the 727-200 has proven capable in its newly chosen role.
With this variant, you get a new livery, added spray equipment, and a redesigned cabin featuring an added control panel at the Flight Engineer station. Due to the aircraft’s challenging nature, Flightsim Studios added special documentation and a familiarisation mission to prepare the user for a new challenge.
Zero-G
The Zero-G variant is an airframe designed to simulate zero gravity without requiring the transport of astronauts in training or thrill-seekers into space. With this variant, Flightsim Studios AG faithfully recreated the “G-Force One.” Sadly, no astronauts are tumbling through the cabin, but there’s always the imagination of you, the pilot.
GNS-XLS
The announcement states the team is working hard on completing the development of the GNS-XLS flight computer with plans for a release before Christmas. The system is planned to offer a large list of features akin to many advanced flight management computers in other high-end aircraft add-ons.
Flightsim Studio AG’s statement on the future of MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024
It appears that Flightsim Studio AG has encountered compatibility issues with MSFS24 despite Microsoft stating that most add-ons should be compatible on day one in a legacy mode. However, in a more recent update via the Flightsim Studio AG Discord server, it has been confirmed that several of the aircraft add-ons are not compatible with Flight Simulator 2024.
While two aircraft add-ons have yet to be tested for compatibility, the E-Jets family and the 727-200F are incompatible with MSFS 2024. The SeaRay Elite is still in the air for the time being. However, due to the development ending for the SeaRay Elite, any compatibility issues will not be fixed. The announcement did state, however, that the E-Jets and 727-200 will both have a MSFS 2024 compatible version in the future.
As of next year, the team plans to begin work on an MSFS 2024 native version that takes advantage of the new technologies within Microsoft’s most recent flight simulation. However, due to the effort required for the upgrade, it will not be free.
Flightsim Studio AG also stated that while focusing on MSFS 2024, the team fully intends to support MSFS 2020 for as long as their fans wish. They appear to have much in the works for MSFS 2020, including a passenger variant of the 727, a VIP variant, and even the more modern Super727. While no release dates have been made for any upcoming projects, they state that 2025 will be an exciting year.
System Updates
Flightsim Studio AG added various fixes and improvements to the aircraft systems, such as fixing the engine gauges during startup and shutdown sequences and hydraulic systems logic. New approach callouts were also added that can be turned on and off. The 3D modeling has also been improved for better readability. You can refer to the announcement on Flightsim Studios AG’s website for a comprehensive list of Bug Fixes and Improvements.
This was a massive announcement filled with updates and news of the future development of the B727, along with how Flightsim Studio AG is handling issues arising from the release of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. To keep up to date with the most recent news, be sure to check us out at FSNews!
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