FlyByWire has shown off progress on their freeware Airbus A380 for Microsoft Flight Simulator. In a video shared today, the team previews the A380X in various stages of flight. Starting from a cold and dark setup and concluding the flight by landing and taxiing to a stand.
The full video is included at the bottom of this article. Previews cannot depict the sounds of the A380X, which are showcased in the video.
The video demonstrates the features of the A380X in real scenarios that it will encounter on a daily basis when it is released. The aircraft will be able to fly accurately, with all necessary systems included, from point A to point B, which appears to be one of the points of the video demonstration.
The video begins with the initial cockpit setup, showcasing, apart from fully functioning buttons and switches, even smaller details like adjustable cockpit seats.
FlyByWire also showcased the EFB, which will handle ground vehicles and operations around the aircraft. It also looks like it will also include failure settings, checklists, and aircraft settings.
At FSWeekend 2024, in a Q&A session after the video stream, FlyByWire confirmed that some of the features, namely the performance calculator, will likely not be part of the A380X when initially released, but it is definitely planned for a later time.
Following the EFB, the team did not forget to showcase various system displays in the cockpit. These would include overviews of the electrical system, pressurization system, fuel system, hydraulic system, and landing gear.
From this, it is obvious that FlyByWire A380X aims to raise the standards for freeware add-ons. The depth of these systems hasn’t been disclosed, but the video gives the impression that there is a lot to look forward to.
As many community members requested, the freeware Airbus A380 for MSFS will feature airport maps directly in the Navigation Display. This feature has also been showcased in the video. It is unknown whether these will require any external apps like Navigraph or will run based on MSFS data.
Needless to say, the video also provided enough views of the aircraft’s exterior. A selection of them can be found in the gallery below. The previews showcase the wingflex, a detailed view of the engines, spoiler and flap/slat operations, front and rear landing gear, and the overall airframe.
The A380X from FlyByWire will also feature a fully modelled and detailed cabin interior. In the video, the team showcased the fully equipped cabin.
The add-on was last previewed in July 2023. At that time, the team showed their progress on the wing-flex and engine-wobble simulation. While FlyByWire is working hard to bring this add-on to the community in their imagined standard, we can only wait and enjoy the previews they shared.
Stay tuned at FSNews for future coverage of the A380X for MSFS.
