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Horizon Sim took to its Discord server to announce a new development update for their 747-8F for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This update contains a lot of minute updates to the modelling and livery creation tools for this upcoming mod for the default Asobo Boeing 747-8i. Although small, these changes add a lot to the realism of the aircraft for those looking for a cargo version of the 747.
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Changes Made By Horizon Sim
Horizon Sim has announced changes made mainly to the modelling of the default 747-8i, showcasing how it’s now different from the pre-existing Asobo model. The fuselage of the aircraft has been extended to 243′ 6″ (74.22m), contrary to the incorrect length of 236′ 7″ (72.11m) in the default Asobo 747-8i model.
The vertical and horizontal stabilisers of the model have also been modified. Together with the fuselage, this totals an overall length of 250′ 2″ (76.25m), representing the aircraft more accurately.
Entry and cargo doors for the aircraft have been moved to their correct positions along with the addition of a bulk cargo door. Along with these additions, a new mesh for the rivets and panel seams makes the aircraft highly realistic and immersive for those with a keen eye for detail.
The landing gear has also been given special attention with all the landing gear doors getting new models and animations. The body gear doors are correctly represented to point outboard instead of inboard (as modelled in the current Asobo model) while the gear is extended. The wing gear doors have also been split into two parts instead of the solid panel currently found on the Asobo model, giving the model a more realistic feel.
Good News for The Livery Designers
The default 747-8i model has always had a mirroring problem, which has been a headache for all the livery designers. To counter this and make the process easier for the designers, Horizon Sim has made a brand new UV unwrap and divided the fuselage into 3 sections.
- Fuselage 1 – forward fuselage, nose landing gear doors, entry door, nose door, forward cargo and a few small details.
- Fuselage 2 – mid-section of the fuselage, wing-body fairing, main landing gear doors, Side cargo door, Aft cargo and Bulk cargo.
- Fuselage 3 – tail section of the fuselage, vertical and horizontal stabilizers and rudder.
Each engine and wing have also been given their own independent materials and textures, thus enabling the designers to give more detail to the liveries along with realistic wear and tear.
Conclusion
It is amazing to see the developers put this amount of detail into their freeware products while also making things easier for the community of livery designers. The release date for the Horizon Sim 747-8F mod has not yet been announced. The community of flight simmers who love hauling cargo is definitely looking forward to the release of the beloved freighter variant of the 747. Check out Horizon Sim’s Discord for more previews. To read similar articles click here.
