Horizon Simulations took to their Discord server to publish a new lengthy development update on their ongoing 787 revamp for Microsoft Flight Simulator as part of their 3rd year anniversary celebrations. The developer will publish such updates every day for the next five days. A new aircraft was also announced on day three, while day two focused on the aforementioned Boeing 787.
787 News
As part of their 787 development progress, the developer took a moment to address their radio silence, owing to the core team comprising mostly volunteers with various obligations. This led to the misconception that development on their products had terminated. Moving forward, the developer will release content and updates at least once a month, showcasing their work and features of the products.
Refreshing our memory, Horizon Sim stated that the V2 version of their 787 will feature all three variants (-8, -9, and -10) and will have model improvements, unique features, and a custom-built cabin. Moving on with the update, they state that the major overhaul featured in the 787 V2 will be in the modeling of the aircraft. It has been refined in every aspect, and more details on those aspects will be shared soon.
CAC Inlet Doors
We did, however, receive a fair bit of overview on their work so far, starting the CAC Inlet doors on the aircraft. These have been recreated with a great deal of accuracy and simulate the real-world operation on the actual aircraft. The doors open and close depending on environmental, hydraulic, and engine conditions, adding more immersion and realism to our in-sim operations.
Line Variations and New Engine Animations
The team has also implemented line variations to the aircraft. This essentially means the team did not model their aircraft based on just one or two subvariations. By implementing line variations, Horizon Sim (and consequently livery creators) has been able to introduce subtle variations between different, more accurate aircraft configurations. For example, LN570 in the real-world aircraft has its CAC Inlet Door with a bulge on its side, while LN373 features a below-cockpit hatch.
In 787 V2, the team has also revamped the engine animation logic, resulting in a more realistic-looking engine spin effect. The fan blades have a slower start-up and spool time, allowing simmers to see each increase in power. The high RPM spinner textures have also been revamped. The Trent 1000 and GEnx engines will have different responsiveness to engine power increase, and are based on the different parameters of the engines.
New APU Door, Revamped Vertical Stabilizer
In 787 V2, the APU door realistically opens and closes depending on the status of the APU, allowing the virtual APS5000 to function correctly. In addition to this, the vertical stabilizer of the aircraft has also been worked on and will feature a more accurate design and better texturing.
Reworked Lighting and Accurate Control Surfaces
The lighting has also been overhauled in V2 by developer “Nico”, and shadows have been implemented for the lighting system. The wing views and other external views have seen a significant improvement due to this, with a realistic and accurate beacon flash on the ground and around the engine.
Furthermore, replicating a more realistic simulation in their 787 V2, the team has managed to implement aileron, flaperon, and elevator flight control surface droop when there is a lack of hydraulic power in the 787. Even the rudder is realistically simulated in such a situation, and the control surface leans with the wind when there is no power.
What’s new aircraft?
The A320neo ACJ variant. Moving on to day three of their 3rd year anniversary WIP unveilings, Horizon Sim announced the new aircraft that they are working on. Circling back to their roots in their establishment with an A320neo aircraft family-based add-on/enhancement, it only seemed appropriate, according to them, that they keep up with the tradition of releasing Airbus-based aircraft. They reasoned that, despite the oversaturation in the flight sim space, they wanted to see how far they could push the envelope in terms of implementing FlyByWire Simulations‘ systems in one of the largest narrow-body corporate jets.
The team did not disclose any release dates or timelines regarding the completion of work, but did reiterate that they plan on releasing many sneak peeks and previews of the aircraft in the coming days. Furthermore, not a lot of the features and information about the aircraft have been disclosed yet, but we hope to see more of that soon.
More of this, please!
A very exciting and meaty dev update from the team over at Horizon Sim, one that fills us with excitement. We expect more information as part of their 3rd anniversary celebrations roadmap, and new exciting stuff will be shared by the developer soon. The team at FSNews will keep you updated on all the latest happenings right here. This is only day three!
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