The developer iniBuilds is now working on a new aircraft for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and after the release of the modern A350, the team is now continuing with a more classic aeroplane that is still soaring the modern skies. The initial teaser of the A340 happened during the FSExpo 2025 event in Providence, and two months after, we have received first major information about this rendition of this quad-engine beauty.
This development update is vastly focused on the 3D modelling of this aircraft. The whole development update is written by Max, who is the art director at iniBuilds, thus, the community has recieved the best possible explanation of a lot of things in this upcoming aircraft.
Exterior and Animations of the iniBuilds A340
Max mentions that the team has focused on giving the aircraft of having the character of a 24-year-old airplane, as that is the average age of the current A340 fleet in the world. Thus, a lot of weathering and dirt is visible on the aircraft, making it look used and, for that reason, authentic and believable. There are specific effects the team has focused on, like hydraulic staining, grease accumulation, panel wear, chipped paint and worn markings.
Apart from the visuals, the changes in the airframe are going to be reflected in the aircraft’s behaviour. If the iniBuilds A340 is not well-maintained, issues may arise. The iniBuilds team calls this a “dynamic wear and tear”. This may especially be visible on the engine, as oil residue builds up, and on the landing gear, as used tires will have a different look (and possibly behaviour) when inspected. These issues will need to be addressed through the EFB to make the aircraft flyable again.
The iniBuilds team has also shown the animations on the iniBuilds A340. Max mentions that they have worked hard on bringing realistic animations to this aircraft, with attention to detail to landing gear compression on landing, realistic wing flex and the engine and flap movement. For the engine spinning, the team has utilised the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s “shader effect”, making the engine spinning animation seamless and realistic.
A lot of animations are not only for immersion, but are also functional. In the A340, you will be able to open and interact with various exterior features, and manage fuel, hatches, external power, the APU, engine cowling, potable water and door opening.
The Interior of A340
Moving over to the interior of the aircraft, the iniBuilds team has prepared two different cockpit variants of the A340. The first one is the classic “EIS 1” option, which comes with the old CRT displays, and the “EIS 2” option, which comes with the now widely used LCD displays in the Airbus family. However, the EIS 2 is the developer’s primary focus, and the EIS 1 is considered just a “nice to have feature”. You will also be able to change between various types of standby instruments in the cockpit.
Moving over to the cabin, the team has also confirmed that the A340 will come in the converted freighter variant as well, and in the cabin, we will be able to see various cargo loaded, ranging from animals, flowers and food to batteries, car parts, dangerous materials and parcels.
The standard passenger cabin will, as usual with any iniBuilds planes, be fully built. This cabin is going to be based off a real-world, unspecified German carrier, most likely Lufthansa. This cabin interior is going to be available for Xbox users of this aircraft as well, with just minor downgrades compared to the PC version.
The iniBuilds team has already confirmed the next development update to be covering the aircraft’s systems. However, it hasn’t been mentioned when we can expect further information on the A340. For now, you can also take a look at one of our previous articles covering the iniBuilds A340 here.
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