iniBuilds took to their Discord server earlier today to announce the release of their rendition of the Airbus A340-300 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. The product had been announced a few months ago, followed by dev updates and previews, with a trailer coming just yesterday before today’s highly anticipated release.
About the Airbus A340
The Airbus A340, developed and manufactured by Airbus Industrie, is a long-range, wide-body passenger airliner that first flew in 1991. It was developed in conjunction with the Airbus A330 as a derivative of its first airliner, the Airbus A300. It was certified along with the -200 variant in 1992, and both entered commercial service in March 1993, Air France and Lufthansa serving as launch customers. It keeps a similar airframe to the A330 aircraft while maintaining the eight-abreast economy cross-section of the original A300.
The major difference between the A330 and A340 is the four 151 kN CFM56s that power the A340 in contrast to the A330’s twinjet configuration. It was eventually replaced by more efficient twinjet aircraft on most routes as ETOPS restrictions were slowly lifted, and Airbus ceased production in 2011 with 377 aircraft delivered. Lufthansa is the largest operator currently with 27 in its fleet.
Key features of the iniBuilds A340
Systems
The Airbus A340 by iniBuilds for MSFS2024 features a highly detailed, custom-coded FMS with support for SIDs, STARs, and SEC flight plans, including an LNAV/VNAV system that precisely follows speed and altitude constraints. iniBuilds has also developed a detailed engine simulation with intricate EGT, fuel flow, FADEC, oil pressure, and thrust profile modeling for an accurate representation of the real-world aircraft.
The A340 also features ambient cabin air simulation, a comprehensive ECAM and failure system, custom terrain radar, and full GSX Pro integration. The Fly-By-Wire and flight models have also been developed with accuracy in mind as custom logic emulates the characteristics of the real-world Airbus A340 with refined flare and rotation behavior, advanced flap simulation, and new fuselage object CFD modeling. EIS1 and EIS2 panel simulation is also included, along with a comprehensive EFB and CPDLC integration.
Visuals and Art
The interiors and exteriors of the aircraft have also received a significant amount of effort, as the cockpit features realistic ambient occlusion-backed lighting that provides a true sense of depth and realism. High-fidelity PBR textures have also been baked in and are referenced from thousands of images of a real-world reference aircraft. A realistic cabin model is also featured and is fully optimized for a negligible performance impact. It also comes with a “preighter” option, which is a freighter+passenger converted variant.
The exterior is also ultra-detailed with fully decaled and accurately positioned rivets and panel lines for the best quality-to-performance ratio. It also features super-smooth animations with reference-derived wing flex, shake, and wobble effects in various flight phases. Custom dynamic wear and tear textures and simulation are also included.
Sounds and EFB
The iniBuilds A340 features an audio suite created in collaboration with Echo 19 Audio Production and features precisely modeled CFM56-4C engine sounds along with accurately recreated sound effects from flap motor whines, hydraulic sounds, and more. An advanced simulation of sound environments for the exterior, cabin, and cockpit has also been implemented, ensuring an immersive and dynamic sound experience.
The EFB for the A340 features a new design and layout for a more refined user experience when controlling many aspects of the aircraft, including full ground equipment control. Accurate airport and procedure charts have been integrated for immersive and precise flight planning and navigation. Simmers can also trigger in-flight failure events for ECAM procedure practice or custom scenarios such as birdstrikes or engine failure. It also features a detailed takeoff and landing performance calculator while factoring in various parameters like wind, aircraft weight, and runway conditions.
Closing Notes
iniBuilds Airbus A340 for Microsoft Flight Simulator is available exclusively on the in-sim Marketplace (at least for the time being) and retails at USD$59.99 inclusive of taxes. Do keep in mind that since the aircraft is only available on the Marketplace, regional pricing may result in a higher or lower cost, and also depends on taxes in each simmer’s country. A release trailer was also shared by the iniBuilds team, which can be viewed below. If you want to view all that is included in the product package, you can take a look at their product page.
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