Mango Studios has shared a development update on its upcoming ATR 72 turboprop for X-Plane, publishing new work-in-progress screenshots and saying the project is still very much alive. The update was posted on the developer’s Discord server, and it is the first since May. The team says it has “absolutely no intention of leaving this project.”
ATR is the Toulouse-based manufacturer of twin-turboprop regional airliners. Its aircraft are widely used by regional airlines on short routes and into smaller airports, which makes the type a long-requested addition for many simmers. The developer acknowledges this, noting that many people have been waiting a long time for a good ATR.
According to the team, most of its time is going into completing the aircraft’s systems and fixing bugs in what it describes as a highly complex electrical simulation. Mango Studios says it believes this will be one of the most powerful electrical system simulations ever made. Part of the delay comes from programmer Gecko also working on background tools intended to let future projects be developed much faster.
On the visual side, work has concentrated on the cockpit. The team has been connecting everything properly to the plugin, sorting out lighting and refining textures on top of its 3D models. The developer cautions that the screenshots are all WIP, pointing to bright pink numbers on the cockpit displays and overexposed display lighting as signs of this.
The exterior is less visible this time. The team says the large parts of the outside are in place and awaiting final details before they are sent for texturing. It is also dealing with the ATR’s complex landing gear arrangement. Those parts are not shown in this update because they look similar to what was shown in May.
Two major components are still missing: the FMC and the EFB. The team also says it is still finding bugs it cannot justify leaving for the beta test. The developer calls finishing this year “the dream” but admits it may no longer be possible, adding that its commitment to quality outweighs any time constraints.
No release date, price or sales platform has been announced for the ATR 72 for X-Plane.
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