Orbx has taken to their Twitter/X page to announce the release of Simpunk’s rendition of Hexa. Hexa is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft manufactured by the company LIFT. Simpunk is a team of expert add-on developers with at least 10 years of experience in many fields and their skillset includes graphics, engineering, flight dynamics, and sound design. This addon is the first from the team at Simpunk for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
What is Hexa?
According to LIFT, Hexa is an entirely new type of aircraft that anyone can fly. 18 electric motors and propellers power the aircraft. These are the only moving parts needed for stable flight equilibrium. It can land on both land and water using 4 floats. The fifth center float is filled with energy-absorbing foam. According to LIFT, this adds more buoyancy and protection against harder landings.
Hexa is simple to fly with a single 3-axis joystick or using the built-in touch screen. The autopilot has a triple redundancy system for extra safety. With an airframe made entirely of carbon fiber, Hexa weighs in at just 432 lbs. This means it falls under the FAAs powered ultralight classification so you can fly without a pilot’s license. It can fly with 6 motors disabled however a ballistic parachute is installed if more motors fail.
Orbx’s Hexa Aircraft
Simpunk’s Hexa aircraft has been developed to reflect the real-life model. All features from the real aircraft have been replicated by the team and the VTOL system has been recreated into the Microsoft Flight Simulator platform. It also features a highly accurate 3D model with high-resolution textures and realistic and immersive sounds.
The team has developed a Fly-By-Wire system and a custom flight dynamics system all modeled and coded from scratch. Automated take-off and landing functions have been implemented to make flying this aircraft easier, as it is in real life. Like its counterpart, it can land on both land and water in the simulator.
The Hexa aircraft is available now for MSFS via the Orbx Direct store for €20. To download and install this product, you have to download their Orbx Central proprietary installer. Orbx has also released a lovely trailer to showcase the aircraft which can be viewed below. You can read about more releases by this developer on FSNews.
