SOUTHOAKCO took to its website to announce the release of its latest addon, Real Effects: 747-8i. This addon strives to introduce actual real-life effects that a 747 might experience into Microsoft Flight Simulator and give the 747 excellent levels of immersion and realism.
About SOUTHOAKCO, and the Addon
SOUTHOAKCO strives to create unique and immersive products for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The company has released products such as Aurora Borealis and FS Birds which add more realism to the simulator in the past. The company aims to fill the gaps in Microsoft Flight Simulator and offer complete realism to the players.
Real Effects: 747-8i is one such product that accomplishes its main motto by adding the tiny details missing to the default Asobo 747-8i. This addon takes the pre-existing 747-8i in the sim which has been getting better with AAU2 updates, and makes it even more realistic from the visual standpoint.
Improvements to the Engines
The Addon does not alter the physics of the aircraft, but instead adds up to the visual and graphical essence of the aircraft in the simulator. The addon focuses majorly on the engine effects of the aircraft by adding engine intake vortices and engine intake condensation. It reacts to the thrust settings of the aircraft and the atmosphere, creating mesmerizing spirals of condensing air from wet surfaces that showcase the raw energy of the engines under your control.
The addition of engine strake vortices makes the vortices left behind by the aircraft true to life and react to the atmosphere as authentically as possible. In adverse weather conditions, the engine jet blast for rain and snow feature of this addon will come into play. It will deliver jet blast effects that interact with rain and snow, creating a blend of precipitation and engine power.
You can also now experience engine and APU start-up smoke in the simulator. The addon will give you the sight of jet fuel combusting into engine power as the engines and APU start up, as if in real life.
Simulating engine failures in Microsoft Flight Simulator can sometimes feel underwhelming due to the lack of visual immersion for the same. Real Effect brings engine fires to the simulator and gives you a true-to-life representation of an intense engine fire. You can now simulate engine fires with complete immersion both physically and visually.
Additions to Wings, Gears and a Rare Phenomenon
The company hasn’t forgotten about other elements of flight and has added plenty of more features to its addon. Wing condensation and flap trailing vortices react to altitude, temperature, and humidity, creating a visual spectacle that represents real-world flying conditions. These effects come into play generally during takeoffs and landings, when you slice through the humid air with your flaps. Condensation forms up on the edges of the wings and the flaps start creating vortices that swirl and dissipate in your wake while approaching to land.
One of the better features of Microsoft Flight Simulator is 3D lighting in between clouds and this addon adds to it with enhanced 3D landing lights which make use of the high-powered landing lights of the aircraft to illuminate the clouds as you fly through them. If you push your aircraft to its limits, after a landing, you might get to notice the smoke for overheated brakes. The effect serves as a warning, highlighting the consequences of intense braking at heavy weights and hot temperatures.
You can now encounter the rare and captivating phenomenon of Saint Elmo’s Fire as static electricity dances along your aircraft’s windscreen during thunderstorms. St. Elmo’s fire (also known as witchfire) is a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a corona discharge from a rod-like object in an atmospheric electric field. It’s a stunning visual spectacle that will make every stormy flight an unforgettable experience.
Installation and Conclusion
You can grab the addon at simMarket at € 7.99, and it can be downloaded and installed via the simMarket application. If you previously purchased the “SOUTH OAK CO – AURORA BOREALIS: NORTHERN LIGHTS MSFS” from simMarket, you are entitled to the special upgrade price of € 6.99.
This addon is a great step towards a more realistic and accurate simulation experience for all players and serves as a great inspiration for more addon creators to do the same with more aircraft and weather phenomena. You can read about similar addons here and here.
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