Synaptic Simulations published a new video on their YouTube channel yesterday. In it, they demonstrated the current state of the A22X avionics and explained their plans for future systems for their A22X (Airbus A220) in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
First, Mike, the lead avionics developer at the A22X for MSFS, introduced us to their in-house ACE (Advance Cockpit Emulator), with which they can develop the avionics outside the simulator. This saves waiting time when loading the simulator and makes development more efficient.
Secondly, they showed us the interactive checklists, which are automatically completed by clicking on the right buttons. Synaptic Simulations also commented that the checklists are taken from a real aircraft and correspond pretty much 1 to 1 to what real pilots use in flight.
In the preflight checklist, you can see that the aircraft also asks the pilots about the status. For example, whether it is the first flight of the day or not. Synaptic Simulations have also announced that in the future, you will be able to create your own checklist and share it with others. They will be developing a more user-friendly tool specifically for this purpose.
The next big thing Synaptic Simulations have been working on is CPDLC. They have teamed up with other developer groups to create a more modern CPDLC implementation than what Hoppie currently offers. The Hoppie ACARS project was launched in 2007, and whilst it is used by the majority of developers for CPDLC integration, it is getting very old. Furthermore, Synaptic Simulations thinks that Hoppie does not meet the needs of pilots. Their CPDLC integration is based on the actual ICAO specification for datalink communication and should be implemented easily for networks and aircraft developers.
The CPDLC implementation is still at a fairly early stage. The team currently only has set plans and created some test implementations. They said that they want to be sure that the system works before they commit to it. Additionally, you can view your message log, where you can see all messages either sent by ATC or you.
The last thing they previewed is the flight planning. It’s the same map we were shown before but with an option to draw a manual route with different functions. For example, the “Insert After” function is useful if you want to shorten the downwind. They implemented pop-up windows for all types of navigation aids, including radial crossings or radius circles.
Although the release date hasn’t been disclosed, the add-on is expected to be released this year. The price tag is still unknown. FSNews will keep you updated on further Synaptic Simulation developments, so be sure to check back for updates.
