MD-11 XS, Art, FS24, Xbox Progress

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Hi folks,

Back in early July, we told the community that we expected to have the Extended Simulation package, a significant visual update, and Flight Simulator 2024 and Xbox support available within 60 days. I’m going to lead with the punchline; we’re a bit behind (to the surprise of no one, we’re aware).

With that out of the way, let’s dive into previews of what’s coming, what we’ve been working on, and why the timeline has shifted.

Images are larger than the previews here - open the images in a new tab for better view.

The Exterior Model

Let’s start with some art update previews (these images are still technically WIP and have some minor details and changes missing/pending):

Ozzy and Cameron have been hard at work on a complete overhaul of the aircraft’s exterior. It has been remodeled and retextured from the ground up to be in line with - and hopefully exceed - today’s standards and expectations. This means animations have been fixed, missing parts have been added, previously lacking detail has been enhanced, and the overall feel of the aircraft is better.

Some of these details are things like ground service ports with full readable labels, inner mechanical components of the flaps and slats you can now see move physically accurately, and of course, dirt, rivets, and fine texture detail that was simply missing before.

PW Engines

Along with the art and code updates are the PW engines! We’ve reworked the throttle control system and engine simulation to behave more properly and we’re happy with the results. They will release alongside the art update as well.

The Cabin

Meanwhile, Aaron has been reworking the cabin.

The cabin has been almost entirely remodeled and retextured and now includes additional functionality (we’re keeping some of the finer details under wraps as a surprise). Little immersion items like glass/rain effects on the windows have been added as well.

The Cockpit

While we’re very happy with the cockpit in general, there are still a few bugs and missing items to address. The manual landing gear handle and oxygen test buttons will be added, and we’ll be adding a few immersion items like openable cockpit windows.

Extended Sim

The code team has been busy too – the Extended Simulation package is nearly complete. While we’re saving a deep dive of its features for a separate, more focused update, we wanted to share a few quick tidbits of what to expect:

• Over 160 failure scenarios are already implemented, with more still in progress.
• There is a maintenance inspection and repair process, extending immersion beyond being instantly and automatically told what’s wrong (you can still do that, however, if you’d prefer expedience over in-the-moment immersion).
• There is a routine service option (think engine oil, fire bottles, etc.) that doesn’t require an aircraft overall (but that option exists as well).
• Each airframe has a unique and varied maintenance history with a local log created any time maintenance interacts with the aircraft.
• There are settings to control the likelihood and nature of the failures you can experience to facilitate immersion while maintaining compliance with IVAO or VATSIM online flying requirements.

Systems Improvements

As we discuss other features soon, many of the systems improvements will be covered, but here are a few pending highlights:

• Overhauled PROF behavior (consistent, smooth descents)
• Overhauled step climb behavior (multiple S/C and T/C points, better positioning/handling of them)
• ATO waypoints
• Custom oil, vibration, and EGT simulation (for both P3D and MSFS)
• Various display detail improvements
• And, of course, a whole slew of bug fixes and more

Flight Simulator 2024 and Xbox Support

Now, the answer I know you’re all waiting for: what’s happening with FS24 and Xbox support. The art update and Extended Simulation package are both nearly complete (>90%) for MSFS and could be in a usable state for customers very soon.

That said, we are not simply porting the MSFS edition into FS24. Once fixes and features are finalized, we’ll split the model, convert textures to the new streaming format, and explore FS24 native features to ensure the aircraft feels at home in the new sim. Due to the way Xbox releases work, we anticipate the MSFS Xbox, FS24 PC, and FS24 Xbox release to occur simultaneously once the product is 100% complete and tested.

Though the 60 days have passed, we’re not far behind. Some FS24 specific tasks may still affect timing so we won’t commit to a firm date just yet. We are only anticipating a few weeks, and while we’re aware that won’t come as much comfort to many, we are working hard to beat our internal estimates.

Closing

In closing, we want to thank everyone for their patience and support. While a little more waiting isn’t what anyone wanted to hear, we all strongly believe the wait will be worth it. Our QA team has given outstanding feedback on the new model and Extended Simulation experience, and we look forward to delivering the fully polished, high-fidelity MD-11 experience we originally set out to create soon.