Microsoft Flight Simulator Van’s RV-14, SIAI-Marchetti S.205, & A Very Weird C-130 Hercules Released; Sukhoi SU-31 Coming Soon

Republished By Plato

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Today multiple add-on aircraft have been released for Microsoft Flight Simulator, while another is coming soon.

We start with SimWorks Studios, which has released its rendition of the Van’s Aircraft RV-14.

It’s currently available for €14.99 on the developer’s own store with the following features:

Accurate 3D model & animations
Three generic and three custom liveries
Taildragger and tricycle variants
Realistic flight model tested by RV-14 pilots
Free-castering nose wheel (RV-14A)
Full GTN750 integration (PMS50 and TDS)
Flutter animations from propwash
Weight-based visibility of copilot in the cockpit
Weight-based visibility of baggage behind the seats
Opening canopy
Functional canopy ejection switch
Animated air conditioning vents
Realistic backlighting and floodlighting
Realistic exterior lighting
MSFS rain & icing effects included

Next comes Nemeth Design, which released an SIAI-Marchetti S.205-18/R.

You can find it at the developer’s own store for $19.49

Detailed and accurate visual model
Detailed 4K textures
Realistic flight dynamics based on real-world data
Realistic aircraft operation based on real-world piloting and maintenance manuals
12 liveries
3D high definition soundpack
PDF manual

We also hear from IndiaFoxtEcho, which mentioned that its Sukhoi Su-31 is ready for release, also posting a cautionary note and revealing the pricing, which will be approximately €17.5.

The developer also confirmed that the aircraft should be released on Xbox down the line.

“We are sorry but we were not able to release the SU-31 during the weekend as we planned, as there were a couple of last-minute tweaks we had to test and there were some errors in the manual.

On the good side, last night we managed to fix pretty much everything…and the plane is ready for release: we just need to do the bureaucratic stuff for file submission with the different vendors (every vendor requires slightly different things) but we expect the plane to be available in the next few days from all of our usual outlets… except Microsoft, which – as usual – will have a slightly longer lead time.

Pending Microsoft testing, the plane should also be available on Xbox.

Contrary to the commercial logic, we’d like to talk about a bit of the defects of this project – or, in marketing jargon, “opportunities for further improvement”:

While we think the plane is fun to fly, and you should be able to pull most aerobatic maneuvres, the flick/snap roll behavior is not great and it is difficult to control it precisely. Also, the simulator seems to overestimate the energy loss during vertical maneuvres, so we “pumped” the engine and prop performance a little to have achieve speeds closer to the real aircraft during some maneuvers.

Also, since the avionics are super-basic (just a radio and a transponder), this is probably not your best pick for long-cross country flights or any kind of complex navigation.

Speaking of scenery, Aerosoft clarified that its VDGS (Visual Docking Guidance System) software will be a free release for PC and will initially cover four of the developer’s airports, including the upcoming Brussels (EBBR). It will work on all the PC versions of the airports, including those purchased on the official marketplace.

The airport itself has also been confirmed to be coming for both PC and Xbox, but VDGS won’t be available on Xbox.

Last, and definitely least, we get a release from Captain Sim, which I won’t hesitate to define as “weird.”

The developer launched a “C-130 Exterior” and as the name implies, it only includes the exterior of the aircraft, with absolutely no flight deck. Basically, you would be forced to fly it with the stock hud, which greatly reduces any simulation value it may have.

It also comes with stock sounds from the simulator, which is certainly puzzling.

If that doesn’t deter you, it’s available on the developer’s own store for $14.99.

EXTERIOR
• Highly detailed and accurate digital replica of the C-130E Hercules
• Cockpit and cabin with 3D windows and pilots
• Realistic animations
• 4K Ultra-High resolution textures of the following 6 liveries:
– USAF #640544
– USAF #637777 (bare metal)
– Australian Air Force #A97181
– Canadian Air Force #130307
– UK Air Force #ZH887
– Brazilian Air Force #2459

COCKPIT AND CABIN
• No virtual cockpit, exterior model only
• Stock MSFS2020 functionality including HUD instruments
• Complete cargo cabin with animated doors
• Custom views

MISC FEATURES
• Custom flight model
• Stock MSFS2020 sounds
• Repaint kit
• Sim Ops