An interesting new aircraft release hit us this week with the launch of the Embraer EMB 202 Ipanema, a little Brazilian airplane that is essentially a crop-duster. The Ipanema is an innovative aircraft in a few areas. It became the first ethanol-powered airplane in the world and is also the first to make use of the newly introduced visual effects editor in MSFS, which is now available for third-party developers to create their own custom effects.
The Ipanema is produced by Industrial Aeronáutica Neiva, a subsidiary of Embraer, being mostly used in Brazil, where it is very popular for the purpose it was designed for.
BRsim Designs is a newcomer developer in MSFS, but this first project seems promising for future endeavors from the developers. The Ipanema is a simple aircraft, but was clearly built with attention to detail. It looks beautiful on the outside, with full use of high-resolution textures and PBR.
The interior is also good-looking, although some less detailed textures can be found on secondary areas places like the roof. Our friend twotonemurphy has a detailed review on his Youtube channel, which you should check out below:
The coolest feature of the Ipanema is definitely its capability to release chemicals from the built-in tank, thus complying with its purpose of keeping bugs out of the crops. Since Flight Simulator now includes a visual effects editor, recently introduced with Sim Update IV, developers can now create custom effects for their aircraft, and BRsim Designs did just that with the Ipanema and its spray system. So, when you want to dust your crops, you will see a nice chemical cloud spraying out of the tubes that are mounted in the aircraft’s exterior. Definitely very cool, and a great idea for a new type of mission in NeoFly!
As for how the whole thing works, it’s quite straightforward, and the included manual explains everything you need to know. There’s an option to activate the static elements while parked, which are basically a well-modeled chemical tank and some kind of pump or generator. Then you have to press a button in the cockpit, and the Ipanema’s tank gets filled up. There’s a handy gauge that tells you how much chemical stuff you have in the tank, and a handle to release the chemicals once you’re airborne.
Overall, for around $27 / 22€, the Ipanema is quite a cool little machine, and seems to be a great addition to the growing collection of aircraft for MSFS.
