Is PMDG getting some competition on the classic airliner category in Flight Simulator? If we are to believe Red Wing Simulations regarding the ongoing development of their Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation for Flight Simulator, we might very well be looking at an initial release of the classic airliner this summer!
We recently learned about this project to bring the Super Constellation to MSFS and the unusual staged rollout that is planned by the developers. There are four Phases of development, which you can track on Red Wing Simulations’ website, each with a new set of features for the aircraft that will eventually result in a complete product.
The goal of the developers is to release the aircraft this summer during Phase 2. During Phase 1, which is now almost complete, work was focused to develop a flyable airplane with basic options. Phase 2 is now underway, currently still at 30%, and will include additions such as icing effects, prop feathering, fuel system and more. It’s all very detailed on the roadmap that is available online.
The developers have a nice set of graphs showing progress on each stage, a handy visual clue to know how they are doing, but we are curious to see how this project will evolve in the coming weeks.
This release as an Early Access is similar to what Accelerated Flight Systems is doing with the Airbus H145, asking for simmers to buy their product before it’s actually complete. It’s a big promise and, in both cases, we will have to wait to see if the promise is kept.
Red Wing Simulations says that their Super Constellation will soon be available at SimMarket. If all goes well, you will effectively be buying a very cool (in theory) but incomplete aircraft, with future updates coming for free.
Flying a Super Constellation in Flight Simulator would definitely be a delightful affair. It has a very distinctive shape, arguably even more fascinating than the DC-6, its closest competitor at the time. But let’s see how this project will turn out. Hopefully, with the increased visibility of their project, Red Wing Simulations will be a little more communicative about their progress with this iconic propliner.
