The Red Wing L-1049 Super Constellation is now available for MSFS
Well that was quick! Just a few days after our preview of the latest developments on the Super Constellation for MSFS, Red Wing decided that today would be a good day to release the first version of this impressive undertaking. The L-1049 Super Constellation is now available for Microsoft Flight Simulator!
As we mentioned before, this is just the start of this project, which is looking to faithfully recreate this legendary airliner down to the smallest details. For now, Red Wing is calling this first version an “early access”, but that isn’t stopping them from asking a steep price of around $60.
In any case, the developers promise that those who buy the product now will get free updates, and this whole package is expected to improve dramatically over time, judging from Red Wing’s plans for the future, which are as follows:
- KLM and LUFTHANSA liveries
- MATS cargo version
- Complexe fuel system
- Full feathering system
- Breakdown and damage management including volatile collisions, emergency and oxygen systems, train problems and tyres.
- Weather radar, LORAN system and sextan.
- A blank livery set fore more and more liveries
- A.I. Flight Engineer, Copilote and/or Pilot with voices
This aircraft is being developed in 4 stages, with the package that is being launched today matching the plans for the 2 first stages. The following steps of development will bring new features at no additional cost for those why buy this early access version, but Red Wing says that the price will increase once the next stages become available.
Right now, the Connie seems to already provide a pretty comprehensive experience, with a high-quality 3D model, fully functional cockpit with electric, hydraulic and de-icing systems, a realistic WWise soundpack, a cool smoke effect on engine start, and more.
Interested to see what the fuss is all about? This Super Constellation is now available from Simmarket, but it won’t come cheap. But then again, PMDG also priced its contemporary DC-6 at a similar level, although with a complete product right from the start. Will the Connie from Red Wing rival PMDG’s offering? If you have the chance to try them both, let us know in the comments below!
IM0001
Picked it up as soon as I saw it was available. A great start so far, but it is of course nowhere near on par with the PMDG DC-6 and of course that is to be expected this early on. However I do hope some tuning will happen with things like audio as currently the Connie sounds like you have 4 DA20 engines going when you throttle up rather than the Radial sound you expect and get with the DC-6.
Other things like weird bugs with the cockpit interfaces and difficulty being able to move the view around to access the flight engineer station to do things makes flying the plane just a little challenging.
I for sure look forward to the future of this bird, but currently if anyone is expecting a polished plane out of the gate this early, you will be disappointed this early on. Just be warned. You may want to let it finish cooking a little bit more.
Bill Taylor
Not bad, but needs a few changes. The props do not feather in normal shutdown operation, only if initiated from the cockpit during an in-flight engine failure. The engines belch lots of smoke during start, and the disc brakes squeal during taxy.
Paul
The Constellation is my favorite civil aircraft of all time.
I have both the PMDG DC-6 and the Connie and right now there’s no comparison. The DC-6 is excellent through and through. The Connie has a long way to go. I don’t believe it has a “a high-quality 3D model” at the moment unless it somehow installed wrong on my computer. If you get up close, the outside surfaces look like they were made with crinkled up tin foil thats been glossed over while the cabin interior is so bad I’d say I’ve seen better looking models in Nintendo 64 games. The liveries don’t exactly fit correctly, especially on the port side for some reason. The sounds are ok from the inside, bad on the outside. Sounds more like turboprops than radials. And of course there are bugs.
I respect what the team is doing. I thank them for the work they’re doing. I’d buy it again without question… but… it’s pretty rough right now. I hope I’m eating my words in a few months time. 😉
Dustin Cannon
Why did I pay $1000 for a Microsoft Xbox series X, $140 for the best version of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, so the PC community can continue to get the best and most immersive planes and i still get quick start and go planes. I’m a disabled Navy Veteran that suffers from severe PTSD and a debilitating 24/7 migraine that’s lasted 4 years. So I don’t have over $4000 with my limited disability income to pay a non-Microsoft company for a non-Microsoft computer, still pay $140 for the same Microsoft game that Xbox users can buy, because Microsoft and all the decent developers only pander to PC users.