New details about the DC Designs Concorde for MSFS: coming in 2022 with a fully animated cockpit and Mach 2 speeds

DC Designs continues to work on Concorde for MSFS, the legendary supersonic airliner. We’ve seen a few early work-in-progress images, and the developer has also introduced some preliminary details for this upcoming version for MSFS but, in the last few days, we got a detailed list of features from DC Designs’ publisher, Just Flight, paving the way for a release that has now slipped to early 2022.

Following the release of the F-14 Tomcat, DC Designs is now fully focused on the Concorde, possibly with a few detours in the spare time to work on the freeware P-61B Black Widow. But the Concorde appears to be coming together at a steady pace, judging from the developer’s regular Friday updates. The latest one talks about the ongoing work to rebuild the flight deck and bring it up to MSFS standards, with entirely new modeling and PBR textures.

DC Designs promises that the entire cockpit will be animated, with every single switch, button, dial and knob rendered in 3D and responding to the pilot’s command. The Concorde will demand full attention, with the flight engineer station requiring monitoring during the flight to ensure the safety of all operations. While the developer is not looking to create a “study-level” simulation of the Concorde for MSFS, the sheer number of instruments and systems means that a relatively complex experience is in store for simmers.

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The developer is using hundreds of reference photographs from retired museum-exhibit Concordes in Scotland and Surrey. These are being used to accurately recreate the aircraft for MSFS, from an aesthetic point of view. Concerning the simulation itself, DC Designs is implementing a custom flight model that will allow the aircraft to accurately fly up to its famous supersonic speeds, reaching Mach 2 at 55,000 feet.

The external model will also be extensively animated, like the famous nose-droop, undercarriage, inlet ramps, reverse-thrust buckets, passenger and cargo doors, and more. Since the Concorde only flew under British Airways and Air France colors, both liveries will be included in the package, together with the briefly-used Singapore Airlines G-BOAD paint scheme.

These and many more details from the DC Designs Concorde for MSFS are now available in Just Flight’s In-Development blog, along with an initial set of shots showcasing the current state of development. As for an estimated release date, it’s currently vaguely pointed at a “first part of 2022” timeframe. So, forget about any expectation to get your hands on this aviation icon for the holidays, as it was initially planned.

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Xbox pilots looking to fly the Concorde in the comfort of their couch will have to wait even longer: the MSFS Marketplace is currently experiencing long wait times for product releases, but while this is expected to improve over the coming months, developers in general are now refraining from giving estimates for a release in the Marketplace.

AEROSPATIALE / BAC CONCORDE

  • High-detail 3D model based on extensive research and visits to museum-exhibit aircraft
  • Fully animated exterior model including all access doors, engine inlet ramps, thrust-reverse buckets and control surfaces
  • Concorde’s famous, multi-stage ‘nose droop’ and windscreen animations recreated via custom coding
  • Full interior and exterior night-lighting
  • PBR textures throughout

FLIGHT DECK

  • Truly 3D virtual cockpit featuring accurate controls and detailed PBR texturing 
  • 3D modelled dials throughout: HSI, ADI, ‘whiskey’ compass and other high-detail instruments with smooth animations
  • Captain, First Officer and Engineer’s station all operational
  • Fully modelled passenger cabin with working displays, lighting, access doors and other unique animations
  • Aircraft modelled and optimised for high-performance on all systems, and for use with Virtual Reality headsets in MSFS VR Mode
  • Full interior night-lighting ( dimmable )

AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS

  • Accurate flight model with Mach 2 ‘super-cruise’ capability and realistic handling throughout the flight envelope
  • Custom modelled FMC system 
  • Custom-coded engineer’s station with operationally-required tasks, including fuel management for Centre of Gravity control during high-altitude cruise, along with automated options for control of Concorde during the flight regime.
  • Full navigation suite with VOR, NDB, ADF radios and Transponder 
  • Full communication suite with multiple radios
  • Full multi-mode autopilot system
  • In-Sim checklist with full Heathrow-to-JFK flight guide

LIVERIES

  • British Airways 1985-1987
  • British Airways 1998-2003
  • Air France 1976-2003
  • Singapore Airlines G-BOAD

MANUAL / PAINT KIT

A full operations manual and paint kit is included.

SOUND

MSFS-native (Wwise) sound package by Sim Acoustics taking full advantage of the simulator’s new sound capabilities both inside the cockpit and around the exterior model.