Hop on this short test flight aboard the Just Flight 146 Professional for MSFS

Just Flight seems to be full steam ahead to get its simulation of the BAe 146 released for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The British airliner is currently undergoing a thorough beta stage, getting ready to join the limited selection of airliners currently available in MSFS.

To get everyone even more excited, Just Flight is starting today with a series of development updates coming directly from Project Lead Martyn Northall, who takes us on a short test flight from Southampton (EGHI) to Bournemouth (EGHH), presenting some details about the current state of the aircraft along with a selection of some really nice new images.

This first update of a planned three has been published in Just Flight’s in-development blog, where we usually get new statements from the team and regular previews for ongoing projects. This time we’re getting something a little different, with direct descriptions of each image, starting from the aircraft parked on the tarmac, until pushback begins as we start our journey to EGHH. The next stages of this flight will be revealed in the coming days.

Just Flight says the aircraft’s systems are now fully operational but continue to get fine-tuning and improvements as the team of testers puts the airplane through its paces. Previous Just Flight releases proved to be quite reliable from the start, so clearly the developers like to release a product that is very much near the peak of its capabilities.

Without further ado, check the full details of this “photographic” test flight, which we reproduce below chronologically for your convenience, with their respective captions. And if you’re looking for something more alive, go watch this revealing preview video from a couple of months ago.

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We start today’s flight on a winter’s afternoon at Southampton’s small terminal building, in front of a cold-and-dark 146-100.
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With door 1L open, we can extend the integral airstairs and climb aboard. They extend under their own weight but require hydraulic pressure from the yellow system to retract. One of many examples of the versatility offered by the 146!
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Entering the very spacious flightdeck, those hundreds of controls and gauges can be an intimidating sight at first, living up to its reputation as a mini Jumbo! Despite all that detail, performance (FPS) remains great.
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Jumping into the Captain’s seat, we can use the EFB tablet to quickly configure the aircraft doors, payload and ground equipment.
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Custom chocks and GPU were recently added for more realistic ground operations. The GPU exhaust heat blur is one of many included effects.
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Turning our attention to the huge overhead panel, we can get the electrical system online, first from the two batteries and external AC, and then the APU. Note the AUX tank annunciator lights on the fuel panel – these are another brand new feature for MSFS, extending the range of the aircraft, particularly useful for VIP operations.
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The overhead panel doesn’t stop there! Moving to the upper overhead, we can configure the air conditioning, external lighting and hydraulic systems. We can set a low cabin altitude for the pressurization system given our 6000ft cruise altitude.
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We can now configure the glareshield, radios and navigation instruments for our departure. The 146 is equipped with two NAV and two ADF radios, RMIs, HSIs, a very capable autopilot and FMS/GPS, offering a mixture of old and new navigation methods.
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Taking advantage of the excellent visibility from the flightdeck, we can monitor the pushback ahead of engine start.
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With pushback complete, we will start engines 4, 3, 2 and then 1. The high-wing, four engine configuration makes for a very interesting aircraft to operate, especially given its small size relative to similarly configured aircraft like the mighty C-17! The extremely sturdy landing gear is also shown here, ideal for rough field operations.