Learn more about the Velocity XL, a cool new plane coming soon to Microsoft Flight Simulator

Just Flight unveiled a brand new aircraft for MSFS just a few days ago, a project under development by Black Square (creators of the Real Taxiways). The Velocity XL, a home-built single-engine airplane with canard and pusher engine configuration, was initially teased with the first selection of images, but we now have many new details about the product and what it will bring to MSFS once it’s released later this month (estimated).

Black Square appears to be going deep into the simulation of this fascinating new airplane, with the addition of many great features. Everything you will see will be functional, including the circuit breakers, for a fully-featured, IFR-capable aircraft that has the potential to offer something a little different to general aviation pilots in MSFS.

Just Flight now has an official product page for the Velocity XL, from where we can extract a long list of features and details about the whole product. It was apparent from the first batch of images that the Velocity XL would look great in MSFS, which is now corroborated with the listed specifications that point to the use of 4K PBR textures and an accurate model, all put together for MSFS with the help of hundreds of reference photos taken from the real aircraft.

When sitting in the cockpit, simmers will be presented with a modern instrument panel, powered by the default G3X avionics (upgradable with the Working Title freeware mod), but also compatible with the excellent PMS50 GTN 750 (available for free or as payware with added features).

Black Square has apparently modeled the entire electric circuit of the Velocity XL (again, with fully functional circuit breakers), so we can expect a more nuanced experience than usual. For example, the landing gear mechanics should be adequately reproduced with a “two green” system and a gear warning and electric hydraulic system simulation, with backup gear release logic.

When it comes to sounds, it seems the developers have applied for some savings with the use of the default Extra 330 sound package, albeit with the addition of a few custom recordings for a more realistic soundscape.

A canard-design aircraft has a few unique characteristics, besides its uncommon looks. More especifically, the canard creates a different aerodynamic profile that makes stalls and spins more unlikely. The canard is designed to stall before the main wing, which leads to a pitch down on the aircraft that helps restore lift to the main wing.

Black Square promises that this unique flight model is being fully implemented in this version for Flight Simulator, taking advantage of the latest platform advancements in computational fluid dynamics.

These are some of the highlights of the Velocity XL, but you check the full detailed feature list on Just Flight’s website. It seems to be a rather interesting new airplane, so we’ll be paying close attention to it over the coming days and weeks and bring you any further details about the exact release date. Stay tuned!