DC Designs teases the Harrier II for MSFS, coming this summer

DC Designs has been putting out some very cool airplanes for Microsoft Flight Simulator, with the latest being the iconic Concorde (and the F-15, F-14, or the Stearman, before that). Now with the Concorde well established in the platform and a big update for the F-15 nearly ready to come out, DC Designs is turning their attention to the next project coming to MSFS: the AV-8B Harrier II!

The Harrier II was announced as part of the plans for this year, and it’s currently scheduled for a release sometime during this summer. We are used to seeing fast development times from DC Designs, with regular updates and preview images of each ongoing project, so stay tuned in the coming weeks for some certainly beautiful photos of the Harrier II in MSFS. The first of these updates arrived today, with some details about what DC Designs plans to bring with this project.

Two variants of the Harrier II are being developed by DC Designs, the AV-8B and GR5 Harrier. The aircraft’s hallmark feature, vertical takeoffs and landings, will be a development focus for DC Designs, hoping to properly recreate in MSFS the real-world experience of flying this challenging airplane. Expect a realistic impact of weather, wind, and other aerodynamic factors when hovering with the Harrier.

DC Designs Harrier II MSFS 2

DC Designs Harrier II MSFS 1

The Harrier is well known among the military aviation community, due in great part to its unique V/STOL capabilities. It’s an aircraft that has famously operated in many major operation theatres since it went into service in the 1980s, playing a very versatile role for the USMC, the RAF, and the Spanish and Italian navies, among other operators.

This will then be the next MSFS aircraft from DC Designs, the next in line in a product list this year that also includes the F-4J Phantom, which is being developed at the same time as the Harrier (expect more news on that front soon). As with all products from the developer, the Harrier II will be available for both PC and Xbox.

For now, enjoy the initial preview shots of the Harrier II, which show only the external fuselage in a very work-in-progress state. The next few weeks should be rich with new details, so stay tuned for further news from DC Designs!