iniBuilds previews the A310 flight deck, Heathrow update incoming

Last month we were surprised by the announcement that the iniBuilds A310, a high-fidelity simulation of the shorter brother of the original Airbus widebody, would be part of a special celebratory edition of Microsoft Flight Simulator, scheduled to commemorate the 40th year of the franchise later this year. Initially planned to be a payware aircraft, the A310 will be available for free in November, in what has to be one of the most exciting projects currently in development for MSFS.

So far, we’ve had the chance to see the stunning external model of the A310, showcased by iniBuilds on a couple of occasions since its original announcement back in October. iniBuilds does provide monthly development updates, and now that we’re approaching the final stages of development for this project, it seems the team is now feeling more comfortable sharing new details and areas of the aircraft previously unseen.

That’s precisely what has happened today, as the CEO of iniBuilds, Ubaid Mussa, took to the official company forums to reveal the widest view yet over the A310’s flight deck. The shot, which you can see reproduced here, reveals the welcoming night environment that MSFS simmers will get the chance to step into in November, with beautiful lighting and the delightfully steam gauges that dominate the instrument panel in this aircraft.

iniBuilds Airbus A310 MSFS 1

iniBuilds Airbus A310 MSFS 2

iniBuilds Airbus A310 MSFS 3

The A310 is quite different from the more modern Airbus airliners. The presence of a yoke is an immediate giveaway, as is the fewer number of modern LCD panels. In operational terms, it also features some unique characteristics and quirks that may surprise those accustomed to newer airplanes such as the A320, but rest assured that iniBuilds will have you covered. The team is building a comprehensive training guide to get simmers acquainted with all the peculiarities of this aircraft, which will be fully reflected in the final product.

Besides the new shot of the flight deck, iniBuilds also shared a couple of images of the external model, once again presenting us with a beautiful aircraft in a great combination of a 3D model with detailed and authentic textures.

EGLL London Heathrow Airport getting a comprehensive update soon

Besides aircraft, iniBuilds also creates scenery for Microsoft Flight Simulator under its sister brand iniScene. The largest project from the team so far was EGLL London Heathrow Airport, which launched for MSFS back in February. iniScene is now working on a big update for that scenery, looking to improve a few key areas: night lighting, performance, external details, and interiors.

iniScene EGLL Heathrow update MSFS 5

iniScene EGLL Heathrow update MSFS 4

iniScene EGLL Heathrow update MSFS 3

iniScene EGLL Heathrow update MSFS 2

iniScene EGLL Heathrow update MSFS 1

The work is now underway to bring this update as soon as possible to owners of the London Heathrow scenery in MSFS. To show the team’s progress, Ubaid shared some preview images that reflect these changes. There are some really significant visual improvements, with the team now measuring performance around the airport. Hopefully, this is an area that will see substantial optimizations, as this is one of the heaviest sceneries we’ve seen yet on the platform.

The changelog is now complete for EGLL, and there’are plenty of changes to note:

  • Hilton Garden Inn bug fix
  • Terminal 2b emissive improvements
  • Terminal 5a detailed interior and improved night lighting
  • Terminal 2 limited interior and improved night lighting
  • Terminal 5b texture and geometry improvements, limited interior with improved night lighting
  • Terminal 5c texture and geometry improvements, limited interior with improved night lighting
  • Various Vehicle Path decals added
  • Various Taxi-way decals added
  • Improvements to T2 Construction Area
  • Minor Improvements to T3 Landside detail
  • Added custom Runway Exit Lighting (orange-green alternating)
  • Added aprons and lines to Fire and Maintenance Area
  • Added Landside detail for Cargo Terminal area
  • Added lighting to T5 Industrial Area
  • Changed gate 236 to 237 (including signage etc)
  • Yellow lines now sorted under runway markings
  • Added double-white line around parking/taxi boundaries
  • Added parking position for G515 (fix for incorrect jetway being called at 516)
  • Adjusted jetway rotation for G516 to prevent obstruction to VDGS
  • Added exclude under Concorde model
  • Rework of airline gate allocation