Here’s a somewhat unusual but definitely very interesting new product for Microsoft Flight Simulator. See the default Cessna Grand Caravan? The glass-cockpit-equipped workhorse is one of the dullest default airplanes in MSFS, but that may be just about to change dramatically after today’s release of Black Square’s Steam Gauge Overhaul for the aircraft, which promises to bring some much-needed levels of realism and fidelity to this bird!
Black Square announced their Steam Gauge Overhaul project just a couple of weeks ago, which aims to recreate some of the stock airplanes in MSFS with a more classic analog vibe, while also adding significant simulation improvements. The Grand Caravan is the first aircraft to get this treatment, to be followed soon by the King Air and possibly others down the line.
Black Square took the Asobo Grand Caravan to the workshop and stripped it entirely of its internals. The team says that only the external model remains the same, while the interior has been completely renovated, with a particular highlight to that beautiful analog cockpit. Simmers will now have the chance to enjoy a classic Grand Caravan that can be equipped with a variety of radio configurations, from old-school options such as the Bendix KNS-80 RNAV to the more modern GTN 750 avionics from TDS and PMS50.
The developers promise that this is much more than an aesthetical overhaul to the Grand Caravan. In fact, Black Square claims that their work has turned the Grand Caravan into a fully-fledged “study-level” aircraft, with a fully interactive cockpit (circuit breakers included!), powered by a custom electrical system, and significantly improved engine logic and simulation. The engine can even fail if the pilot doesn’t respect its operational limits!
Black Square published a technical overview video this week detailing many of the changes this mod introduces to the Caravan. It’s really quite an impressive feat and a great start to this promising series. The default airplanes in MSFS are excellent in terms of modeling and texturing but often leave somewhat to be desired in the systems and flight dynamics departments. Black Square hopes to fix that, starting with the Grand Caravan and hopefully extending to the rest of the default airplane lineup in the simulator.
The Analog Caravan from Black Square is now available, priced at $23.00. Note that this doesn’t replace your default Grand Caravan, adding instead a new airplane to your hangar. All the default liveries are compatible with this upgraded version too!
For more details about what you’re getting, make sure to watch the video above and also check the official product page, where all the features are listed.
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