Surprise! Sky Simulations releases the MD-11 for MSFS

With just a few hours until the release of a highly awaited (and free!) new airliner for Microsoft Flight Simulator, the iniBuilds A310, a surprising new release has taken place, maybe looking to steal some of that attention. Sky Simulations has launched today its rendition of the MD-11, a tri-jet widebody aircraft that comes with a pretty hefty price tag.

This aircraft comes seemingly out of nowhere from a developer that isn’t really very well-known among the MSFS community. However, Sky Simulations is no stranger to the flight simulation market and McDonnell Douglas airplanes in particular. Their MD-11 has been available for P3D for a while, with decent reviews… however, things are quite different nowadays and MSFS users have their own particular set of expectations.

Pricing is definitely one thing to consider and something that has decidedly gone down with regards to complex airplanes in MSFS. Sky Simulations is selling the MD-11 for $57.00 + tax, which isn’t exactly cheap… and doesn’t even compare well with high-quality offerings from Fenix Simulations and PMDG, to name a few.

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Furthermore, the Sky Simulations MD-11 for MSFS looks more like a port over from P3D than a new model, despite the developer’s claims of a “state of the art replica of the aircraft“. Low-resolution textures seem to abound and some oddities like “Fully operational 3-position landing lights” convey a somewhat strange impression…

In any case, Sky Simulations offers four different models of the MD-11 for MSFS, two passenger and two freighter versions (with different engines). The flight model has apparently been tested by real airline pilots, while the autopilot seems quite capable with multiple modes available, including LNAV and VNAV.

The Sky Simulations MD-11 is now available for MSFS. Given the lack of details and the high price, we recommend that you wait for the first reviews to come in before making a purchase. And keep in mind that TFDi is working on its own rendition of the MD-11, one that promises to be up-to-par with the modern ages in terms of visuals, although we have no release date estimate for that one.