The Kodiak 100 from SimWorks Studios is about to get a big flight model and engine simulation update
The SWS Kodiak 100 for Microsoft Flight Simulator is about to celebrate its first anniversary! It’s still, to this day, one of the best GA and utility airplanes in the simulator, but frequent flyers have likely noticed that this bird hasn’t exactly behaved as well as it did before SU10 hit the rounds. Asobo’s constant changes to the way things work in MSFS have left the Kodiak a bit limp. But don’t fret! SimWorks Studios is on top of things and will soon launch a massive update that promises to bring the Kodiak’s numbers closer to its real-world counterpart!
In a lengthy development update, SimWorks Studios’ Alex Vletsas detailed many of the changes coming to the Kodiak in 2-3 weeks. These are primarily directed at the flight model of the aircraft, with some engine fine-tunings in between.
The first major change will be related to the pitch response of the aircraft. The airplane should feel heavier to the touch when making pitch adjustments. Flap lift and drag have also been reworked and the Kodiak should once again be able to fly the pattern at slow speeds with flaps. Overall, the airplane should behave closely to the published numbers.
On the ground, the Kodiak should also feel much better after this new update, with improved taxiing behavior no matter the surface below. SWS says that both the wheeled and the amphibian version of the Kodiak should now be easier to rotate at 55kts and offer better aileron authority when closer to stall speeds.
One of the unique features of the Kodiak is the auto-trim system that automatically adjusts the trim setting to compensate for varying flap positions. There’s a bug in this system with the current version that makes the airplane move unexpectedly in these circumstances, but that will also be fixed with the impending update.
Moving on to the engine changes, SWS has toned down the effect of altitude for the starting ITT, which should make engine starts more realistic at high-altitude airports. Thanks to the feedback from a real Kodiak pilot, the engine should now also cool significantly faster than before, after shutdown.
Besides the above, this upcoming update to the Kodiak product line will further refine the engine simulation, squash bugs, and fix a few inconsistencies such as the faked pitch-latch mechanism in the Amphibian Kodiak. Make sure to read the full details about all of these changes in SimWorks Studios Facebook post about this update.
In the end, Alex Vletsas says that the Kodiak has never felt as good as it does now with these changes. “The flight model of the upcoming version is the best one yet. It feels the right amount of responsive, stable and more fluid than it ever did before“, he said.
It all sounds great indeed, but there’s a small caveat: the update is not out yet! Expect it to land in 2-3 weeks, which is about the time SWS needs to test all the new fixes and features.
PC-12 still in development; RV-10 awaiting test flights from real-world pilots
In other news from SimWorks Studio, there are new updates concerning the PC-12 and the RV-10 that are currently in development by the team.
The PC-12 was expected to be out by the end of the year, but the development has met some difficulties in recent weeks as key people involved in the project faced some technical problems. The PC-21 is now aimed for release in the first quarter of 2023.
The good news on this front is that the 3D model of the PC-12 is now pretty much finished! SWS expects to share an interactive preview of the interior and exterior, so simmers can take an early look into the quality of the modeling. In the flight model and avionics department, things are also looking good as SWS implements realistic flying dynamics and develops the aircraft’s screens using the latest HTML/Javascript/CSS technologies that are available for the platform.
As for the RV-10, SWS is currently looking for real-world pilots of the aircraft who wish to contribute to the project by test-flying the plane. If this applies to you, reach out to the folks at SWS through this email: [email protected]
