A beta version of the first Aircraft & Avionics Update for MSFS is now available!

The MSFS team has released today the first beta build of the massive Aircraft and Avionics Update 1, a new kind of platform update that will look to significantly upgrade the stock avionics in MSFS and some of the most popular airplanes. Aircraft and Avionics Update 1 (AAU1) is currently expected to launch in January, but adventurous simmers who wish to try all the new stuff can now download the fresh new beta version available to those who’ve joined the Beta Program!

The Aircraft and Avionics Updates are the result of Working Title’s incredible work with the default avionics and systems, and promise to have a major impact on simmers’ experience in Flight Simulator. Similarly to the World and Sim Updates, Aircraft and Avionics Updates will be regular throughout the year and tackle some specific components of the flying experience, either by upgrading avionics like the G3000 and GNS 530/430 or airplanes like the CJ4, TBM 930, or Citation Longitude. These are precisely the targets of AAU1 whose beta has just launched today.

If you can’t wait for January to see all the new stuff, AAU1 is now available in the latest MSFS beta. Upon installing, you’ll find massive improvements in a few key features of the simulator!

Starting with the avionics, many of the devices you’re used to seeing in the airplanes in MSFS are getting much closer to their real-world counterparts, both in terms of how they look and, crucially, in their features and operations.

See the GNS 430W/GNS 530W, for example. AAU1 adds advanced flight planning to this equipment, such as support for complex procedures. Full RNAV simulation has also been implemented, along with support for missed approaches, a VNAV profile calculator, and much more! You’ll be able to experiment with all these new features in the C172 Classic, the Robin, the Diamond DA-40 and DV-20, and other airplanes that use this configuration.

A similarly comprehensive avionics update is also available on the Garmin G3000 and G5000 suites. Given the added capabilities of this equipment, the list of new features is even longer! This will consequently be a huge upgrade to the airplanes that make use of these avionics packages, like the TBM 930 and the Citation Longitude.

Speaking of airplanes, the two above are getting some major upgrades besides the brand-new avionics package! The Longitude promises to be a fundamentally different experience, with many flight model improvements, a fully-featured autothrottle, custom system synoptic pages, custom hydraulic and electrical systems, and much more! It’s essentially becoming a near-study-level airplane that closely matches the manufacturer’s specifications.

And let’s not forget about the CJ4, which is basically incorporating all the changes made by Working Title with their popular CJ4 Mod!

The list of changes brought upon by the first Aircraft and Avionics Update is simply staggering. It’s a long list filled with complex features that are sure to bring a whole new life to the simulation as a whole and to a few airplanes in particular!

Remember that, as with every beta of Microsoft Flight Simulator, there’s always a risk that you’ll have to reinstall the sim when joining or leaving a flight, so keep that in mind before enrolling. Furthermore, if you decide to leave the beta before it ends, you may have to re-install the sim. If not, you’ll keep receiving each successive beta versions, with all the early fixes (and instabilities) that will come with them! If you’re up to the risk, check below the full release notes of the brand-new beta version that has just become available!

General Bug Fixes

• Fixed unflyable helicopters when user had the legacy flight model realism settings (gyroscope) set to less than 100%
• Fixed control loss of Pitch axis on helicopters when anti stall assist is “on”
• Repaired snow covering 100% of airport tarmac & roads
• Fixed terrain level of detail issue on Xbox

GNS 430W / GNS 530W

The simulator’s Garmin GNS 430W and GNS 530W have been upgraded to bring them much more closely in-line with their real-world counterparts:

• Comprehensive visual overhaul for accurate font, symbology, look, operation, and feel
• Advanced flight plan support, including support for complex departure, arrival, and approach procedures (arcs, holds, procedure turns, etc), with correct real-unit limitations (no radius-to-fix, heading, or some intercept legs)
• Full RNAV support and simulation, with support for LPV, LP, LNAV/VNAV, and +V vertical guidance during approaches
• GPS satellite and SBAS simulation, including orbital mechanics-based real satellite positions and accurate SBAS coverage areas, GPS status page
• VNAV profile calculator page and associated reminders/alerts
• Support for missed approaches and missed approach holds
• Full specification-accurate ADS-B based Traffic Avoidance System
• More accurate map symbology, procedure previews
• Keyboard entry mode for waypoints, navaids, and direct-tos
• Numerous customization options found on the real unit, such as metric/imperial units settings, map data fields settings
• Satellite weather overlay support (NEXRAD)

These units have been added to the following aircraft in AAU1:

• Cessna C172 Classic (all variants)
• Robin Cap 10
• Diamond DA-40 TDI
• Diamond DV-20
• L-39 (some variants)
• P-51D (some variants)
• T-6 (BabyBoomer)

Cessna Citation CJ4 & Avionics

The Cessna Citation CJ4 avionics have been heavily upgraded to bring an authentic CJ4 avionics experience:

• Comprehensive visual overhaul for accurate font, symbology, look, operation, and feel
• Independent MFD and FMS operation
• Advanced flight plan support, including arcs, radius-to-fix, intercepts, hold, procedure turns, missed approaches, and custom waypoint scratchpad entry
• Coupled VNAV with editable constraints, flight path angles, vertical path smoothing, and VNAV-invalidation conditions
• Advanced autopilot, including armable lateral and vertical modes as well as complex combined-armed modes
• Full specification-accurate TCAS II traffic system
• Cabin pressurization and complete Crew Alerting System
• FMS performance calculations for takeoff and landing speeds
• Integrated dual engine FADEC systems with N1 mode indications and accurate N1 targets
• Independent display options and state-saving
• Enhanced FMS Text MFD display modes
• Keyboard entry mode for FMS data entry
• AHRS alignment and startup sequence
• Improved flight model:
  • Improvements to ground and crosswind handing during the takeoff and landing phases
  • Improvements to flight control performance accuracy, smoothness, and handling
  • Improvements to fuel consumption accuracy
  • Improvements to handling while in ground effect
• Improved engine and interior sound effects

Garmin G3000 & Garmin G5000 Avionics Suites

• Comprehensive visual overhaul for accurate font, symbology, look, operation, and feel, including Garmin Touch Controller (GTC) visuals that are faithful to the real unit complete with UI animations
• Advanced flight plan support, including arcs, radius-to-fix, intercepts, holds, procedure turns, and missed approaches
• Support for custom waypoints, including lat/lon, point/bearing/distance, and present position
• Two (aircraft-dependent) styles of coupled VNAV:
  • Simple VNAV: Descent path VNAV only, always targets bottom-most altitude constraint
  • Advanced VNAV: Climb constraint and descent path VNAV, vertical path smoothing through varied constraint types, editable constraints, and flight path angles
• Independent PFD and GTC options
• PFDs and MFDs with full split-pane support
• Support for the full set of context-dependent GTC knob controls
• GPS satellite and SBAS simulation, including real orbital mechanics-based satellite positions, accurate SBAS coverage areas, and GPS status page
• Comprehensive traffic system implementations, including (aircraft-dependent) spec-compliant Garmin TIS, TAS, and TCAS-II
• Support for multiple layout styles, including horizontal or vertical GTCs, screen-pane options, numbers of screens, and more
• Support for custom V-speed bugs, SVT, angle of attack indicator, HSI moving map, timers, minimums, and bearing pointers
• A multitude of customization options, including measurement units, all saved per screen and/or aircraft
• AHRS alignment and startup sequence
• JavaScript plugin support for loading:
  • Engine Instruments and Systems (EIS) displays
  • Custom PFD or MFD display panes (full- or half-screen)
  • Custom GTC navigation, icons, and pages
  • Aircraft systems simulation and instrument styling

Daher TBM 930

• Support and wiring for the new Garmin G3000
• Support for fully coupled Basic VNAV, as found in the real aircraft
• Customized and highly accurate EIS
• Systems synoptic pages
• Customized electrical modeling
• Support for opening exterior cockpit and cabin doors

Cessna Citation Longitude

• Support and wiring for the new Garmin G5000
• Support for fully coupled Advanced VNAV, as found in the real aircraft
• Flight model improvements:
  • Better feeling of direct control
  • Highly accurate performance numbers
  • Revised fuel burns
  • Improved ground and crosswind handling
  • More accurate float during the landing phase
• Dual engine FADEC with accurate N1 targets, modes, and thresholds
• Fully featured autothrottle system with correct AT modes/functionality and communication to and from the FMS
• Custom Longitude systems synoptics pages
• Customized and highly accurate Longitude EIS
• Full suite of accurate CAS messages
• Takeoff and Landing Data (TOLD) support with FMS takeoff and landing performance calculations
• Modeled systems based on manufacturer feedback and documentation:
• Bleed air system, including pressure and temperature simulations, feedback between pneumatically fed systems, and starters
• Hydraulic system, including fluid-based pressures sim with realistic hydraulic accumulator behavior and system knock-on effects from hydraulically powered systems as well as full PTCU simulation
• Environmental control system with cabin/cockpit air mass simulations and sounds
• Automated brake system with anti-skid, wheel-up spin inhibition, and brake temperature simulations
• Electrical system, including generator bus connection logic and automatic on-ground bus tie logic
• Speedbrake and ground spoiler control system with automated ground spoilers and speedbrake auto-stow logic, and corrected spoiler panel behavior
• Fuel system with automated fuel pump logic and temperature simulations
• Cabin pressurization system fed from the bleed air system with correct climb and descent schedules, and controller modes
• Anti-ice system fed from the bleed air system, with temperature simulation and engine load efficiency decreases (N1, N2, fuel flow)
• Exterior lighting systems with automatic light logic, improved light levels and locations
• Pre-flight system auto-tests simulation

LS8-18 and DG1001

• Corrected instrument names on instrument panels and boot screens

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where the sim would allow an APU or engine bleed air start under the incorrect conditions
• G1000 NXi:
  • Fixed incorrect text label in PFD arrival selection page
  • Fixed flight plan clearing when loading a VTF as the next leg
  • Fixed wind direction being shown in degrees true rather than magnetic
  • Fixed GPS WP distance showing 0 on a random direct-to

Known Issues

• Users on the Series S hardware may currently experience a higher rate of crashes due to low memory when using the TBM and Longitude. The team is aware of the issue and working towards a solution.
• PFDs on the TBM and Longitude will not yet be split on this build, and instead will be mirrored
• Longitude APU total time may not display the correct value
• Some icons on the Longitude Systems and Controls pages may not display, but page/pane operation is not affected
• TO/GA button on the CJ4 throttle handle may be hard or impossible to click for some users, but the key binding will work to activate TO/GA
• The test display screen on the GNS430W and GNS530W will not presently move the CDI needles
• The nearest intersections page on the GNS units may display procedure intersections which appear to be duplicates