Watch this very early preview of the Hawker 800XP for Microsoft Flight Simulator

Cockspur continues to work on the follow-up to the excellent Citation Mustang, which launched in September for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The developer is now moving forward with the development of a new business jet, the Hawker 800XP, before going after its older sibling, the old-school HS125.

To whet simmers’ appetite for this new project, Sebastian Darrel, lead developer at Cockspur, paid a visit to our friend TwoToneMurphy and took with him an early sample of the 800XP, which he considers to be in a pre-alpha state. Sebastian is counting on a team of developers and real-world pilots of the aircraft to put together a highly-detailed rendition for MSFS, one that can hopefully be enjoyed by the most demanding simmers.

The preview video that you can watch below shows the current state of the Hawker’s model in MSFS, along with a sneak peek into the cockpit and some of the functionality built into the airplane. The visual model looks particularly good, both inside and out, but there’s a lot of work still to be done, according to Sebastian.

The Hawker 800XP will make use of Working Title’s phenomenal job with the Pro Line 21 avionics, a work that has been developed specifically for the CJ4 but which is being integrated as a default system in MSFS with the Aircraft and Avionics Update that will soon become available. Cockspur will integrate this FMS into the Hawker 800XP, which should make for an in-depth and authentic simulation of this business jet in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The developer is also adding a few unique features to the aircraft that should make for a different and very realistic experience. Note, for example, the custom APU with analog gauges, a system that sits in an unusual location behind the pilot and that is already fully functional. This can be seen in action during TuneToneMurphy’s preview, along with a simplified startup procedure and a quick flight around the block.

In terms of sounds, Cockspur is currently using a default sound set for the package, but the goal is to get a sound specialist who can work on a custom soundtrack for the 800XP. This could be a challenge, though, as these professionals are currently hard to come by, so only time will tell if this aircraft will get a fully customized soundtrack.

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Ok, so what about a release schedule and pricing? Well, Cockspur is currently aiming to release the Hawker 800XP during Q1 2023. This is a rough estimate and may change depending on how well development goes in the next few weeks. In terms of pricing, Cockspur is settling on the same pricing that made the Mustang so enticing: $24,99! A release is expected for PC and Xbox.

As usual, we’ll keep following this project and bring you further updates once they become available. In the meantime, this may be a good opportunity to check our interview with Sebastian Darrel, where you can learn more about Cockspur, the history and background behind the project, and more!