MSFS Dev Stream: 747 and 787 getting huge updates from Working Title, Million Dollar An-225, new Local Legend, and more

Today, the Microsoft Flight Simulator team held their latest Developer Stream, as they do every few weeks, to give the community an insight into the ongoing development of the platform. Microsoft, Asobo, and their partners continue to push the boundaries of the simulator with scheduled updates and upgrades, which continue to give simmers good reasons to invest in MSFS and in its bright future.

As always, Jorg, Seb, and Martial touched a lot of different topics during the one-and-a-half-hour stream, which you can watch in full below. If you don’t have the time to watch it all, here are the most important topics and details discussed during the stream:

An-225 sales and the impressive Marketplace economics

Jorg Neumann revealed that the An-225 has nearly reached the first million-dollar checkmark in sales, which will be sent to Antonov to help rebuild the real-world aircraft. This is a very impressive number for a payware aircraft in the simulator that clearly demonstrates the power of MSFS as a commercially-viable platform for add-on developers.

ATR 42/72-600: Fastest Selling Plane and Upcoming Improvements

The ATR 42-600/72-600 package is now the fastest-selling plane in the sim. Still, the MSFS team and Hans Hartmann, the lead developer behind the project, recognise that there are numerous improvements that can be done to this first entry into the “Expert Series” of airplanes being launched by Microsoft. With that in mind, the ATRs will get their first update next week. This update will include SimBrief support and payload support through the EFB.

Furthermore, Jorg Neumann explained that an Expert Series aircraft represents a product that was developed by working closely with manufacturers to make the airplane as realistic as possible, although some manufacturers have restrictions on certain features, such as failures.

Photogrammetry in Hawaii and World Update Schedule

Photogrammetry is coming to Hawaii in the near future, after bad weather prevented its implementation in World Update 13. World Update 14 has been moved to July. The target region for this upcoming new World Update was not disclosed, however, a teaser shot revealed at the last moments of the stream, hints at an update that will include Prague, in Czechia.

100 New Planes in Development

Jorg revealed that there are about 100 planes currently in development for the simulator (first-party products, co-developed between partners and Microsoft).

Freeware definitely coming to the Marketplace

Jorg acknowledged the ongoing backlog issues in the Marketplace, and expressed his desire to include freeware add-ons in the future. However, clearing the backlog of payware add-ons is a priority for the team.

City Update 2: New French Cities and Paris Le Bourget

City Update 2 is coming soon and will target five cities in France: Amiens, Angers, Nantes, Nimes, and Reims. Additionally, LFPB Paris Le Bourget is being developed by IniBuilds.

Latécoère 631: A New Local Legends Plane with a Controllable Boat

The Latécoère 631 the next Local Legend airplane. Developed by BlueMesh, who also worked on the Spirit of St. Louis, the Wright Flyer, and the Spruce Goose for the 40th Anniversary Edition, the plane features a controllable boat to tow it. This historic aircraft no longer exists in the real world, but the preview images and video shared during the stream are very promising and showcase a stunning aircraft inside and out with a few pretty cool features.

Speaking of seaplanes, the team is also exploring the ability to take off from water as a cold and dark option, given the increase in seaplanes in development.

Working Title’s Aircraft and Avionics Update 2 targeting the Boeing 787-10 and 747-8

In an exciting new update from Working Title, the Aircraft and Avionics Update 2 (AAU2) was unveiled in all its glory, scheduled for a release in June. Matt Nischan revealed that the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner will see a massive overhaul that will include some very welcome features:

• Full usual WT high quality LNAV, RNAV, VFR approaches
• With IAN Performance based VNAV (climb/descend) w/econ, Ci, alternates
• Complete A/T with fixed and temp based derate
• V Speed computations for takeoff and landing refs
• New fly-by-wire system with trim speed (C*U law)
• Full set of normal autopilot modes, plus LAND/FLARE/ROLLOUT
• RR Trent 1000 simulation with TPR
• Overhauled screen visuals, fonts, pane system, split CDUs/MFDs
• Deep HUD with both normal and decluttered mode w/runway outline
• Updated systems simulations and synoptic pages (hydraulics, fuel, CAS, etc.)
• Updated flight model based on real performance data and sounds

The 747-8 is also receiving an update with similar changes:

• Full usual WT high quality LNAV, RNAV, VFR approaches, with IAN
• Performance based VNAV (climb/descend) w/econ, Cl, alternates
• Complete A/T with fixed and temp based derate
• V Speed computations for takeoff and landing refs
• Full set of normal autopilot modes, plus LAND/FLARE/ROLLOUT
• Overhauled screen visuals, fonts, pane system, split CDUs/MFDs
• Updated systems simulations and synoptic pages
• Updated flight model based on real performance data

The team did not touch on whether the popular Salty or Heavy Division mods will be integrated with these updates.

The beta for AAU2 is coming very soon on the 15th of May, with a full release scheduled for late June.

ATC Improvements: Work in Progress

The team is working on improvements to the ATC system, but no specific news or timeline was provided during the stream.

Marketplace Changes: Increasing Weekly Releases and Reducing Backlog

Jorg reported that the number of weekly releases in the Marketplace has started to increase, thanks to the recent changes in the intake process. Although there is still a substantial backlog, he is confident that the new process will prove more fruitful and relieve pressure for both Microsoft and developers.

These are the most important tidbits we’ve gathered from the stream, so make sure to watch the full video if you’d like to learn the full details. With these exciting updates and developments, the future of Microsoft Flight Simulator looks brighter than ever! As usual, will continue to bring you all the latest news in the world of MSFS and further details about today’s announcements once they become available. Stay tuned!