Flight Replicas previews its Spitfire Mk.Vb for Microsoft Flight Simulator

There’s no such thing as too many Spitfires! If you’re looking for something slightly different from FlyingIron’s or Aeroplane Heaven’s great renditions of this legendary WWII fighter, look no further than Flight Replicas, which is working on a very particular Mk.Vb model and shared today the first preview images of this work.

First, a word of note to the Flight Replicas Fox Moth, the developer’s latest project, which is just about to be released. Plans are in place for the launch within a few days, so stay tuned for that one if vintage biplanes are your thing. Besides, it may be worth it to check the developer’s plans for the near future, which include some quite interesting projects to go along with today’s subject, the Spitfire.

Flight Replicas’ Spitfire Mk.Vb for Microsoft Flight Simulator is based on a particular aircraft, first flown on April 4, 1942, and represented as it was in June 1942 with 131 Squadron. It was among the last Mk.Vs to feature the older-style windscreen and canopy, just after the RAF transition to the grey/green camouflage and new roundels/markings was complete.

Flight Replicas Spitfire MSFS 6

Flight Replicas Spitfire MSFS 4

Flight Replicas Spitfire MSFS 1

Flight Replicas Spitfire MSFS 3

Later, on April 22, 1943, the aircraft was converted to a Seafire Mk.1b, and eventually concluded its career on January 8, 1944, following a hard tail-drop while onboard the carrier HMS Argus. So, this project is not only an effort to recreate the legendary Spitfire in the virtual world of MSFS, but is also something of historic value due to the specificities of the exact model being created and the known history behind it.

Flight Replicas is keen to highlight that the first screenshots of this Spitfire, which you can see above, are still very much a work in progress and do not represent the final product. Even in its early stages, the Spitfire Mk.Vb is already showing signs of the developer’s attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.

On a further note, Flight Replicas shared that they plan to use the V-12 of the Reno P-51 for the Spitfire’s sound profile. The choice was motivated by the fact that it closely matches their real-world experience of Spitfires, Hurricanes, P-51s, and P-40s, which is to be somewhat expected given that they all use the same Merlin engine.

Flight Replicas Spitfire MSFS 2

Flight Replicas clearly have an uphill battle with this airplane, given that both FlyingIron Simulations and Aeroplane Heaven have already made two impressive models of the Spitfire for MSFS. FlyingIron’s, in particular, is an absolute masterpiece that will be hard to surpass. In any case, Flight Replicas is working on a different model, whose variations may entice simmers who look to collect as many Spitfire variants as possible.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on Flight Replicas as they continue to work on the Spitfire Mk.Vb, and will bring you all the latest updates as they come. In the meantime, keep your eyes on our feed to learn about the impending Fox Moth release!