Burning Blue Design tries something different with United Kingdom VORs for MSFS

Burning Blue Design’s frequent array of bespoke airfields, mostly located in the UK, have impressed us with their stunning levels of charm and detail, offering MSFS simmers with small planes the opportunity to enjoy impeccable departure and destination airfields. The team’s latest release, however, is not focused on a particular airport but rather on what’s in-between: VOR stations!

Known for their painstakingly detailed and realistic UK airfields like Compton Abbas, Damyns Hall, or Solent Airfield, just to name a few, the Burning Blue team has now veered off their regular path and into a unique territory – the reproduction of 50 VOR ground stations scattered across the British Isles.

United Kingdom’s VORs, despite being gradually phased out, are a vital component of the air navigation system. They provide essential guidance in determining an aircraft’s heading or bearing relative to the VOR station. This latest package from Burning Blue Design replicates these VOR stations in great detail, with the aim of delivering a satisfying sense of achievement for pilots who, after mastering VOR navigation in the sim, can now spot realistic models of each VOR station exactly where their instruments indicate.

UK VORs MSFS 5

UK VORs MSFS 4

UK VORs MSFS 2

UK VORs MSFS 1

UK VORs MSFS 6

For GA simmers flying in the UK, this promises to be an additional motivation factor to try out the rewarding old methods of VOR navigation, as Burning Blue Design says to have meticulously designed each location with each one’s unique features, including accurate types of VOR construction, nearby ground clutters, and even animated people and static vehicles.

Here’s a rundown of the key features of United Kingdom VORs:

  • All 50 VORs across the British Isles
  • 8 different VOR lattice types.
  • 5 different VOR building types.
  • Full Physical Based Rendering (PBR) textures throughout.
  • A wide variety of vegetation, walls & fences, and ground clutter.
  • Animated people and static vehicles.
  • Ground merging and terraforming.
  • Merging with existing airports and airfields.
  • Points of Interest for each VOR station have been added.

The developers have also provided a comprehensive map of the VOR station locations for simmers to explore.

This is definitely a refreshing change of pace from Burning Blue Design that allows for exploration of the lesser-known aspects of aviation. The result is a package that doesn’t just add aesthetic value to the MSFS environment, but also offers a profound educational experience, reinforcing the importance of VORs in aviation navigation both as a practical and historic means of getting from point A to point B.

United Kingdom VORs is out now via the developer’s own website and should soon make its way to Orbx and the MSFS Marketplace. Price: £8.95.