Top Mach Studios releases major update for F-22A Raptor in Microsoft Flight Simulator

Top Mach Studios has released a comprehensive update for its F-22A Raptor in Microsoft Flight Simulator, offering a range of new features, visual enhancements, and quality-of-life improvements. The V1.2.0 update is available now for Just Flight customers and will be accessible for owners of the MSFS Marketplace version this week.

The update introduces 20 new liveries, covering a variety of current, historical, and fictional designs. These liveries are complemented by representative pilot shoulder patches. In addition to the new liveries, the update includes numerous refinements to the visual model, such as improved animations for the canopy, countermeasure doors, and upper weapon bay. Textural improvements have also been made, including fixes for ambient occlusion issues on various parts like the seat cushion and main gear doors.

In terms of flight dynamics and aircraft systems, the update brings several notable changes. For example, a functional tailhook has been added, allowing for carrier landings. The update also includes an Aerial Refueling (AAR) switch, enabling on-board fueling at a rate of 1100 gallons per minute under specific flight conditions. An emergency gear extension system has also been implemented for power-off scenarios, along with drop tank and pylon jettison animations and logic.

The avionics have seen significant improvements as well. A FLIR-like synthetic vision feature has been added to the PFD, enhancing situational awareness. The Heads-Up Display has been updated to align more closely with the MIL-STD-1787B standard, and new indicators and markers have been added for increased functionality and safety.

For ease of use, the Fly-By-Wire module has been reprogrammed to work better with keyboards. Several new camera angles have also been added to improve the user experience. Visual effects, including wing vapor, body vapor, and vortex effects, have been revised for better blending and fading.

Finally, the update addresses a number of bugs, including a significant memory leak and issues affecting stability at varying frame rates.

Overall, the V1.2.0 update for the F-22A Raptor by Top Mach Studios offers a wide array of improvements and new features to owners of this powerful airplane. The full release notes are below!

To get the update, grab the latest version from your Just Flight Account or wait a little longer for the new version to become available in the Marketplace, if that’s where you got the F-22.

F-22 Update 1.2.0 Release Notes:

Visual model and artwork changes:

Added 20 new liveries (current, historical, and fictional) and representative pilot shoulder patches for all liveries
- F-22A 7th FS ‘Screamin Demons’ Holloman Clean & Weathered
- F-22A #045 19th FS ‘Fighting Game Cocks’ Hickam Clean & Weathered
- F-22A 27th FS ‘Fightin Eagles’ Langley Clean & Weathered
- F-22A 43rd FS ‘Hornets’ Tyndall Clean & Weathered
- F-22A 90th FS ‘Pair-O-Dice’ Elmendorf Clean & Weathered
- F-22A 95th FS ‘Boneheads’ Tyndall Clean & Weathered
- F-22A 149th FS VA ANG Flagship ‘Cripes A Mighty’ Langley
- F-22A 199th FS HI ANG ‘Mytai Fighters’ Hickam Clean & Weathered
- F-22A 422nd TES ‘Green Bats’ Nellis, Chrome Raptor
- F-22A 433rd Weapons School ‘Satans Angels’ Nellis
- F-22A 525th FS ‘Bulldogs’ Elmendorf, ‘Last Raptor’ Green Primer
- F-22A ‘Spirit of America’, Raptor Rollout Colors
- F-22A Raptor USAF Thunderbirds, Tribute to Maj. Gen. Dawn Dunlop

Added countermeasure doors (flares / chaff) and door animations
Canopy open / close animation revised for more accuracy
Added and animated support rods for main weapon bay doors

Improved upper weapon bay door modeling and animations
Revised nose gear extend / retract animations
Corrections to boarding ladder mesh and texture

Created animations for red safety switch covers and switches (basic animations implemented – switches are still inop)
Fixed ambient occlusion problems on: seat cushion, main gear doors, horizontal stabilizers, main gear bay, main weapon bay machinery, tail hook, and nozzles
New textures for tailhook bay and doors interior

Restored missing parts in main gear bays
Minor revisions to main gear animation sequence
Repositioned mesh texture inside inlet to more accurate location

Adjusted position / rotation of intake plugs (fill gaps)
Revised/Refined LOD1 through LOD3 (stray poly on exterior LOD3, landing gear visibility draw distance, cockpit draw distance, pilot draw distance, inlet textures)

Flight Dynamics Modeling and Aircraft Systems:

Tailhook now functions to trap wires on aircraft carriers (tested with JayShrike carrier package)
AAR Switch triggers aerial refueling (onboards fuel at 1100 gpm when aircraft within specific flight parameters)
Added emergency gear extension system (for power off / dead stick situations) using emergency gear extension toggle

Created Drop Tank and pylon jettison animation and logic (triggered by jettison button)
Updated and refined flight model – loaded rolls far more easy to perform.
Shifted model (cockpit, exterior, and pilot) longitudinal position rearward to center the camera eyepoint and for reduced ground “skid” when taxiing.

Avionics:

FLIR-like synthetic vision feature added to PFD
Adjusted mach overspeed caution from 1.9M to 2.0M

Updated Caged HUD Mode to be closer inline with 1787B (significantly improving usability)
Revised HUD Heading Tape: Vertical bar = Magnetic Heading; Inverted T = Magnetic Ground Track; Chevron = Autopilot Commanded Heading
Added Ejection seat disarmed annunciator warning (also set default arming switch position to disarmed when cold and dark)

Added speedbrake indicator on HUD FPM
Added Zenith / Nadir markers to HUD
Add countermeasure doors animation button selector on STA page

Added ARMED and SAFE indications in HUD when the master arm switch is in arm or safe position.

QOL Changes:

Reprogrammed FBW module to operate correctly with keyboards and removed NON-FBW model from the package

Pilot figure visibility condition changed: not visible for static aircraft, visible for multiplayer aircraft when engine N1 rpm >= 2%
Multiplayer visible formation light lighting; self lighting setting determines display on other aircraft for better visibility during multiplayer formations
Revised / corrected tooltip labels on a few switches in the cockpit.

Added several new cameras, and corrected or adjusted cameras

Dynamic Visual Effects:

Revised and added wing vapor, body vapor, and vortex effects including blending and fading action.

Bug Fixes:

Fixed large memory leak and greatly improved wasm performance
Resolved bug affecting stability at very low or very high frame rates and when using different simulation rates

Fixed speed brakes deploy when cold & dark
Significantly improved Flight Path Marker behavior in uncaged HUD mode for accuracy and usability.
Re-Programmed HUD G Meter to be less “twitchy” and to smooth out reported values

Resolved issue with Flight Path Marker causing it to be inaccurate in high winds and at a large bank angle
Leading Edge Flaps upward extension limit correction (-5 degrees) and animation correction
Closed gaps in nozzle animations to eliminate AB VFX bleedthrough