Contrail has posted a new development update for its Dassault Falcon 50 (FA50) for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which reveals a transition into a more advanced testing phase and confirming that the previously mentioned 2025 release target will not be met.
The project has now moved into what Contrail describes as a more demanding stage of development. The FA50 is currently being flown through all phases of flight, with testing supported by real-world pilots, mechanics, and a beta group. Rather than focusing on isolated scenarios, the aircraft is being used extensively across different regions, weather conditions, and operational contexts. The goal, according to the developer, is to identify behaviours that only appear after prolonged use.
There also seems to be a focus now on refinement rather than feature expansion. Contrail says that most systems are already implemented, with work now centred on edge cases and system interaction. One area receiving sustained attention is the autopilot, which is being tuned to maintain stable and predictable behaviour across all modes.
Visually, the project is approaching a settled state. Exterior and cockpit modelling are described as largely complete, which aligns with the imagery released so far. Sound work, however, remains ongoing. Contrail notes that the sound set still requires additional tuning to better reflect different operating conditions, suggesting this is one of the remaining larger technical tasks.
Beyond the aircraft itself, Contrail also addressed an often overlooked part of first releases. Documentation and tutorials are still in development, and the team has made it clear these are considered a core part of the product. As this is Contrail’s first aircraft, onboarding is being treated as something that should stand on its own rather than as an afterthought.
That brings us to release timing. A 2025 release had previously been mentioned as a development target, but Contrail has now clarified that this was never a commitment. According to the team, hitting that window would require compromises they are not prepared to make. Instead, development will continue until the aircraft meets the internal standard set for this first release.
There is still no revised release window or pricing information, but more updates are expected as progress continues.
