One of the biggest draws of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was its revamped default fleet, and the mighty Airbus A400M Atlas was one of the standout additions. Now, for those who haven’t made the jump to the new sim yet, the “gatekeeping” of this massive turboprop has ended. Microsoft and iniBuilds have released the A400M as a standalone purchase for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, priced at $19.99.
A different kind of mission profile
The A400M doesn’t fly like a typical airliner or a small tactical freighter. It occupies a unique space between the C-130 and the C-17, designed to carry heavy loads into places where paved runways are a luxury.
The developer says that the aircraft is built for high-altitude cruise at Mach 0.72 while maintaining the ability to drop into “austere” or short dirt strips. This opens up a style of flying that the 2020 base fleet lacked: the ability to transition from a long-range strategic haul directly into a tactical landing in rugged terrain.
While this aircraft serves as a “default” in the 2024 edition, it features the high-resolution modeling and systems work typical of recent Microsoft-partnered releases. So, expect a visually impressive piece of work that is perhaps a bit lacking in terms of systems fidelity. Still, it’s quite fun!
At $19.99, the Atlas enters the marketplace at a mid-range price point. It sits significantly lower than high-end study-level military replicas but offers a massive jump in quality over previous freeware or basic ports of the A400M. It’s available now in the MSFS 2020 Marketplace. Worth a look!
