There’s something fitting about announcing a Dutch aircraft at a Dutch flight sim conference, held in the same city where two real F27s are on display at the Aviodrome museum. Two of them are in Lelystad, and one of them is literally suspended above the show floor at FSWeekend this weekend!
Local Legend 23 is the Fokker F27 Friendship, announced today during Microsoft’s keynote at FSWeekend, and available right now on the MSFS Marketplace. It was developed by iniBuilds.
The F27 made its maiden flight on 24 November 1955 and entered revenue service in November 1958. It became the best-selling European turboprop airliner of its era, with a total of 592 units completed by Fokker and a further 207 built under licence in the United States by Fairchild. It was also the aircraft that effectively replaced the DC-3 on shorter regional routes across Europe and beyond, offering pressurisation, quieter Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops, and a noticeably better passenger experience for the era. Production continued all the way to 1987, an impressive run for any commercial aircraft type.
Based on the live demo given at FSWeekend by iniBuilds’ team, the F27 has been developed from real reference aircraft in the Netherlands. The exterior modelling includes removable cowlings with visible engine detail, and walk-around capability is fully supported, including chocks and pitot covers. Ground service equipment, a GPU, fuel truck, and period-appropriate baggage cart, has been modelled to match the era in which the F27 operated.
The cockpit features a period-authentic autopilot with heading, navigation, and altitude hold modes. For navigation, the developer says you can fly it the classic way using ADF and VOR radio navigation, or opt for a more modern approach using GPS, with compatibility for Working Title’s TDS and PMS units if you have them. An EFB is included with full Navigraph charts integration, and the simulator’s included Lido charts are also supported. Night lighting has been recreated to reflect the aircraft’s characteristic and, by modern standards, rather quirky cockpit illumination.
Career mode integration is fully supported across passenger, private, and cargo configurations, making the F27 a natural fit for regional routes throughout the new Netherlands and Belgium City Update that Microsoft also released today.
The Fokker F27 Friendship is available now on the MSFS Marketplace, priced at $19.99 USD.
