Back in April, Rhodiumcode surprised the community with their A350 project. When we covered that initial reveal, the studio’s caution was part of the story. Then came a more detailed dev update that went deeper on the technical approach, including a custom systems core and a near-complete cockpit, while being candid that the exterior, cabin, and sounds still had a long way to go.
Now we have another piece of evidence of the team’s work: the cinematic trailer premiere. It’s now live, and it gives a decent picture of where the project actually stands, which seems to be somewhere in the middle of a long road.
What the trailer shows
There are moments here that look genuinely promising and suggest a team that knows the aircraft and is building toward something serious.
The GEnx-type engines, the curved scimitar winglets, and the landing gear assembly all get attention, and the cockpit displays show what appears to be functional content: the System Display cycles through electrical and fuel synoptic pages, and the Primary Flight Display and Navigation Display.
But this is also, clearly, a work in progress. The pilot and copilot models are probably the most jarring element in the trailer, looking noticeably underdeveloped compared to the surrounding cockpit environment. Beyond that, some textures and geometry don’t hold up as well under scrutiny.
For a cinematic reveal, which we expect to be a polished view of a product’s status, those rough edges stand out. It doesn’t necessarily mean the final product will carry them, but it does reinforce what Rhodiumcode themselves have said all along: there is a lot of work still ahead.
Where things stand
The trailer doesn’t offer anything new on timeline or release plans, which is consistent with how Rhodiumcode has communicated since their initial announcement in April. The studio remains unproven, the product remains a long way from release, and the MSFS A350 space already has the iniBuilds A350 as a well-established benchmark to clear.
For now, this is a team showing their work in progress, and that’s exactly what it looks like. We’ll keep following it.
