It’s been a long wait since Miltech Simulations first announced the Bo 105 earlier this year, but the joint venture between Miltech and Stratoware now has a firm date attached to it: Friday, May 22nd.
The MBB Bo 105 is a natural fit for the sim. It’s one of the most recognisable light utility helicopters in the world, known for its rigid rotor system that gave it an unusual degree of agility for its class, and it has operated in roles ranging from military reconnaissance to search and rescue to law enforcement across dozens of countries. For MSFS 2024 specifically, it also fills a gap in a rotorcraft library that, while growing, still has room for classic utility types with broad real-world operational histories.
What Miltech and Stratoware are bringing to the table is not a single-role release. The package covers 13 variants in total, including a medical version, military ATGM configuration, an aerobatic variant with a functional smoke system, a broadcast helicopter with a working FLIR camera, police variants with a searchlight, mountain rescue with a hoist, and configurations with floats, snow shoes, and tall skids.
There is also a sling load version described as Mission Hub compatible. That breadth of roles is one of the more ambitious feature sets announced for any helicopter in the sim to date.
The livery count is equally notable. The developers say the package ships with more than 50 liveries across the fleet, with a credit to the HUES livery team for their contributions. Looking at the screenshots already circulating, those liveries span a wide geographic range, from German Polizei and Bundeswehr military variants to Canadian Coast Guard, Virginia State Police, and UK police configurations.
Sound is being handled by Echo 19, who recorded the package’s audio from a real Bo 105, specifically the aircraft registered N8809W. Real-world recording sessions have become something of a standard expectation for serious payware releases, and the involvement of Echo 19 is an assurance that the Bo 105’s soundscape will be as good as it can be.
The package also includes Teufelsgraben, a small general aviation airfield in Germany, which serves as a home base for the Bo 105 in the sim.
Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but media previews are expected to begin this weekend ahead of the May 22nd launch.
We first mentioned the Bo 105 in our January coverage of Miltech’s announcements. It has been one of the more anticipated rotorcraft announcements of the year, and with a release just over a week away, the wait is nearly over!
