Hype Performance Group continues working on the Airbus H145, the successor of the extremely popular (and free) Airbus H135, the first helicopter ever released for the new Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The team has been very transparent about the current development progress (with good reason, given the initial community reaction to the project), and today provided the first glimpse into their new creation inside MSFS. Until now, what we’ve seen are a few very good-looking renders of the helicopter, and everyone was waiting to finally see how the H145 looks inside the sim. It doesn’t disappoint!
These first photos of the H145 in MSFS show the “luxury” variant, featuring an initial layer of paint and some labels that we would expect to see on the real aircraft. The images show only the extremely detailed and realistic external model, showing that the development team really is putting all their best work into making the H145 look as best as it can in MSFS.
At the same time as the visual artists create a beautiful recreation of the helicopter, the coding team has been making progress with the systems, in anticipation of the first flyable build that is expected to be available in August.
We all know that building a 3D model is the “easy” part of making a virtual aircraft. Programming all the systems and the interoperability between them, that’s the real challenge and what sets developers apart. Thankfully, development seems to be moving along very well in this regard. The development update that was released by the team – which you can see below – includes 6 full minutes of working avionics showing engine startup, TOT warnings, and more, so there’s good progress on that front too.
With both visuals and systems coming together at a steady pace, Early Access supporters will be able to get their hands on the H145 next month. If you’re having doubts about spending the $42.99 that Hype Performance Group is asking for their new helicopter, these regular development updates should probably encourage you to take the plunge. They are definitely very promising!
If you want to learn more about the H145, make sure to read our interview with Steve Daniels from Hype Performance Group, where he answered a few questions about the project and the team’s goals for the aircraft.
