Weekly Recap

Development of Sim Update 6 continues with a new test build (1.8.11.0) released to those enrolled in the optional SU6 public beta earlier this week. In case you missed it, you can read the release notes for 1.8.11.0 at this link. For those participating in the beta, please make sure you vote in our forum surveys. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us as we continue work on SU6!

Also earlier this week the Dassault Rafale from developer AzurPoly released on the Marketplace for PC, XBOX, and PS5! We recently spoke with Théo from the AzurPoly to discuss their company’s history in flight simulator add-on development and what it took to bring this French fighter jet to the sim. You can read the interview with Théo here.

boeing 707-320c showcase livestream

Next week we’ll be hosting a showcase livestream for the upcoming Boeing 707-320C by Working Title and iniBuilds on our Twitch.tv channel! Joining us on stream will be Chris Burnett from Working Title, who will run through this completely rebuilt iconic retro airliner.

aircraft Spotlight – microsoft / working title boeing 737-8

Earlier this week we launched the Microsoft / Working Title Boeing 737-8 on Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020), bringing this popular modern day airliner to more players! To celebrate its release, we spoke with Chris Burnett from Working Title to find out more about the Boeing 737-8:

Could you tell us a bit about some of the areas you focused on when beginning work on the 737-8?

Work on the 737-8 for MSFS (2020) was primarily focused on making this popular aircraft available to all users of the platform. This aircraft is one of the most popular in MSFS 2024 and Microsoft asked us to bring that same experience to MSFS (2020) users to show the continued commitment to the platform. We worked with a real world 737-8 pilot when beginning this project and our focus was on creating an authentic and approachable experience for normal flight operations, from startup to shutdown.

Are there any new features that players can look forward to trying?

The aircraft is all new for MSFS2020, but aims to replicate the features and capabilities of the MSFS2024 version. We partnered with Asobo on this project; our team built the avionics, flight model, and systems specifically for MSFS2020, and Asobo worked on the model also specifically for MSFS2020.

We think users will enjoy the LNAV, VNAV and autopilot modelling – these systems work well across traditional and RNAV/RNP type approaches. The HUD is also a popular feature and is fully integrated with the aircraft approach mode, allowing it to be used for precise low visibility approaches as an alternative to autoland.

Were there any technical aspects about the Boeing 737 that you found similar to your previous work on the Boeing 787?

What makes the 737-8 so interesting is the integration of older and newer technologies together. The 737-8 shares a type rating with earlier 737 generations, so it retains much of the panel layout and interactions from previous generations, while at the same time integrating the new display system that was first introduced on the 787, including large format primary flight display and multifunction displays, but without all of the features integrated into these displays on the 787. There were some superficial similarities between the aircraft projects, but these similarities exist only at the surface – underneath the main instrument panel displays, all of the logic and systems are different.

Check out this week’s NEW and UPDATED releases for both the MSFS (2020) and MSFS 2024 in-sim Marketplaces.

Explore Products

Community Fly-In Friday

Join us for a trip across the sea as we (partially) re-trace the journey of Odysseus from Homer’s epic poem! We’ll start at Çanakkale Airport in Türkiye near the archeological site of ancient Troy and then fly across the Aegean Sea to Greece for several touch-and-go landings and a flyover of the island of Ithaca.

Particularly adventurous pilots are encouraged to test the wrath of Poseidon by setting your weather to thunderstorm conditions!

Suggested Marketplace Add-ons: Players may choose to purchase these products from the in-sim Marketplace to enhance this week’s Fly-In. Please note that purchasing any of these products is entirely optional and is not required to participate in the group flight.

LGAV Athens International Airport by FlyTampa
LGKC Kythira National Airport by Ironsim
LGKF Kefalonia International Airport by FSDG or Fly X Simulations

See Event Details

Highlights from last week’s Community Fly-In

Last week’s event took place in Switzerland! Here are some screenshots from the Fly-In:

Screenshot by UnwiredEddie

Screenshot by IceManDBB

Weekly Flight Inspiration

The world is a big place! If you’re looking for ideas about where to fly this week, check out our Community Managers’ recommendation here!

There are many activities in Microsoft Flight Simulator, ranging from Red Bull Air Racing to Stranger Things and the Challenge League. If you’re mainly exploring the world in Free Flight, or building your business in Career Mode, why not change things up with some flying in an activity that appeals to you!

upcoming Community Events

Regular Community Fly-Ins: If you’re looking to join in with group flights, or even host your own, the best place to begin is via our dedicated Forum category. With a whole host of groups organising regular events, there’s something for everyone! Find more details here.

Community Video

This week saw the release of the AzurPoly Dassault Rafale in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PC, XBOX, and PS5. If you’ve not had a chance to check out this iconic French fighter jet, watch Jonathan Beckett’s detailed first preview of the aircraft: