Released in Celebration of FlightSimWeekend!
Microsoft Flight Simulator is releasing the Fokker F27 Friendship as a celebration of the 2026 FlightSimWeekend (FSWeekend), one of the world’s largest flight simulation conferences. FlightSimWeekend, in which Microsoft Flight Simulator will participate this year, takes place at the AvioDrome Museum in Lelystad in the central Netherlands from 20 to 22 March. The museum boasts two beautiful F27 Friendship examples, one in the museum’s interior, and one displayed as part of its outdoor exhibit. Fokker developed and manufactured the F27 at their facility in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and the Friendship is considered one of the country’s greatest aviation achievements.
A Commercial Aviation Milestone
The F27 Friendship is a twin-turboprop regional airliner developed and produced by Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. The F27 took its maiden flight in November 1955, and it entered service in November of 1958.
The F27 concept emerged in 1950 as a research initiative to develop a first-generation turboprop airliner with cabin pressurization. Up to that point, the nascent airline industry was dominated by unpressurized, piston-powered aircraft such as the Douglas DC-3. Initially called the P275, the evolving aircraft design comprised a high-mounted, high-aspect-ratio main wing, two wing-mounted Rolls-Royce turboprop engines, a standard tail unit, and a retractable tricycle undercarriage. The Dutch government provided a financial boost, and the name changed from P275 to F27 Friendship.
A Commercial Aviation Great
The first F27 prototype, with seating for up to 28 passengers, took to the sky on November 24, 1955. A second prototype, with an extended fuselage and seating for up to 32, flew in January of 1957. The first production variant of the Friendship, the F27-100, had seating for up to 40 and entered service on November 19, 1958, with Irish air carrier Aer Lingus. In the ensuing decades, the F27 Friendship has proven to be a commercial aviation great due to its efficiency, safety, and reliability.
Fokker produced 586 F27s in several variants during a production run that spanned from 1955 to 1987. The reliable, sturdy Friendship is renowned as one of the most successful commuter airliners in history, having flown both domestic and international routes throughout the globe. The airframe has been used by approximately 190 airlines since its debut, as a passenger carrier, a freighter, or both. It was produced under license as the F-27 and FH-227 by American aircraft manufacturer Fairchild Hiller. In addition to civil operators, the F27 was used by the militaries of approximately three dozen countries for several applications, including troop transport, cargo, and patrol. Several F27 Friendship airframes remain in service in cargo and military roles.
A Powerful Performer
The F27 Friendship is piloted by two or three and has seating for up to 52. It measures 77 feet, 4 inches in length, stands 27 feet, 11 inches tall, and has a wingspan of 95 feet, 2 inches. It is powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart Mk.536-7R turboprop engines, each of which generates up to 2,250 horsepower and turns a 4-blade, constant-speed propeller. The aircraft has a maximum range of 1,600 miles, a service ceiling of 29,500 feet above sea level, a maximum climb rate of 1,450 feet per minute, and it cruises at 261 miles per hour.
The Fokker F27 Friendship is available today in the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) in-sim marketplaces for $19.99 USD. The sky is calling!
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 are available for Xbox Series X|S and PC with Xbox Game Pass, Sony PlayStation 5, PC Game Pass, Windows, and Steam, and on Xbox One and supported mobile phones, tablets, and lower-spec PCs via Xbox Cloud Gaming. For the latest information on Microsoft Flight Simulator products, stay tuned to @MSFSOfficial [twitter.com] on X (formerly Twitter) or visit www.flightsimulator.com.