Ninety years ago on 5 March 1936 the Spitfire flew for the first time, taking off with “Mutt” Summers from Eastleigh Aerodrome. It was the start of a legend that is very much alive today. Here at Heritage Flight Simulation we are proud to keep that legend alive.
So it is with great excitement that we can share news from FlyingIron Simulations on the Spitfire development for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Their new implementation of the MkIXc will extend the realism and functionality of the HFS Cockpit tremendously. As per their announcement this morning:
Today we are incredibly excited to be announcing the upcoming release of our Spitfire ‘V2’ module, which has been completely rebuilt from the ground up for MSFS 2024! This isn’t a small update or conversion of our 2020 Spitfire. We’ve started from scratch, taking full advantage of the amazing new developer tools and features available in MSFS 2024 to create the best Spitfire simulation we possibly can.
The package will include multiple variants of the Spitfire, including:
The iconic Mk.IX – complete with elliptical and clipped wing versions of the C and E wings, as well as the broad chord and standard chord rudder.
The Mk.VIII – featuring a retractable tail gear, shortened ailerons, an altered cockpit layout and the unique Standard Beam Approach (SBA).
The Mk.XVI – equipped with the lowback/”rear-view” fuselage, pilot friendly bubble canopy and gyro gunsight.
The Mk.IXc floatplane – an experimental variant created for maritime operations and equipped with floats and a modified tail.
We have gone to great lengths to capture every rivet, sound, and system with the greatest amount of detail possible. Our goal is to create the most realistic and immersive Spitfire on the market! Key features include:
Completely new 3D art featuring some of our finest work to date.
Full sound overhaul to create our most dynamic and immersive soundscape yet.
A full suite of Visual Effects – see the intense flames, smoke, pops and puffs of the Merlin engine.
A total flight model overhaul using 2024’s groundbreaking CFD system and flight model updates.
A complete Merlin engine model, with many custom features modelled in-house including supercharger behaviour, the Auto-Mixture Control Unit and more.
Complete modelling of the Fuel, Hydraulic and Pneumatic systems as they are in the real aircraft; every pump, line, reservoir, and actuator has been modelled from the Spitfire’s technical manuals.
Complete electrical system modelling, also made from the aircrafts technical manuals
Brand-new FlyingIron EFB app with expansive features.
Standard Beam Approach navigation system: practice period-accurate instrument landings using Morse-code radio beacons.
Comprehensive startup management and animation system, powered by an extensive in-house WASM codebase and fully integrated with sound and VFX cues.
Fully functional gyro gunsight and guns (weapons not available for marketplace purchases).
The possibility to create custom flight loadouts with options for different Slipper Tanks, payloads and cockpit layouts; all fully integrated with the flight-model.
Stay tuned as we start to unveil some of the features in more detail over the next few weeks as we prepare for release. We hope you are as excited as we are to get this iconic bird into the skies of MSFS 2024!
AFormX build progress photos
The AFormX build is looking amazing, as these additional photos show:
PassThroughForge
New developments in Mixed Reality are continually improving immersion. We have been experimenting with PassthroughForge, and the initial results are stunning. The transition between real world and virtual world is seamless.
This opens up DCS to a mixed reality cockpit as well, and I need to get a few screenshots and a video on my next flight but below is my initial mask for MSFS2024. I will be refining this over the coming weeks and this will be integrated into our Plan Set and shared with all Build License holders.
