We are happy to announce the arrival of a new big update for the Steam Release version of Aerofly FS 2!
This exciting new update adds many new features and a new aircraft to the ever growing fleet: The EC135 helicopter.
This brand new helicopter is a detailed simulation of the real world aircraft with custom autopilot and stability augmentation system that make it really easy to fly a helicopter especially for beginners. If you turn all that assistance off with the red button on the stick you'll be able to fly it like a normal helicopter and enjoy the high fidelity physics simulation in full glory.
The EC135 also features a detailed turboshaft engine simulation with real-time simulation of the thermodynamic processes, custom FADEC, realistic boot sequences and startup and and of course a detailed and realistic rotor physics simulation. And of course you can also start this aircraft cold and dark!
The update also features new features like a cold-and-dark menu option, new route planning with real world procedures, aircraft system improvements and a lot more. See the full change-log below:
Additions:
EC135 twin turboshaft helicopter
New implementation of the location dialog with airport search by ICAO, IATA or name, ground images visible in airport diagram
Selection of cold-and-dark, before start and ready for taxi in the location menu
New implementation of the navigation dialog with search function, departure (SID), arrival (STAR) and approach (APPR) selection
SIDs, STARs and APPRs can be selected from inside the cockpit via (M)CDU devices in the A320, B737, B747, B777, C90GTx, LJ45, Q400 as well as Just-Flight add-on aircraft with the GPS 430 or 530 devices
A320 and Learjet 45 cold and dark with new turbofan engine simulation
A320 realistic altitude callout, retard and minimums callouts, caution and warning sounds, ground proximity warning system (GPWS - "terrain", "pull up", "too low flap",...), low energy warning ( "speed, speed"), altitude alert and many other new sounds
C90GTx EFIS avionics upgraded with working menus allowing selection of v-speeds, rose/arc mode and much more
LJ45 automatic flap trim compensation added
Copilot manages pressurization if no user interaction is made, preventing unnecessary caution messages in the aircraft when there is no destination airport set
Las Vegas McCarran International airport (KLAS) several new helipads added
Changes:
Numerous bug fixes and improvements
B58 now has more engine power and more propeller inertia, engine sound improved, DME hold function added
DME time indications now correct after frequency change
Modification to the multi threading code to speed up scenery loading. Program startup and scenery loading during simulation should be a lot faster if you have a CPU with 4 or more cores.
* Note: For better startup time all scenery folders have been renamed so we can avoid loading all scenery TSC files during program start. Instead we now scan the scenery folder names for ICAO codes or longitude/latitude coordinates and check them against our global airport database. The TSC files are then only loaded when the aircraft is near that airport or scenery and no longer during each startup. This should not affect user generated sceneries. But if you have a lot of user created scenery then startup time can only improve if you change your user scenery folders to this new naming convention. It would be great if scenery developers could please migrate to this new approach so that Aerofly FS can stay super fast even with a lot of user scenery installed.
Latest Alpha and EC135 News
Greetings fellow flight simmers,
As we strive to work out all of the kinks in our latest navigation and flight planning alpha build, let me start by saying how much we value our community of Aerofly FS enthusiasts, and your dedication to work with us to point out bugs that we missed. Releasing an alpha build is a dead stick without the help of the community, and we really appreciate it!
Moving forward, we really want to get this right for you so we plan to keep this in alpha/beta for at least another few weeks.
With that said, and since this update is taking a little bit longer to perfect, we will also be making the EC135 available as a PREVIEW. This means that it's still a work in progress and not the final product. We will continue to fine tune the EC135 so that it's near perfect once the final build is released.
Look for the latest alpha build with the EC135 preview tomorrow!
New EC135 Helicopter En Route to Destination
While everyone patiently awaits the upcoming release of the Eurocopter EC135, I wanted to provide you with some teasers and a quick update letting you know that we are finishing up under the hood and she will be in your hangar shortly. But until then, enjoy a few screenshots showing the detail that was put into her.
Major Update and EC135 Helicopter - Coming Soon!
Dear Aerofly FS Community,
We're happy to announce that a new major update with a new helicopter and a new and improved navigation is coming soon.
- Brand new Eurocopter EC135 twin turbo-shaft helicopter will be added to the Aerofly FS base, free for existing customers.
- You will now be able to pick cold and dark aircraft configurations at the parking positions in our new implementation of the location menu. You can now also zoom in much closer on the map to select start positions directly on the map.
- We completely re-coded the navigation code to better simulate the complex navigation instruments in the airliners and to offer more options including the selection of full departures, arrivals and approaches (SIDs and STARs) .
- New implementation of the navigation menu, for faster and more intuitive route creation. Now more powerful than ever, allowing you to create a realistic flight plan using the new departure, arrival and approach procedures with just a few clicks.
- Modification to the multi threading code to speed up scenery loading. Program startup and scenery loading during simulation should be a lot faster if you have a CPU with 4 or more cores.
- For better startup time all scenery folders have been renamed so we can avoid loading all scenery TSC files during program start. Instead we now scan the scenery folder names for ICAO codes or longitude/latitude coordinates and check them against our global airport database. The TSC files are then only loaded when the aircraft is near that airport or scenery and no longer during each startup. This should not affect user generated sceneries. But if you have a lot of user created scenery then startup time can only improve if you change your user scenery folders to this new naming convention. It would be great if scenery developers could please migrate to this new approach so that Aerofly FS can stay super fast even with a lot of user scenery installed.
Just Flight Falke SF-25 now available!
The Scheibe SF-25 Falke is a German two seat touring motor glider. The Propair Falke SF-25 is a true virtual copy of this famous glider and comes in three different variants:
SF-25B - simplest aircraft with Limbach 1700A engin SF-25C - two main gear set-up with stronger Limbach 2000A engine SF-25E - foldable long-wing version with better soaring capability
This two-seat glider is capable of both powered and unpowered flight - get ready to perform a normal powered take-off and then soar from thermal to thermal exploring the limits of this training aircraft. Each aircraft includes a great sound set recorded from the real aircraft, accurate performance and operation and authentic design.
These three aircraft are now available as a single downloadable content (DLC) package from Steam for a limited time discount until the 16th May 2020.
Visit the store page to see more screenshots of this new DLC for Aerofly FS 2.
User-Created Lynx MK7 Helicopter now available for FREE
The Lynx MK7 Helicopter is now available for FREE download at our partner website here: https://flight-sim.org/filebase/index.php?entry/807-lynx-mk7-for-fs2-plus-map-making-files/
The Lynx has been a project started by Steve, a member of our forum (larrylynx) a while ago and, with the use of our SDK tools, was able to create what we feel as a masterpiece worthy of some praise.
For those of you who want a new helicopter to fly, and aren't afraid to give this bird a try (it flies identical to the real one), You need to download your free copy today!
The detail is payware quality, and coming directly from the developers of Aerofly, this is a must grab!
Be sure to thank Steve, aka 'larrylynx' for his wonderful work!
New Update Posted to Steam Today!
Greetings fellow flight simmers,
as we move forward we are occasionally able to release updates related to aircraft systems due to the tireless efforts by one of our members of the development team, Jan!
Well today is no different. today we released another 'aircraft functionality' update for all of you to enjoy.
Have a look below to see what has changed. For those of you that are participating in our beta channel you may find some redundancy here.
* Added B777 added camera display page that renders three real-time cameras. Due to the performance impact this is only available on desktop
* Added A320, B777 and B747 (M)CDU FIX-INFO page with ability to draw navigation fixes on navigation displays, i.e. distance rings and radials
* Added B777 PFD and ND with new features: angle of attack indicator, LNAV/VNAV and ILS display at the same time, LNAV/VNAV deviation bars on the PFD
* Changed B777 PFD and ND with modernized style: more spacing between instruments, flight mode annunciator with gray background, ILS info, ILS deviation bars outside of attitude indicator, location of the radar minimums display, updated PLAN mode, MAP centered mode compass rose
* Added B747 and B777 PFDs and NDs added invalid-data-flags: e.g. when air data or inertial reference unit is not available, added time to IRS alignment on ND
* Added B777 and B747 CDU route creation and adjustments now possible with LEGS page, RTE page and DEP/ARR pages as well as VNAV pages
* Added B777 and B747 NDs added top of climb and green arc for distance to target autopilot altitude
* Fixed A320 depature now selectable again from route origin airport
* Fixed B747 clickspots for the thrust levers now following the visible position again
* Fixed F18 ADF bearing pointer now displayed on HSI
* Fixed B777 landing gear now in proper damping mode for landing, no longer behaves like a spring
* Fixed B777 top of descent point on the navigation display now displayed where the actual descent starts
* Fixed B777 LAND 3 now properly displayed during autoland
* Fixed B777 CDU now displays aircraft model as B777 and correct engine type
* Fixed B777 CDU displayed pitch trim for takeoff corrected
* Changed B777 increased drag during glide, more drag from speedbrakes and from extended landing gear
* Changed B777 CLB, CLB 1, CLB 2 now provide equal amounts of thrust at higher altitudes which enables a quicker climb at high altitude
* Changed Autobrake now uses deceleration rate as the target, CAUTION: This increases the typical landing distances but is more realistic
* Fixed copilot issue fixed that would prevent the autopilot to properly track the cruise altitude (e.g. in the B777)
* Fixed autopilot minor fixes to behavior of VNAV buttons
* Fixed autopilot now engages all three autopilot on B777 and B747 when localizer is already captured and autopilot is engaged afterwards
November/December 2019 Screenshot Contest Winner!
The November/December 2019 submission contest is now over. Congratulations to ikbenik (IPACS Forum User Name) for winning the November/December 2019 screenshot contest. Be sure to check out this winning screenshot highlighted on our official Facebook page and WIKI.
This month's screenshot contest is a pure testament of quality and determination from community members. Can you tell the difference between Aerofly scenery and real-world?
Be sure to keep posting your screenshots in our screenshot thread for a chance to win and have YOUR screenshot highlighted on our headers!
Just Flight Tomahawk now available on Steam!
Just Flight, in partnership with Propair Flight, are proud to present the PA-38 Tomahawk for Aerofly FS 2.
Following on from their PA-28 series, C152 and Duchess Model 76, this highly detailed simulation of the PA-38 Tomahawk has been developed by Just Flight's in-house team following comprehensive, hands-on research with a real-life Tomahawk, G-BNKH, based at Goodwood Aerodrome with SportAir.
The PA-38 Tomahawk is a two-seater, piston-engine aircraft equipped with a fixed tricycle landing gear, 112hp four-cylinder engine and fixed-pitch propeller – an ideal aircraft for touring and flight training.
The PA-38 is flown all around the world and our add-on reflects that global popularity. The package features liveries from the UK, USA, Canada, France, Australia and Germany.
Model
Accurately modelled PA-38 Tomahawk, built using real-world aircraft plans and comprehensive photography of the real aircraft Ground equipment including chocks and tie-downs 4096x4096 textures are used to produce the highest possible texture clarity Detailed normal mapping for down-to-the-rivet precision of aircraft features and accurate simulation of waves in aluminium plates Cockpit
A truly 3D virtual cockpit right down to accurately modelled seat belts and screw heads - every instrument is constructed fully in 3D with smooth animations Cockpit textures feature wear and tear based on reference photos taken in the real aircraft to produce an authentic environment Dimmable cockpit lighting Interactive engine start checklist that responds to user inputs and sim variables Comprehensive IFR-capable avionics fit including:
- GMA 340 audio selector - GNS340 GPS unit - SL40 COM2 radio - GTX 328 transponder Aircraft systems
Custom-coded electrical system with functional circuit breakers
Realistic and accurate flight dynamics based on real-world performance and handling data, and input from pilots Authentic sound set Custom sounds for switches, doors, warnings and more Comprehensive manual with panel guide and performance data PSD Paint Kit available so you can create your own paint schemes
Small Update Posted
Greetings Fellow Flight Simmers,
We know that we have been quiet but that doesn't mean that we are all sleeping :) In fact, we are still very busy working on some new features that we will mention soon!
But for now, we have a smaller update that contains a few bug fixes that our community mentioned to us and some new liveries. Here is a list of what you will see in this small update;
* New A320 liveries: American Airlines, LAN, All Nippon Airlines, Air China * Update A320 liveries for Lufthansa: old and new * B777 cruise altitude bug fix * Position broadcast to ForeFlight, SkyDemon and other compatible apps have been fixed * and last but not least, Tomahawk by Just Flight is now available on Steam!
