After years of development, teasers, and evolving project scope, Aerosoft has officially released its A330neo (New Engine Option) for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. The add-on focuses strictly on the A330-900neo variant powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and, according to Aerosoft, was “Built from the ground up with real-world references and technical documentation”.
Aerosoft’s A330neo Key Features:
Highlights from the release feature set include:
- Flight Dynamics: Custom Airbus Fly-By-Wire control laws (including Normal and Direct Law) and protection logic. It incorporates a dedicated NEO Flare Law activating at ~100 ft RA, independent inboard/outboard aileron control (with high-speed inhibit), spoiler droop, and hydraulic pressure dependencies.
- Systems: Detailed hydro-mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic simulation. Fully modelled Green, Blue, and Yellow hydraulic systems directly drive surface behavior, gear extension, and braking systems (with dynamic brake disk temperature calculations).
- Navigation: Independent MCDUs (plus a functional third unit) supporting ARINC 424 legs, Airbus climb/descent profiles, Secondary Flight Plans, custom waypoints, holdings, FIX INFO, and dual AP autoland.
- Avionics: Includes ND-integrated Airbus OANS (Onboard Airport Navigation System) airport moving maps, weather radar with WX, WX+T, TURB, MAP and TEST modes, TCAS with online network traffic injection (VATSIM/IVAO), and GPWS/EGPWS.
- Custom EFB & Operational Tools: EFB with Navigraph charts, SimBrief operational flight plan import and display, real-time Weight & Balance calculator, take-off performance uplink, dynamic ground service controls (with GSX integration), and hardware calibration.
- Trent 7000 Engine Model: Custom FADEC logic simulating N1/N2/N3, EGT, and fuel flow, with dynamic feedback loops where cabin and anti-ice bleed demand directly affects fuel consumption.
- Visuals: A 3D interior featuring a fully rendered cockpit and passenger cabin, functional opening windows/doors, and system-driven wing-flex that responds to turbulence, aircraft gross weight, fuel distribution, and ground bumps. Detailed exterior model created from real-world references and technical documentation with animated flight controls, advanced wing-flex simulation, and dynamic landing gear simulation.
The launch of the A330neo marks a milestone in a long journey for Aerosoft’s Airbus development team. First revealed back in June 2023, former Aerosoft Project Manager Mathijs Kok confirmed that the company’s focus was shifting to the neo following their work on the A330ceo (Current Engine Option). The decision created significant discussion within the flight sim community given the availability of existing freeware alternatives like the Headwind A330-900. FSElite got an early look at the Aerosoft A330neo last September, and it was clear at the time that while there was much work remaining, the aircraft had potential.
It is worth noting where this project sits within Aerosoft’s broader Airbus strategy. While simmers may recall Aerosoft’s partnership with X-Plane Airbus specialists ToLiss to bring the study-level A340-600 Pro to Microsoft Flight Simulator, the A330neo released today is a distinctly separate effort. Unlike the joint-venture quad-jet, Aerosoft designed and built the A330neo in-house and has positioned it at a much lower price point than its A340-600 Pro.
Concurrent with the release announcement, on its Discord, Aerosoft acknowledged past feedback regarding their A330ceo release, admitting it “wasn’t our best work” and noting that the lessons learned were applied directly to both their A340-600 Pro and this new A330neo. Once the neo is refined post-launch, the team plans to pivot back to bringing the A330ceo up to the same functionality, detail, and quality standard.
However, perhaps the biggest surprise from the Discord announcement came regarding plans for a high-fidelity A330 with a continued partnership with ToLiss. We learned that both developers plan to work together again to develop an A330neo Pro for MSFS 2024. While today’s release offers Aerosoft’s internally-developed, entry-level version of the Airbus widebody, enthusiasts will have a study-level ToLiss-powered “Pro” version to look forward to in the future.
Pricing & Availability
The Aerosoft Airbus A330neo is available now on the Aerosoft Shop for €25.20 *excl. VAT and installs via the Aerosoft One ecosystem.
