Black Square Releases Turbine & Piston Duke for MSFS

We’ve been reporting on the Black Square Duke since it was first teased over a year ago. Throughout development, Black Square shared many previews of the new technology set to debut in the aircraft. Now, we can finally get our hands on the much-anticipated twin for Microsoft Flight Sim.

The Beechcraft 60 Duke is a 6-place, pressurized, fixed-wing aircraft manufactured by Beechcraft from 1968 to 1983. The B60 model, introduced in 1974, was the most popular variant of the Duke with 350 airframes produced. Powerplant options for Duke come in the form of twin, turbocharged Lycoming piston engines, or the twin turbine-powered “Royal Duke” conversion featuring the Pratt & Whitney PT6A.

Black Square’s Dukes offer highly realistic systems, over 100 failures, 12 radio configurations, and the most advanced pressurisation and cabin temperature simulations in MSFS. A tablet interface allows aircraft configuration, payload management, and engine monitoring. Radio navigation systems are available from several eras of the Duke’s history allowing users to fly with a variety of panel configurations including without GPS via a Bendix KNS-81 RNAV system or with a modern Garmin GTN 750 (PMS50 or TDS) panel. Other radio equipment includes KX-155 NAV/COM radios, KLN-90B, GTN 650, KR 87 ADF, KDI 572 DME, GTX 327 Transponder, Century IV Autopilot, and a Bendix RDR1150XL Weather Radar. For more information on the aircraft and a list of all included avionics and equipment, see the extensive PDF Piston Duke and Turbine Duke Operating Manuals.

You can pick up your copy of the Black Square turbine Duke or piston Duke from online retailer Just Flight for $47.99 each. A bundle featuring both versions of the aircraft is also available from Just Flight for $69.99 excluding local taxes and fees.

Shared Piston & Turbine Features:

• 160-page manual with your complete guide to flying the Black Square Dukes, including systems guide, tutorials, operating limitations, performance tables and electrical schematics.
• NEW TABLET INTERFACE! for configuring options, payload settings, failure management and real-time visualisers for engines, electrical schematics and environmental systems.
• 12 hot-swappable radio configurations, configurable via tablet interface. Inc. PMS and TDS.
• 130+ random, scheduled or performance-triggered failures, settable via the tablet interface, including engine damage, compatible with third party UIs and instructor stations.
• Fully simulated environmental control and pressurisation system for heating, air conditioning, ventilation, ram air cooling. Cool things off by opening a door or watch the aircraft heat up in the sun. Monitor via the new tablet interface.
• NEW engine preheating required for cold starts, with heater and ground power cart.
• NEW voltage-based light dimming, an immediately recognisable effect to night-time pilots.
• NEW gyroscope physics simulation for electric and pneumatic gyroscopes with precession and partial failures, based on a coupled quadrature oscillator.
• NEW KLN-90B vintage GPS. Download from https://github.com/falcon71/kln90b/releases
• NEW strobe light system causes realistic distracting flashes in clouds.
• NEW St. Elmo’s Fire and static discharge on static wicks and windshields in severe weather.
• NEW KNS-81 RNAV now supports autopilot with No-GPS configuration.
• Mathematically accurate VOR and ADF signal attenuation and noise degradation.
• Physics-based instrument needles bounce and respond to aerodynamic forces.
• Improper engine management will slowly damage engines to failure.
• Completely simulated electrical system, with 100+ circuit breakers and failures
• Functional exterior elements: chocks, pitot covers, engine covers, propane preheater and external power cart. Pitot cover flags blow in the wind.
• Carbon Monoxide leaks are possible and can be detected with the CO detector.
• State saving for fuel, radio selection, radio frequency memory, cabin aesthetics etc.
• Crew/Passenger oxygen depletes according to pressure altitude, passenger occupancy.
• Ultra-custom dynamic registration number system for livery creators.