At long last, the DC Designs Concorde for Microsoft Flight Simulator has been released.
Concorde is one of the most iconic aircraft ever to grace the skies. Its long, pointed nose, supersonic speeds and high cruising altitude made it one of the most loved aircraft in aviation. With the ability to reach speeds twice the speed of sound, passengers could be transported from London to New York in just over 3 hours. Despite being retired, Concorde still holds a near and dear place to many in the world of aviation and DC Designs has brought her to life in MSFS.
The aircraft has been designed to take advantage of Microsoft Flight Simulator’s advanced rendering engine to provide an authentic looking plane. Inside, you will find a 3D flight deck with all switches, dials, knobs and instruments all from the real Concorde. The forward passenger cabin has also been modelled, along with custom passenger sounds, working doors and crew figures which vanish when you’re in the seat itself.
DC Designs has made an effort to ensure that their rendition of Concorde is as accessible as possible for simmers. The team has included a completely custom fuel transfer system with all pumps, valves and lines correctly represented. In addition, a fully functional FMC is included to help simmers programme their flights. DC Designs has said that once the Xbox allows it n the future, then a CIVA INS will follow.
As for the flight modelling, DC Designs says that their Concorde can fly realistically at Mach 2.0 and can climb to 60,000ft just as the real aircraft did. It will take some practice to fly the Concorde correctly, which is why a full manual is also included. Finally, four liveries have been included:
- British Airways 1985-1987
- British Airways 1997-2003
- Air France 1976-2003
- Singapore Airlines G-BOAD
DC Designs’ Concorde can be purchased right now from Just Flight’s store for £27.99.
This version is for PC only right now, with an Xbox version coming to the in-sim Marketplace at a later stage.
You can learn a bit more about the sounds included and see a preview of the plane in action in our previous posts.
Features
Cockpit
- Truly 3D flight deck featuring virtually every switch, dial, knob and gauge from the real Concorde
- Instruments constructed in 3D with smooth animations
- Fully modelled forward passenger cabin with working doors and custom passenger sounds
- Interactive points for Ground Crew operations such as jetway, fuel truck, power truck, baggage loading and catering truck
- Crew figures in the virtual cockpit are coded to disappear when you occupy their seats
Aircraft systems
- 3D modelled dials, ADI, ‘whiskey’ compass and other high-detail instruments designed to emulate the appearance of the real Concorde
- Fully operational fuel transfer and Centre of Gravity balance system, with all 138 lines, 64 pumps and 38 valves correctly represented
- Fully automated fuel transfer system for those who prefer a simpler life
- Weather radar, fully functional Flight Management Computer (CIVA INS will follow when Xbox can support the required gauges)
- Highly realistic flight model – Concorde will only reach Mach 2 and 60,000ft, efficiently enough to reach her destination, if flown correctly
- A full operations manual is included in the software and can also be downloaded here.
Liveries
- British Airways 1985-1987
- British Airways 1997-2003
- Air France 1976-2003
- Singapore Airlines G-BOAD
