Although initially released back in July of this year, an Airbus A330-900neo modification for Microsoft Flight Simulator has been gaining traction in the community. The wide-body Airbus jet is a modern take on the popular A330 with all-new wings and a modern engine designed to be more fuel-friendly and less noisy. Whilst it may not be as popular as other Airbus aircraft, the A330-900neo represents a great way to travel those longer routes in the world.
The freeware release on FlightSim.to is the result of developer ‘headwind’ reworking some of the original work started by Philippe Marion to the point where the experience is somewhat enjoyable. The work done by headwind includes all-new 3D modelling and animations, engine and contrail effects, along with upgraded flight dynamics. In addition, the aircraft has integrated the FlyByWire A32NX cockpit, meaning people can quickly jump in and enjoy the experience. Furthermore, headwind has added some specific A330 features to the cockpit to make it a bit more realistic.
As with other freeware projects on the website, this Airbus A330-900neo is very much a WIP project. Headwind has said that the next phase of the project will be to re-design the main wings with realistic flex, implement version 0.7 of the FBW cockpit, along with fixing other community reported issues.
That said, this is an enjoyable aircraft to fly in the simulator at no cost to the simmer. There are already numerous liveries included, and undoubtedly more to come from the community.
