MSFS aircraft developer’s Got Friends PZL-104 Wilga 35A is in the final stages of Alpha testing, according to a recent article published on Microsoft Flight Simulator forums.
Originally designed and manufactured in Poland in 1962 by Polish aircraft manufacturer PZL Warszawa-Okecie, the PZL-104 Wilga was intended to be a robust aircraft to be used in various civil applications, including glider towing and parachute training. Initially plagued by design flaws, including a panel obstructing the flight crew’s ability to spot a towed glider when performing towing operations, the Wilga eventually proved to be highly successful, with more than 1’000 aircraft manufactured and sold throughout its production history.
The Wilga 35 is a further development of the original Wilga Mark I, featuring an improved and more powerful Russian-manufactured Ivchenko AI-14 engine capable of generating up to 260hp. On an interesting side note, Ivchenko AI-14 engines sport 2-bladed wooden propellers that spin opposite to the conventionally used North American standard.
MSFS aircraft developer Got Friends has let fellow enthusiasts know that his rendition of this famous Eastern European aircraft is now in the final stages of Alpha testing. According to the post on the MSFS forums, testing is progressing smoothly with few issues reported by users. In addition to focussing now on the sounds that are supposed to accompany the initial release, the developer has indicated that the team is also concentrating on recreating a variety of avionic suites, each of which is supposed to be installed in a particular version of the Wilga, spanning the 35A, 80, 80H and 80P versions. These suites are meant to show the numerous modifications that the aircraft was subjected to throughout its long operational life.
In other news, the developer has also let readers know that their model has been shared with the X-Plane developer Pilot Engineer Team, who have taken it upon themselves to develop a rendition of the airframe for fellow X-Plane users to enjoy. More on that can be found in the following X-Plane forums post.
As always, we will keep you updated regarding future updates on the development of Got Friends Wilga 35A for MSFS. More information can be found by reading the developers’ MSFS forum post linked here.
