It has been a couple of months since the flight simulator community heard any news regarding iFly’s upcoming Boeing 737 MAX add-on for Prepar3D. However, the developer released a performance test on the Flight1 YouTube channel, providing us with the first preview of the 737 MAX in action.
The Boeing 737 MAX has become one of the most well-known and scrutinized Boeing aircraft in recent years. The MAX family is the successor to the popular Boeing 737 NG family and has received numerous cockpit, interior, engine, and wing design upgrades to compete with the Airbus A320neo family. After being in 2019 due to design flaws, the 737 MAX finally returned to flight in late 2020 and has slowly become the narrowbody aircraft of choice for many airlines.
In addition to being airlines’ preferred aircraft, the flight simulation community has been anxiously waiting for a developer to release a 737 MAX. Thankfully, iFly announced earlier this year they would develop a MAX for P3D and showed off previews earlier this summer. Now, with the performance test video released, we can anticipate the aircraft is reaching release soon.
In the video description, iFly noted the performance test was conducted on P3D v5 with almost max settings on an i9-29000K and an Nvidia RTX 3080. The aircraft seemed to fly perfectly on this test, with little to no lag or stutters. In addition to the fantastic performance, the video highlights the aircraft’s detailed sounds and systems. Each switch and button tested in the video appeared to have a unique sound, and the CFM LEAP-1B engines operated similarly to their real-life counterparts. Lastly, the aircraft’s electronic flight bag (EFB) was previewed and tested during the climb-out phase. While it appeared less detailed than the EFB in PMDG’s 737s, iFly’s EFB was responsive and displayed all the pertinent information.
For now, iFly’s 737 MAX is still in beta testing, and FSElite will continue to monitor the aircraft’s development.
