Hot off the launch of the Chinook CH47D for Microsoft Flight Simulator, Miltech Simulations has announced their next project for the sim will be the world-famous U2 spyplane.
In a post announcing the aircraft on the Microsoft Flight Simulator forums, LikedHare478430 said the upcoming release will feature two variants of the spy plane – the U2R with an analogue cockpit, and the U2S with a glass cockpit.
The package will also come with a mission system ‘inspired by real-life Cold War events including the Cuban missile crisis, the space race, as well as more modern events from the 21st century including last year’s incident involving a Chinese spy balloon which floated over the mainland United States before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina, where U2s were also flown.
The team say that their product will also accurately simulate the coffin corridor – the triangular shape at the top of the plane’s flight envelope where the stall speed and critical mach number are only within a few knots of each other – as well as accurate modelling of the various challenges to flying this unique aircraft.
Also included will be a chase car to guide the user through landing. This is another real-world quirk of landing in the U2. Due to the flight characteristics of the plane in the flare, it has been normal procedure since the aircraft began surveillance operations in the 1950s to have a chase car follow the aircraft as it comes in over the threshold, giving the pilot an indication of how high above the ground their main gear is as they effectively try to bring the aircraft into an induced stall over the runway through two-way radio communications.
Miltech don’t give any indication of when the project is expected to be ready, but confirm it is their intention to release the U2 some time this year for PC and Xbox. Some renders of the aircraft’s cabin are attached to the post which show the level of detail the team have been able to achieve already at this early stage of development.
FSElite will bring you more developments on the status of this exciting addon for MSFS as soon as they break.
