I am a sucker for nostalgia. Some of my earliest flight simulator memories come from getting home from school at 4 pm and doing a Virgin Atlantic A340-300 flight from London Heathrow to Boston. Back then, it was Flight Simulator X, using the CLS A340 series. For those who remember that aircraft, it was barebones, basic, but it did the job. I distinctly remember how slow and lacking in power the plane was. Take-off rolls were long, painful, and slow – in fact, I remember multiple occasions I would completely overshoot the runway and end up on the M25.
Of course, that was many, many years ago, and flight simulation has come on leaps and bounds since. However, one thing we haven’t seen in a non-X-Plane simulator is a worthwhile A340 simulation. We had a few early access models from BlackBox Simulations, and X-Plane users are eating well with ToLiss, but for those using Microsoft’s platforms, it’s been a long wait.
iniBuilds, following on from their huge range of Airbus aircraft for MSFS platforms over the years, stepped up to the plate with their A340-300 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. As is usual with their aircraft, the anticipation for the aircraft was high, and we have spent some extensive time with the plane since its original v1.0.0 release and up to its current 1.0.3 release, which is what this review is based on.
So, finally getting my hands on the plane, I was excited to recreate some of my early flight sim memories, but in a simulator that was much more realistic, with an aircraft that promises to be feature-rich, at a time when I am much more knowledgeable about flying than I was when I was just at school. So let’s jump in and see if my feelings for the A340-300 are still true today, and did iniBuilds capture what makes this four-engine jet such a unique experience.
The medium/long-haul quad craft was Airbus’ attempt at bringing a competitor to Boeing’s dominance, but streamlined development by using an A330 body and wing structure, essentially attaching 4 engines from their A320 series. The result was a plane that gave airlines the ability to cross vast oceans and deserts without ETOPs certification, but also something that was generally seen as underpowered and often restricted in terms of weight and airfield.
Both of those unique attributes make for some interesting route opportunities and flying. Carrying heavy loads out of high-altitude airports on a hot day is actually really challenging. You can’t assume that your SimBrief profile will enable you to actually take off safely, and you will have to do a delicate balancing act to do so. Despite the A340-300 being on its last legs for many airlines, there are still a number of interesting ‘real-world’ routes that can be done with the plane. Lufthansa, Swiss, and South African Airways all use these planes around the world. iniBuilds has included a number of these liveries, along with a fleet of airlines that used the airframe in the past, including Virgin Atlantic. Of course, that’s where I begin my first few flights with the A340.
Without a doubt, the modelling and artwork for the A340-300 is some of iniBuilds’ best work. Textures are clean, clear, crisp and high in resolution. In particular, I absolutely adore the curved and pixelated display from the old standard EIS displays. Whilst iniBuilds offers the option for both the newer LCDs, I have a soft spot for the older look. Everything else looks the same, so having this more unique style gives this plane a sense of character. It’s a really satisfying visual that gives you that feeling of flying a plane designed in the 1990s. The audio call-outs and chimes also give a sense of flying the airliner from the past, which again just adds to that satisfaction.
The visual splendour continues outside, with impressive modelling of all four engines, the large wing span and the fuselage itself. Looking close up, decals are detailed, and even the tyres on the wheels provide a level of detail that can realistically only be achieved in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Another nice feature to have is the visual effects that appear dynamically. This includes the weathering on the aircraft, along with the snow and ice buildup when leaving it parked for a long period of time. Additionally, seeing water intake and spray happen on the engines in wet weather adds yet another layer of detail that is satisfying. iniBuilds, most recently, updated the plane to version 1.0.3, which further refined the placement of the engines on the wing and the overall wing structure.
My first few flights with the A340-300 were genuinely fun and full of nostalgia. The integration with GSX and SimBrief meant I was ready within just a few minutes. After flying with 2-engine jets for a while, you realise when loading fuel just how much more you need to carry in order to satisfy the thirsty four you have below. As I started the slow taxi to the runway on my first flight, the ground handling felt responsive with a good amount of inertia behind me, given the size and weight of the plane.
As for flying the plane, I can’t speak for its feeling myself, but a number of real-world pilots have all expressed how the hand-flying aspects feel very realistic. High praise in particular from YouTuber A330 Driver, who provides a lot of helpful real-world experience to the flight simulation community. If he’s saying it flies well, then that should speak volumes to the accuracy in the simulator.
In terms of system simulation, iniBuilds has done a good job at bringing the aircraft to life with extra bits that add realism. Systems generally interact with one another, meaning if you cut fuel, have hydraulic problems, or forget to de-ice, you may face some issues. There is also the ability to toggle failures, overheat your brakes, and even experience GPS spoofing (in realistic regions of the world). As with other iniBuilds products, they aren’t telling us this is the most authentic and in-depth simulation of an aircraft ever produced, but it gets a lot of things right in order to have a fun, varied and effortless experience as possible. That, in my opinion, is perfectly acceptable.
As for the audio, iniBuilds has worked with Echo19 to bring the aircraft to life. Echo19 is known for high-quality sound effects, and this is one of the biggest undertakings yet. I’m pleased to report that this is one of my favourite sound suites to date. There’s a good helping of rattles and clanks in the flight deck as you move, but engine and wind sounds also complement the extensive audio environment, too.
One area that iniBuilds has overhauled is their EFB. Whilst the EFB in previous aircraft was certainly usable, the team has stepped up their game with the A340-300. There’s a little irony in how this is an older aircraft but features the most modern-looking EFBs created at the time. You are able to manage payload, update your flight plan, view Navigraph or the in-sim Lido charts, and much more. It’s easily the most visually pleasing EFB design from iniBuilds and generally much more intuitive than previous iterations.
Whilst there are many things to love about the plane, there are a couple of instances where I feel iniBuilds has taken a few steps back. Whilst it has been acknowledged that offsets are coming soon, they are not part of the current release. They are reworking the logic to improve it across the fleet, but it is sad not to see it, especially when trying to do an offset when crossing the Atlantic Ocean. One strange choice is also the lack of functionality with the third MCDU. It’s completely INOP in the current build. It would have been nice to see some functionality, even if it was simple commands like payload management or ATSU management. It could be argued that all of these are done on the EFB, which is true, but having something quick to access on the third MCDU would be a nice touch.
For those curious, I never once experienced a WASM crash or any major instances of the plane doing funky things. This is in particular related to the most current update, which did resolve several bugs I noted (but no longer worth mentioning as they are no longer present).
One area I know people are keen to learn more about is how it performs on systems. Whilst the A350 may be seen as pretty resource-intensive for some, I found the A340-300 to be smoother across many scenarios. Perhaps due to the fact that the aircraft doesn’t need to render as much (those big screens on the A350 must take a lot), but I found the A340-300 runs incredibly well, with stutters practically non-existent. It certainly makes flying into those larger airports much more enjoyable.
Quirks and frustrations aside, the most satisfying aspect of the aircraft is just the sheer amount of fun it brings. With its slow climbs, performance limitations, and slippery descent profile, there’s a fair chunk of things you need to manage. Ultimately, that’s the product’s strongest attribute – it’s detailed enough to provide an immersive experience but without jeopardising the fun of simulation.
I will acknowledge that the initial release strategy of bringing the plane only to the in-sim Marketplace is not ideal. That said, since release, two updates have been released and have been fairly speedy in reaching customers. It may not be ideal for many, but iniBuilds wants to protect its product and IP from rampant piracy, which is well within its rights to do so. It’s not a frictionless process, but that is an in-sim Marketplace problem, not an iniBuilds problem. But it will eventually be coming to their iniManager in the future, and all liveries can be obtained through the iniManager without issue.
As for how I feel about the overall value, I think iniBuilds is asking for a fair price. In an era where things are generally more expensive, the A340-300 Airliner is priced at $59.99 (excluding taxes) feels about right. It may only come with one engine type and one variant (e.g. not the A340-200), but there is a passenger and preighter model (passenger converted to freighter), giving you some choice about the flights you do in the simulator. iniBuilds has also proven to update their planes to improve the quality over time, and promised to continue that trend with the A340-300. That said, this review is based on what is available today.
So did the A340-300 Airliner scratch that itch for a wide-body Airbus long-haul plane? I think so. I’ve had a lot of fun with the aircraft over the past month, doing multiple legs across many airports. High-altitude departures are a challenge, and flying oceanic with quads really feels like flying back in time. Whilst real-world routes are getting thinner and thinner, it’s great to be able to re-live some of the more classic era of flying with the A340-300. There’s enough meat on the bones from the system-depth and options to keep you interested for a long time.
Editor’s Note: Some screenshots were taken before the 1.0.3 update that altered the wing/landing gear modelling.
