In their weekly development update on their Discord server and Facebook page, SimWorks Studios (SWS) confirmed their intent to develop the Kodiak 900. Unveiled by aircraft manufacturer Daher in July 2022, the Kodiak 900 is a larger, faster version of the popular Kodiak 100 single-engine turboprop. “We would like to put an end to the speculation today by telling you that the Kodiak 900 is now in the works and will be the first of four Daher aircraft that we will be working on in the future.” Of note is SWS hinting at three other Daher models being worked on. It is already known that they are working on model improvements and the addition of the Sky4Sim EFB tablet to their existing Kodiak 100, but no other details were provided as to what the other models could be.
PC-12 Development Update
Secondly, SWS provided one of the most detailed updates to date on their PC-12 project and outlined a rough timeline for upcoming milestones. The developer reports that interior fixes are being worked on presently with the goal of having an early build of the aircraft ready for in-game testing within a couple of weeks. Both the PC-12/47 and PC-12/47E (“NG”) versions are also being outfitted with their various systems and the electrical systems and all circuit breakers have been modeled in the sim. Deicing and a basic pressurization system have also been modeled as well as an improved ITT simulation that overcomes some existing limitations present in MSFS’s ITT modeling.
Further, SWS states that the PC-12 is performing very well in the sim where modeling of the 4-bladed propeller has the airplane performing within 1-3 knots of the “book value” numbers of the real airplane. Based on previews previously released by SWS, a 5-bladed propeller option is also in the works. The developer reports that development efforts will continue to focus on refinements and systems work over the coming month: “March will be spent fine-tuning the flight model and programming new systems such as the stick pusher, rudder-aileron interconnect, and integrating the autopilot & GPS panels and, of course, the flight model will keep getting worked on until we are 103% satisfied with it. Upon completion, the aircraft will be sent to Pilatus for approval and final release.”
Lastly, SWS previewed an “early render” of the cockpit showing our first look at the layout of the Honeywell Primus Apex avionics that is being custom-coded for the NG variant. From the information provided in this week’s update, it’s clear that the SWS development team is keeping busy and that their projects are progressing nicely.
