Scenery-cum-aircraft developer, Skyline Simulations, announced back in September 2018 that they will be working on a rendition of the 100/200/300 versions of the short-haul aircraft, the DeHavilland Dash 8 for X-Plane. Skyline Simulations has taken to Facebook to bring us further previews in the form of cockpit 3D renders.
The work in progress shots shows the attention to detail the team are putting into the development. Skyline Simulations also commented that the aircraft will be modelled to a high specification and that they will be trying to re-produce the aircraft as close to authentic operations as possible. The team has enlisted a real-world Dash 8 pilot who doubles as one of the developers to keep the production in line with the actual aircraft. The post also gives thanks to the fans and other pilots who have been sending in photos and videos of the aircraft in action, all helping to bring the Dash 8 to life.
The developer confirmed in the comments of their post that the 100 version of the aircraft will have an analogue cockpit just as they came off the building line, even though there were some 100 variants retrofitted with glass cockpits during service. The 200/300 variants will be equipped with a partial glass cockpit. Each variant will be released both new and used. They will either look crisp and clean, fresh out of the factory or appear to be as aged and worked as the real aircraft still in service currently do. If the texturing looks as good as the initial 3D renders, we will be in for a treat.
The 3D modelling of the interior comes to an end with these shots, the focus will now turn to the external modelling which needs to be made to look more realistic as well as interior texturing simultaneously. At this relatively early stage, there has been no disclosure of when the team hope the aircraft to be ready but of course, we will monitor the development closely.
