The 727 is a fascinating aircraft, not only because of its rich history. It’s still in service today, often for very unique missions. We’ve taken a closer look at these special roles and brought them to life for you - completely free!
British Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) specializes in combating oil disasters and recently started using modified Boeing 727 aircraft for this purpose. Previously, OSRL relied on Hercules C-130 transport planes, but due to high maintenance costs and the dwindling availability of these propeller-driven aircraft, they needed a replacement. They chose the Boeing 727-200, formerly operated by FedEx, for its large cargo capacity and sturdy build.
In this special livery, we’ve not only redesigned the cabin and added the spray equipment but also built an interactive control panel on the FE Panel. This lets you fly the entire procedure as realistically as possible.
Since this setup is unique and challenging, we’ve included a dedicated mission in our documentation that walks you through operating this special variant, so you can get the full experience.
Since 2008, NASA has used the Boeing 727 for research purposes, and it even offers private individuals a chance to experience zero gravity. The “G-Force One,” operates about 50 to 100 flights per year and is expected to keep flying for another 25 to 30 years. Its flights depart from locations like the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Houston and Austin (Texas), Long Beach (California), Seattle (Washington), and Las Vegas (Nevada).
For this special livery, we’ve designed a fitting cabin interior. No virtual astronauts are floating around, but you wouldn’t notice that from the cockpit anyway. Enjoy the thrill of this exciting maneuver!
We've fixed and improved various systems, like the engine gauges during startup and shutdown, some hydraulic logic, and more. We’ve also added several smaller enhancements. For instance, there are new approach callouts that you can toggle on and off via the clipboard, a voice callout when a Crew Manager flow is complete, and some tweaks to the 3D model for better readability of decals.
We’re hard at work on the GNS-XLS flight management computer, and we’re in the final stages. Our goal is to release a working version before Christmas - fingers crossed that nothing unexpected comes up! The system will support manual flight plan entry, direct Simbrief import, PLAN pages with fuel consumption, planned waypoint times, and an integrated moving map accessible through the AFIS menu. With features like Holdings and Direct To, it’ll be user-friendly even for less experienced pilots in online networks.
We already have access to an early alpha version of the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, but it's not quite representative yet. Microsoft has indicated that most addons should be compatible with the new simulator from day one, at least in a legacy mode. Unfortunately, with our current version, we can’t confirm this compatibility just yet, but we hope to see improvements in the coming weeks. We’re planning to release a free compatibility update for FS24 initially, but it will just be the current version running in legacy mode. Next year, we’ll likely start working on an FS24-native version that fully utilizes the simulator's new features. Given the expected development effort (which remains unknown at this point), this won’t be a free upgrade.
Despite FS24, we’ll keep supporting FS20 as long as you want us to. We still have a lot planned for it! First up is the passenger version of the 727. This project is already underway, though it won’t be ready this year. We know you expect a high-quality, detailed recreation, and that takes time. We’re also planning a VIP variant, with details currently being evaluated. And then there’s the Super27 - a modernized version with an updated cockpit and more powerful engines. This is a longer-term plan, with the passenger version taking top priority right now.
We won’t be announcing specific timelines or release dates for any of these until each product is ready. But one thing is certain: 2025 is going to be an incredible year for our 727 lineup!😍
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