Hello there!
Have you seen the series of short videos we’re releasing? Make sure to follow us on YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter so you don’t miss the next one!
We’ll also be attending the 2016 Flight Sim Expo at the Royal Air Force Museum in Cosford, England on October 8th. We’ll have a big announcement at presentations in the morning and afternoon, so make sure to stop by if you’ll be there as well.
These are very busy times at Laminar Research–we’re all working tirelessly to bring you the best in mobile and desktop flight simulators! The latest update to X-Plane 10 mobile is now out, and 10.50 is getting close to being finalized.
X-Plane Mobile 10.3 Now Available
If you haven’t already heard, X-Plane Mobile 10.3 is now available in the Apple App & Google Play stores!
So what’s new? Oh, just about everything…
This was a LONG development cycle because the entire guts of the app were essentially moved from our desktop product to our mobile product. These two now share more than ever, making this the most accurate mobile flight simulator out there.
Highlights of this release include:
- Entirely new flight model and systems taken from our FAA certified desktop product.
- Brand new desktop-quality Cessna 172SP and 4 liveries
- Tons of bug fixes
You might not SEE many other changes as they’re all in the engine, but we’re far from done and our first round of upgrades that will make use of this new engine is coming soon!
Get the Android Update Get the iOS updateTips and Tricks
X-Plane can let you do more than just shoot approaches and practice a traffic pattern. There are multiple types of situations built into the sim that allow you to try your skills at procedures that are a bit more unusual…such as fighting forest fires!
First we need to set up the conditions to ensure forest fires can appear:
- Open the Rendering Options window and check the box “draw forest fires and balloons.”
- Go to the Weather screen and set all cloud layers to “clear,” with no precipitation, and set the temperature to 70°F (21°C) or more.
Next we need to get our plane ready and then find some forest fires to put out:
- Open up your desired water tanker, such as the Bombardier 415 seaplane.
- You should start on water, so fill your tanks by pressing the “Down Probes” switch in the bottom right of the panel, and turning it off when done.
- To find a fire to put out, go to a mountainous region (existing fires will show up on the local map), or go to Aircraft & Situations and press the “Forest Fire Approach” button.
- Fly over the fire and use the “Water drop control” found under the Water Status Display to jettison the water and put out the fire!
Featured Add Ons
Payware
The Reality Expansion Pack for Carenado’s V35 Bonanza, F33A Bonanza, or Cessna T210M Centurion is a great addition to already great aircraft models!
The REP adds a walkaround mode, with an interactive checklist to undo the tie-downs, remove the chocks, and more. The kneeboard reference and the new sounds are a nice touch, too. It also adds in-flight tips to gently guide and improve your performance. Check out the full list of features here, and if you have any of these Carenado aircraft, you should give the Reality Expansion Pack a try!
Freeware
The Eclipse 550 is a low-wing, twin-engine very light jet. It’s not easy to find this aircraft in the real world as there aren’t very many in existence yet–the first one was delivered in 2014. Grab this model to save nearly $3 million, and experience a detailed 3d cockpit with fully functional glass panel, custom sounds, and 10 liveries.
Happy flying!
— The X-Plane Team
