Wing42 releases the 1909 Blériot XI for Flight Simulator

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Flight simulator developer Wing42 has specialized in older aircraft and their first release for Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the oldest. The 1909 Blériot XI is their first aircraft out of the gate and it looks like a unique experience for fans of Flight Simulator and historical aviation.

Go back to the pioneers of flight

After the Wright Brothers success became widely known, the brothers spent some time in France developing new designs and perfecting their work. And that attracted other inventors and engineers including Louis Blériot. His Blériot XI was the first to fly across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft. An example of the aircraft is maintained in flying condition to this day.

Now, you can fly this aircraft in Microsoft Flight Simulator as well thanks to Wing42. If the screenshots are anything to go by, this looks like a really interesting type that has been researched and presented in very high quality visuals.

The feature list is also impressive with a flight model using reference data and a study of pilot reports on the type. There are custom animations including moving cables and wing warping. The aircraft has two variants available including the including the Anzani powered version as well as the Gnome-powered variant. There’s also a version that includes a more challenging flight model called the R.I.P. Edition although its unclear exactly what the change is aside from it being more challenging to fly. The aircraft also comes with 8-liveries.

Available through the Wing42 website

The Blériot XI is currently on sale through the Wing42 website for €19.99 (tax included). I’m not certain if it will also be sold through the Microsoft Marketplace but if there is news on that front I will update the article.

Check out the Blériot XI on Wing42.com or follow their lively Twitter account @SimWing42.

Coming next

Wing42 looks like a developer to watch if you’re interested in the pioneering and golden eras of flight as one of their next projects is bringing the Lockheed Vega to Flight Simulator including a version on floats.

One to watch!

12 responses to “Wing42 releases the 1909 Blériot XI for Flight Simulator”

  1. CanadaOne Avatar
    CanadaOne

    Looks interesting, but for $30 Canadian it better be a first class model. I’ll wait for some flight reviews.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      Lots of reviews and content in the works but I think I will be doing an eventual review of this one. Stay tuned! 🙂

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      Reply
  2. Raptorattacker Avatar
    Raptorattacker

    What a fantastic idea. It’s great that some people think outside the box! Next thing’ll be the R101!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      For sure! With all of the fancy glass cockpits and GPS systems… this is a cool novelty of flying something that is on the opposite end of the scale. My interest in piqued!

      Like

      Reply
  3. Doctor Drago Avatar
    Doctor Drago

    You know…I’m not usually interested in simulated engine startup sequences. But I will wholeheartedly support any module that requires interactive hand-turning of the prop.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. ClannK Avatar
    ClannK

    Very, very cool – just a “little” too primitive for my tastes. Hopefully they can do a WW1 fighter – that’d be a lot of fun to toss around!

    (that Vega on floats is interesting, too)

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      The Vega looks really interesting! It’s a bit later than WWI but not by much. And it has some cool style and the optional floats… very fun!

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      Reply
  5. Blue 5 Avatar
    Blue 5

    I do not have MSFS 2020, but I had some of their early stuff 15 years ago. My recollection is that the terrain was a picture at a specific altitude but looked awful above or below that. Also, the FM was – errr – cheerful. If you like to mess about in basic aircraft, how does it stack against GB and DCS from a real flyinf perspective?

    I am tempted if they can do this or – OMG – a BE2C (no pressure for the FC2), but can MS really pull this off?

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      There’s little to nothing of FSX left. Asobo did have the codebase available to them and they did use some pieces of FSX to get them started but, as Asobo have stated, they threw out a lot too and started over.

      The scenery system is unreal. Not perfect but it does incredible things. As for the flight model, I’d say that it’s good and it has its pros and cons. On the cons side, aircraft still feel more stable and less dynamic than they do in IL-2, DCS, and X-Plane. On the flipside, I’ve never experienced a flight model that connects as well with atmospheric effects like wind and turbulence.

      My full review has more: https://stormbirds.blog/2020/09/19/microsoft-flight-simulator-full-review/

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      1. Blue 5 Avatar
        Blue 5

        So it’s not great?

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      2. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
        ShamrockOneFive

        It doesn’t push the state of the art in terms of feel but it’s nothing like the ‘on rails’ feeling of FSX either. If DCS is excellent (10/10), X-Plane and IL-2 are very good (8.5/10), MSFS 2020 is good (7.5 out of 10), and FSX is horrible (1/10).

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  6. Blue 5 Avatar
    Blue 5

    Thanks you, excellent summary as always.

    Liked by 1 person

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