The number of new aircraft coming to Flight Simulator is impressive and here are two more that I haven’t had a chance to write about yet from Just Flight. The Arrow III and the F-15 for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Here’s what we know!
PA-28R Arrow III in development
JustFlight has maintained a detailed representation of the PA-28R Arrow III for various flight sims over the years and now they are bringing it to Microsoft Flight Simulator. This is a very common aircraft in the GA aircraft scene so having it come to the sim will be a welcome addition. Just Flight is working with a real world version of the aircraft, G-BGKU, as their example and it looks like working with the real aircraft has let the developers get all of the details like the authentically modeled wear and tear just right.
The images above come from Just Flight’s latest developer update while even more images have been released on their Twitter account.
No official release date has been given for this project, however, responses on Twitter suggest that they are aiming to release it before spring. For many GA pilots, I think this one might be high on the list and it’s definitely one that I’ll be checking out.
Find out more about the PA-28 Archer III for Flight Simulator here.
UPDATE at 12:14 pm EDT
Just Flight has released a new developer update just a couple of hours after I posted this. In it you’ll see more images of both interior and exterior of the Just Flight PA-28 Arrow III. Well worth a look!
Fly the F-15C/D/E/I Eagle in Flight Simulator
Some of you may be interested to know that Just Flight is working with and will be distributing another aircraft for the sim. DC Design’s F-15C/D/E/I Eagle for Flight Simulator is well underway. The initial overview sounds good and the aircraft will come in both one and two seat configurations with both cockpits accessible. The aircraft will have a stores management system so you’ll be able to incorporate a heavily laden F-15E into your flying if you want to.
From the development screens I have a few concerns over texture quality and the afterburner effect looks relatively unconvincing. There’s also reports, such as this one in PCGamer, that Microsoft Flight Simulator does not have the necessary flight modeling to handle the transonic regime and Mach speed so this F-15 will be somewhat restricted – hopefully until those restrictions are lifted later. It will have overwing vapour effects so that’s going to be interesting to see.
The jet will come with several liveries including these for the C, E and I versions:
F-15C
- 493rd FS based at RAF Lakenheath
- 173rd Fighter Wing, Oregon Air National Guard
- 144th Fighter Wing, California Air National Guard
- 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Virginia
F-15E
- 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina
- 391st Fighter Squadron, ‘Bold Tigers’, Mountain Home AFB
- 391st Fighter Squadron, ‘Tiger Meet’ 2005
F-15I
- N 69 Squadron ‘Patishim’ (Hammers)
Still, if you want a fast jet in the sim and you have to fly an F-15, this might be worth your while.
Stormbirds 
I’m all for an F-15, but from the looks of this one I hope its budget looks equal a budget price.
Really looking forward to someone killing it with a top notch DCS quality fighter.
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Even the slightly long in the tooth Flaming Cliffs 3 F-15C has better looking textures from what I can gather. It’s still work in progress so we’ll see what they can deliver in the end.
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The F15 looks arcade-like. Certainly far below the detail of the DCS paid modules and the forthcoming DCS F15.
Also that afterburner is weird. I guess it’s early days for this type of aircraft. The below mach 1 limitation is what kills this flight sim for me. Especially when DCS will be getting Vulkan and multithreading this year.
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That F15, damn… For people that don’t know DCS I guess. Feels like a low quality DCS FC3 module copy, but “I Know Nothing”
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hopefully they will drastically lower the price from it’s FSX/P3D brother – i won’t go for a $40 price on this level of addon.
knowing their aircraft are “sim lite” and given the relatively low quality visuals (so far), it’d be hard for me to go for this, even though i vastly prefer bubble canopy flying.
Heck, at least Carenado gives top-notch modeling and decent-ish systems for the same price point (relative to what I see in the DC Designs models).
we’ll have to see what’s actually released…
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$40?
Yeah, that’s not going to happen.
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(Meaning I would absolutely not buy it.)
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