If there’s an aircraft that I really want to fly in Microsoft Flight Simulator but that is not yet on offer, it’s the De Havilland Canada Q400. This twin-engine turboprop airliner is used all over the world with a few of the original Dash-8 still flying together with the popular follow-ups of the Q200, Q300 and Q400. Fortunately, there is a group out there working on one and they’ve just provided an update.

Breaking the silence

We’ve known for quite some time that Majestic Software, well known for their P3D and FSX Q400 offerings, had indicated that they wanted to develop for Microsoft Flight Simulator but status updates had been few and far between to the point where a great many had kind of written it off. Well, it appears that they are alive and well with plans for a Q200, 300 and 400 for MSFS.

A reasonably lengthy update indicates that they have been watching development of MSFS and are happy with the direction that everything is going in. They report that the only thing they are able to bring forward from the old version is systems logic and some sound work while the rest will be re-done. They also indicate that while a MSFS one is in production they also intend to develop for P3D as well.

They also talk about their timeline and for that I’ll turn to the update itself.

A timeline on when this project will be close to completion will not be discussed at this time as we will not be, nor never have falsified hope on release dates. We are hoping that we can near completion sooner than planned, but we do not foresee being close to completion till sometime in 2025 “if everything goes as planned”. Many folks are bantering/suggesting that we partner with other developers but that is not something that we can easily do for business reasons not to be discussed.

kroswynd on the MJC Support Forum

So, fans of the Dash 9 and Q200/300/400 series will have to wait a while longer but there is hope that one is in development.

Read the update right over here.