Following on the footsteps of the partnership between Heatblur and IndiaFoxtEcho for the F-14 for Microsoft Flight Simulator, the two are teaming up again to bring us an F-16 to the sim as well. Interesting news! Let’s dig into it!
Falcon comes to MSFS
Two veteran sim developers, Heatblur and IndiaFoxtEcho, are bringing their teams together to create a new product for Microsoft Flight Simulator. They report that their next product together will be an F-16 model, specifically focusing this first release on the F-16A Block 15, with plans to offer other variants in the future.
The model will be based on what they call a rich library of laser and photogrammetry scanning data with the intention to create the F-16 at the highest detail levels of visual fidelity. Early screenshots confirm some highly detailed exterior and interior images already coming together.
IndiaFoxtEcho meanwhile talk a bit about their goals with the product and why a F-16A was chosen. One of the reasons is novelty with decades between this and any prior F-16A model. They say that the simpler avionics on the F-16A also fit better with Microsoft Flight Simulator and should enable to them to be quicker to develop the product.
No release date or pricing has been revealed and the product does appear to be still in the early to middle development stages.
DCS product updates?
Meanwhile, back with Heatblur they report that they are full steam ahead on the A-6E, F-14, F-4, and other products. Their priorities they report are shipping the A-6 AI model, Eurofighter, and backporting F-4 improvements to the F-14 along with updating the F-4.
Responding to questions in the comments, IndiaFoxtEcho report that they have no plans to bring the F-16A to DCS World with the thinking that many users may not want a less capable Viper with the F-16C Block 50 already in the sim. But they are listening to user comments on the issue nonetheless and there may yet be interest.
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