Microsoft Flight Simulator airliner fans have a new option to put into their virtual hangar. The A380 Airliner from iniBuilds has just released and is now available for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and it comes with the usual array of features plus some new layers of detail and simulation modeling. Let’s have a look and fill you in on what you need to know!

Fly the Super Jumbo

No doubt about it, the A380 is a huge airplane and among the biggest in the world. The A380 Airliner has just arrived, developed by iniBuilds, using past releases as a foundation to bring the airplane to life.

iniBuilds are touting an extensive array of features. Distinct Trent 900 and GP7200 engine simulation with unique start behaviour, spool dynamics, thrust response and cockpit indications between the two engines. There are two avionics variants with the Early MSN and Modern MSN with era appropriate FMS capabilities. Advanced weather radar includes adjustable tilt and azimuth controls, fuel temperature simulation, modern ECAM indications, Brake to Vacate functionality and a potable water simulation.

Visually the developer indicates that they have high resolution textures, liveries available via the iniManager software, custom wing flex, dynamic and progressive landing-gear compression and independent bogie movement, as well as visual effects for engine flames, smoke, tail-strike and visible hull damage. There are custom sounds for both engine variants and authentic voice callouts.

The aircraft also has an EFB with the usual iniBuilds features with performance calculations, SimBrief and VATSIM support, NSS inbox, GSX support is built into the airplane and in the EFB itself.

That’s just scratching the surface of what is on offer.

See it in action

We’ve had a bunch of videos that have come out as well from iniBuilds with two lengthy preview videos. Part one covers the aircraft in extreme detail.

Part two takes you through the aircraft procedures and systems.

And of course we have a cinematic trailer that covers the visuals and sounds of the project.

Controversy?

Its no surprise that there are sometimes controversies with aircraft releases in flight simulation and the A380 has attracted some of its own. The biggest has nothing to do with the A380 itself but the concern that the aircraft will have its own share of WASM related crashes similar to what we’ve seen in the A350 release. Indeed, people have noted that YouTuber Swiss001’s live stream included an A380 WASM crash.

So there is a worry that the aircraft will repeat some of the instability issues that the developers A350 has experienced and the concerns are warranted. We’ll have to see if the A380 ends up having the same frequency of issues or if the infamous WASM crash, something that affects more than just iniBuilds aircraft, affects the A380 in the same way.

Available now

iniBuilds are following the pattern that they have with the A340-300 Airliner and with the A220 where they release in the MSFS Marketplace first and then release to the iniBuilds installer later. They say this helps protect them from piracy. Users who want to convert from Marketplace to iniBuilds software later can do so.

You can pick up the A380 for £54.99 or $74.40 USD.

Learn more about the iniBuilds A380 Airliner here.