My Flight New Read Site

24 February 2025

Here's Nick Cyganski to bring you the latest news on some of his forthcoming aircraft for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Click on the screenshots below to see the full-size images!



Since my last update, I have been hard at work on two more aircraft for the Black Square 'Professional' series that will replace the Steam Gauge Overhaul aircraft in MSFS 2020, MSFS 2024 and beyond. Next up are the Baron Professional and Bonanza Professional.

Both will feature three airframes, each with custom exterior models, improved interior models with higher quality materials, custom sound sets from Boris Audio Works, drastically improved systems, more avionics options, and all the features of recent Black Square aircraft such as the Piston and Turbine Dukes.



The Bonanza Professional will include a 2000's normally aspirated A36, an aftermarket turbo-normalised A36TC, and the A36TP PT6A-powered turboprop conversion.



The Baron Professional will include a 2000's normally aspirated B58, a turbocharged 1984 58TC, and a pressurised 1985 58P.



Fans of the rare 'P-Baron' will notice that the Baron Professional now includes a true B58P exterior with a smaller cabin entry door, turbocharged engine nacelles, and all that accompanies them on the interior.



While the instrument panels of these aircraft might look similar to their original Steam Gauge Overhaul versions, almost every feature of these aircraft has been improved, with dozens added that debuted with Black Square's Dukes. Some are more obvious, like the exquisite sound packages from Boris Audio Works, or exterior features like the external power cart and propane pre-heater. Others are subtle, like instrument needle physics with stiction and friction, allowing you to tap on the glass to free stuck needles in cold weather, or gyroscope physics simulation.



The improvements are just as significant under the hood, with almost double the code complexity of the original aircraft.  These two updates bring every aspect of these aircraft up to the quality of the Black Square Dukes. Let the tablet interface's engine, cabin and electrical visualisers be your guide to all the new simulation features that have been added to these aircraft.



Most notably, both aircraft now feature the physics-based reciprocating engine simulation from the Piston Duke. Feel the compression of each cylinder as you start the engine, or watch cold and viscous oil circulate slowly through the engine galleries while cranking. The manuals for these aircraft have grown by around 100 pages each, just to document all these new features.



With all these new features, I also wanted the aircraft to feel new. That means all new paint schemes, ten unique upholstery packages from throughout the decades and new panel designs. I also took this opportunity to add the GTNxi 750/650 bezels to the Black Square Dukes and TBM 850, which will be included in their next updates.



The Turbine Bonanza conversion will be familiar to pilots of the Turbine Duke, with many similar features but in a compact form factor.  The turbine engine simulation in the Turbine Bonanza incorporates improvements created for Black Square's Starship, plus mainstays like beta range, propeller feathering physics, turbine engine failures and FOD damage, making it one of the best single-engine turboprop experiences for MSFS.



Speaking of the Starship, I have some good news to share. Although we are still waiting to record sounds from the real aircraft, Matt Nischan and the Working Title team were recently able to resolve a blocking issue within MSFS 2024 that would have delayed the release of the Starship on that platform. While my testing has not been exhaustive yet, we should be able to release the Starship on both platforms without issue. So far, the Starship is performing admirably in MSFS 2024, and the cockpit looks great with raytraced shadows. I've also reworked the Starship's materials for the third time to ensure that they stay up-to-date with my current standards. We are currently planning to release the Starship before this year's Flight Sim Expo in June, where the Just Flight team will be on hand to answer all your questions about this remarkably unique aircraft.



With MSFS 2024 becoming increasingly stable with every update, we will soon be turning our attention to MSFS 2024 compatability for the Black Square fleet. Although the Steam Gauge Overhaul aircraft will not be joining us in MSFS 2024, the rest of the aircraft are performing well in the new simulator, and there is also opportunity for some new features.  Particularly, I plan to add interactivity to the exterior of the aircraft (pitot covers, doors, chocks...) for your simulated pre-flights.



For more screenshots and lists of all the new and improved features in all three of Black Square's Professional Series aircraft, check out these 'What's New' documents:

• Caravan Professional: What's New Since the Analog Caravan
• Bonanza Professional: What's New Since the Analog Bonanza
• Baron Professional: What's New Since the Analog Baron

Stay tuned for product pages with lists of all the included features, more screenshots and draft manuals soon!

20 February 2025

We were very pleased to see our recently updated RJ Professional for MSFS 2020/2024 feature in the Reviews section of the latest issue (#156, Mar/Apr 2025) of PC Pilot magazine.

This RJ collection was certainly a labour of love for the Just Flight development team so the score of 95/100 is a well deserved reward for their efforts. Our thanks to Joe Lavery and the PC Pilot team for taking the time to get to know the aircraft.

We've copied a few of the reviewer's comments below and you can find out all the details of the new issue of the magazine on the PC Pilot website.

"This is a beautiful rendition of the RJ series, faithfully recreating these aircraft in every aspect."

"If you're looking to gain experience with one of the most realistic midsize passenger jets available, this is the one I'd recommend."

"These aircraft exhibit a design quality that rivals the real thing. In fact, the level of detail is so exceptional that screenshots could easily be mistaken for photos of the actual aircraft."

"Few developers take the time to model an aircraft's interior (beyond the cockpit) but the Just Flight team has gone the extra mile."

"The crafting of the cockpit is excellent. I don't think there's one switch or button that doesn't operate as it should, including the overhead panel and the pedestal that sits between the two pilots."

"The audio experience goes beyond just the engines. In the cockpit, the subtle sound of switches being flipped and the variety of system alerts add an extra layer of immersion to each flight."

"Just Flight produces better manuals than most flight sim developers. In fact, they set a standard that few others can (or even attempt to) match. For these aircraft they've truly outdone themselves by providing a manual that rivals the original Flight Crew Operational Manual (FCOM)."

Take a look at the RJ Professional page for more screenshots, a series of tutorial videos and all the aircraft features.

14 February 2025

The Flight Sim Awards 2025 event at this year's FSWeekend at the Aviodrome Lelystad in The Netherlands will celebrate the developers, creators and innovators who continually strive to push the limits of what we can enjoy in the virtual skies.

These awards will recognise the absolute best in flight simulation and the winners will be revealed live in Lelystad at the Captain’s Dinner on Friday March 14, the night before FSWeekend. Don't worry if you won't be able to be there - the awards ceremony will be streamed live so you can enjoy it from home.

Last year certainly provided the FS community with some outstanding add-ons and we're honoured to see our RJ Professional for MSFS among the nominations, along with our PA-28R Arrows for X-Plane 12 and Black Square's MSFS Piston and Turbine Dukes.

Voting is now open so have your say! You'll find all the information you need on the Flight Sim Awards 2025 website.