FS2004 Lufthansa Airbus A340-311 D-AIGB

Lufthansa’s four-engine Airbus A340-311 stands out as a popular choice for transcontinental service, and this freeware package brings that same spirit into FS2004. With a thoughtfully designed external model and meticulously painted textures, it reproduces the real aircraft flown by Lufthansa under registration D-AIGB. Model creation and fine-tuning were spearheaded by the talented individuals at Project Open Sky, and this release features a visually detailed livery crafted by Mutas Sibai.

Robust Modeling and External Details

In real-world operations, Lufthansa employs the wide-body A340 for long-haul routes, capitalizing on its extended range capabilities. This virtualization stays faithful to that concept, incorporating independent suspension components, dynamic engine fan options, and realistic landing gear animations. The engineering work blends 3D artistry with accurate aerodynamic profiles, ensuring each flight surface responds to environmental factors. Designers made certain the reflective texture zones differ by material type, and the body is enhanced with functional cargo doors, passenger exits, and animated vents.

Primary Contributors and Credits

Model Designer

Shervin Ahooraei

Flight Dynamics Designer

Warren C. Daniel

Master Textures

Ben Hewitt, C. Vincent Cho

Virtual Cockpit Textures

Gary Hayes

FDE Advisors

Nick Peterson, Simon Ng Hin Tat

Virtual Cockpit Gauges

Special thanks to Pasquale Rinaldi

Panel

Pasquale Rinaldi

XML Programming

Special thanks to Fraser Turner and Bill Leaming

Livery Painting

Mutas Sibai (32-bit textures)

Technical Highlights

• Fully animated surfaces: All primary and secondary flight controls display a responsive range of movement.
• Dynamic flex: Turbulence and air loads cause the wings to flex in a lifelike manner.
• Thrust reversal: The reversing mechanisms fully deploy at idle reverse settings, contributing to realistic deceleration.
• Droop functionality: Control surfaces (ailerons and elevators) droop when powerplants are off.
• Custom lighting: The package integrates refined night lighting, external illumination, and reflection effects.
• High-resolution textures: Each section of the exterior uses distinctive reflective values, achieving a polished yet authentic exterior sheen.
• Virtual cockpit (VC) interface: Includes clickable switches and instruments, plus simulated rain effects on the windshield.
• Wing-view configurations: Offers the option to switch between interior cabin perspectives and an external observer viewpoint.
• All passenger and cargo doors open individually: Shift+E for left door, Shift+T for right door, and Shift+E+2 for the cargo sections.
• Animated vent systems: Activates via Shift+W, offering additional operational immersion during ground handling.

Flight Dynamics and Handling Characteristics

• Verified flight data: Real Airbus documentation served as the reference, ensuring precise control surface deflections and handling.
• Accurate contact points: Scrape zones and gear alignments match the actual A340 airframe.
• Configurable payload stations: The simulator’s payload interface is leveraged to approximate weight and balance constraints of various A340 models.
• Multiple variants: Includes -200, -300, and -313E models with different engines (e.g., -5C2, -5C3, -5C4, -5C4/P) and increased MTOW configurations.
• Inspection lights and condensation visuals for added authenticity.
• Real pilot input: The entire package underwent testing by an individual experienced with the A340 flight deck.

Getting the Package Operational

1. Uncompress the file, and move the entire aircraft folder to the main simulator’s Aircraft directory.

This freeware release offers a comprehensive base model courtesy of Project Open Sky, merged with a Lufthansa paint job under D-AIGB registration. It presents an excellent way to explore the Airbus A340’s unique long-haul performance from Lufthansa’s perspective, all while taking advantage of the thorough design efforts by Shervin Ahooraei, Warren C. Daniel, and the rest of the talented development team.

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