Aerosoft Announces Simcheck Airbus A300B4-200

Aerosoft announces the release of the download version of the Simcheck Airbus A300B4-200 for FSX. This release includes a detailed version of the first generation Airbus jetliner, back before glass cockpits, but with an advanced autopilot.

Designing a state-of-the-art airbus simulation for FSX is a huge challenge – expertise and patience are required.

With an advanced autopilot, the A300B4-200 series is a first generation Airbus with analog steam-gauges. Although some current operators have tried to make some cockpit upgrades, these have been based on various GPS systems where the ADI was replaced with an EADI, the HSI replaced with an ND, the CDU replaced with a (basic) FMS.

The team at Aerosoft has not simulated these upgrades as they were not included in the original aircraft. Due to the fact that the Airbus autopilot systems are significantly different from the FSX implementation of an autopilot, Aerosoft decided to reinvent the autopilot from scratch.

In Aerosoft’s design, the way the autopilot works is this: commands are sent to the elevator trim and the elevator trim controls the altitude and bank angle of the aircraft based on so called PID controllers. The result is: very realistic autopilot behavior.

Aerosoft did the same thing with the auto-throttle – so users should not be surprised by the aircraft’s inability to maintain the correct airspeed in turbulent air – should it happen. A user needs to do what real pilots do – turn off the auto-throttle and switch to manual control.

The virtual cockpit and external model have the latest modeling developments in animation, reflection and lighting built into the FSX simulator engine.

In designing and developing Airbus A300B4-200, Aerosoft worked in cooperation with real-life professional pilots. The model specifications of the SimCheck A300B4-200 simulation are as follows:

• There are FSX-only 3D models: a cargo model and a passenger model
• Passenger, belly and cargo doors can be opened and closed individually
• There are front and aft passenger stairs, with a fully moving cargo loader and GPU model.
• Low speed/high speed aileron split animations
• Extending and retracting main landing lights
• A completely virtual cockpit with predefined camera positions
• Moving APU air inlet door
• Realistic spoiler animation
• Main landing gear bogie tilt

Textures from several airlines are available and more are added on a regular basis. A Photoshop based paint kit will be made available, and this allows for customization.

Key highlights of the flight model are as follows:

• Realistic engine performance in flight
• Realistic flight handling which was tested by a professional A300 Captain
• Realistic fuel use during flight but also during start-up and taxi
• Realistic braking performance

Airbus A300B4-200 will be distributed by Aerosoft in both boxed and download format.

Video Demonstration