A simcade that lets players fly helicopters as we imagine them Helicopters are wonderous, highly flexible, complicated aerial vehicles that provide humanity with some of the most versatile mission sets possible. In order to fly these vehicles in the way we imagine them in our mind's eye, you would need a flight simulator that would let you take on sets of jobs helicopters are well known for. Immaculate Lift Studio seemingly created RotorSim to not only let people be enamored by the capabilities of helicopters, but also just enjoy the experience in a nicely packaged, accessible, adventurous experience. Looking at publicly available information, the developer is self-taught. They create games and functional apps for the Godot Engine. In fact, looking at their Gitbhub repositories, it seems like four key parts of Rotor Sim are readily available for use or to study. An indie developer providing the building blocks of their own projects, à la Why485 and Vazgriz , is somewhat uncommon, but great to see. Hopefully others feel a bit inspired to try and make their own projects. The earliest updates that can be traced through the Discord server and Itch.io at least goes as far back as May 23rd, 2024. The early builds of the game were available through Itch.io, but the version 1.0 release brought with it the release of the game on Steam on July 3rd, 2025. A demo of the game is also available on Steam, which is how I first interacted with this game, buying it shortly afterward. A sample of the in-game manual. Rotor Sim has two game modes. The Free Flight game mode, which, as you may have guessed, lets players fly in any condition with any aircraft in the game. An easy way to get familiar with the map. In the single player campaign, the player flies as a new pilot in AeroAssist aircraft utility services. The description of the company according to the in-game pilot manual (a stylish choice) describes the company in a well-grounded way: "AeroAssist began as a small venture aimed at providing crucial aerial support to inaccessible areas using governmental grants, at no cost to the affected region. Over the years, we have expanded our services globally, supporting disaster relief, medical transport, time-critical passenger movement and urgent supply delivery." AeroAssist operates from what looks like a slightly upgraded cargo ship with a helipad on the forward deck. Players operate from this ship throughout the course of their contract. At the start of each mission players lift off from the ship in a helicopter. The mission contract dictates whether it is one of three helicopters: the Sparrow (Robinson R-44 like), the Eagle (UH-1 Huey like) or the Condor (Mi-8 Hip like). Each of them with different, noticeable flight characteristics. After a mission is complete the level usually closes sending players to the menu to decide their next action, but by setting the Mission Completion Reset option to 'No Reset', players will have to fly back to the boat to complete the mission. The better option to really round out the experience in my opinion. It also increases the amount of flying players do, which is always positive. In Rotor Sim, all 30 missions of the single player take place in Windy Isle; a compact but diverse set of islands. There are mountains, a literal castle, an airport, a city, air traffic, sea traffic, docks, a shady research facility - just about everything you would expect from a decently populated area. Most important to the setting, the weather. From fog to rain to a full-blown storm that heavily reduces visibility an effect the way a helicopter flies. Coupling weather conditions with heavy cargo weights can be rather dangerous. Careful flying is required in such conditions. Just slowly trudging through low visibility situations while keeping an eye on terrain is sometimes the only path to success in some missions. This is about as dangerous as the environment gets, but the flight model is detailed enough to have a few more dangerous but realistic points. Rescuing passengers from a sinking ship. You can definitely tell that the seemingly casual flight model that can be enjoyed with a gamepad has a few simulator-like details specific to helicopters. From minor details like the cargo hook only able to pick up objects and a gantry that must be extended to lower a hoist to rescue people. To flight model specifics, I nearly failed a mission due to sudden episodes of Vortex Ring State and Rotor RPM Droop catching me completely unprepared. The momentum and weight these helicopters have with this flight model is manageable with a gamepad but can get out of hand if players are simply mashing the controls and throwing the stick around without a care in the world. Flying helicopters as you would within the real world is the best way to go. While doing research for this article I happened to come across the game's developer, who elaborated a bit more on Rotor Sim. Quoting them directly: "I originally started this project because I couldn't for the life of me find a simple heli sim that felt good to play without it being attached to something much larger and more complicated (like ARMA or GTA). I just wanted to fly around and do helicopter things. I've played basically every heli game that's come out in the last 10 years and most of them feel like asset flips, or at least not made with the attention that a true nerd would have. The control and feel of the helicopter was based on many years of flying in helicopters and wanting to recapture that sense of motion and chaos." All of this being done in a non-combat scenario may sound boring, but let me tell you, that is a major part of the enjoyment of Rotor Sim. Not constantly ducking between hills to evade ground fire or have a mission potentially fail because of a roving fighter jet gives players time to fully enjoy the flight model and immerse themselves in "helicopter things" as the developer puts it. Plucking people from dangerous situations with a hoist, delivering supplies, transporting VIPs, searching for lost hikers - a nice helicopter specific set of tasks. Example of the story driven campaign. Each mission has a small story within it and around it told by the contract description text and commentary from the characters during the mission. Working with different clients in this location gives one-off stories and a consistent storyline that is rather eyebrow raising from time to time. It is so interesting I do not feel like completely disclosing it in this article but know that there is intrigue abound. Mid-mission dialogue. Immaculate Lift Studio is already working on a sequel that is taking the concept of the original game even farther. Currently known as Rotor Sim World , some of the known details posted on the studio's Github mentions: Many more interesting helicopters (all shapes and sizes). Get out of your helicopter and drive cars, trucks, complete missions, and explore. 64km² world with cities, a coastline, forests, and secrets. Expanded mission types, such as firefighting, more involved and complicated cargo operations, and smuggling. NPCs! Thousands of citizens going about their daily lives and interacting with you. The story of AeroAssist continues, with new characters and some old favorites coming back. While I seem to have joined in to the Rotor Sim party a bit late, I am just on time for the pre-alpha phase of Rotor Sim World. I look forward to presenting my thoughts on the project so far and seeing where the developer takes it. Connect with 'Rotor Sim' Discord Github Itch.io Steam YouTube About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [ Read Staff Profile ]

This past week, we have now gotten back into flying in DCS after what felt like an eternity. We had our reasons to do so, but most importantly, that period of time is behind us. While I was trying to come back and coordinate with the other Skyward boys on what to do in DCS, I was reminded that not everything in DCS has to be the same mission over and over again. That is when we decided to go and experience DCS multiplayer within the Rotorheads community. WHAT IS THIS SERVER ABOUT? This server has a very different focus than other sandbox ones, such as 4YA and Through the Inferno, due to the very clear and refreshing focus on rotary wing aircraft and their operations. On what seems to be a first, or at least a popular first, a server has decided that fixed wing aircraft will take a step back and leave the limelight to the helicopters and, surprisingly, the logistics focused C-130J (mod, for now). The server is organized in big campaigns that run for several weeks. Player action and decisions permanently impact the mission, and future operations through direct action. Troop deployments and an emphasis on coordinated multi-front engagements , the server does set itself apart from other more casual experiences, something that is made clear by the fact that you have to join their discord server and read their rules to even be able to join the DCS server itself. You are given a code that you will have to enter, otherwise, you will get removed from the server. In this sense, you could say that this emphasis on community curation does lead to a more focused and less casual community. Does this mean the community is closed to everyone but the most professional pilots? No, absolutely not. GAMEPLAY AND WHAT WE GOT UP TO Since a mix of fixed and rotary wing operations are allowed, we decided to do some JTAC missions where I would designate from my Kiowa while RibbonBlue would engage from his Hornet while he used laser-guided Mavericks. It was very, very doable and sincerely, I had a lot of fun. Doing this on a normal server would have entailed starting a 1-hour-long journey towards the AO , with a possibility of our target being gone by the time I reached the agreed meeting point. In Rotorheads, the AO is 5 to 10 minutes away, which means that flying into combat is painless! This was such a nice change of pace and something that made our time during the server a much better one. While we were doing our mission, it was very cool to have a lot of other people around us running their own. There were attack helicopters doing runs on enemy armor, transport helicopters running troop insertion and vehicle deployment, and also some dedicated and very organized cargo pilots setting up defenses and moving the front line forward. RibbonBlue took note that Blackhawk and Chinook pilots were extremely proactive with unit deployment during one of our sessions, which left me quite impressed, considering that I thought that the Chinook player base was close to the double digits in terms of active users. Additionally, there is something very useful that this server runs alongside the mission: an active web-hosted heatmap that is pseudo-real time. You can find it here . This allows players and spectators to follow the flow of battle and see areas where enemies have been spotted, and where friendly pilots have been downed. Very neat, huh? GO FLY IN ROTORHEADS This server is paradise to those of us that love our whirlybirds, but it also remains friendly to those that are scared of having their wings rotate. Everyone can find a way to have fun within this server, so I encourage you to come here and fly.} The server is also running the AH-6, UH-60L and C-130J mods at the moment. This means that you will not have to buy any modules to enjoy it to the fullest. No excuses! You can see the requirements to join their server by clicking the button below, there you will find all the details including the server IP. What are you waiting for? Join the fight, it's worth it! About the Author Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos Longtime aviation fanatic with particular preference towards military aviation and its history. Said interests date back to the early 2000s, leading into his livelong dive into civil and combat flight simulators. He has been involved in a few communities, but only started being active around the mid 2010s. Joined as a Spanish to English translator in 2017, he has been active as a writer and the co-founder of Skyward ever since. Twitter  | Discord : Cubeboy

A generation of gamepad style flight controllers takes shape It seems like the Yawman Arrow may have been the first shot in a volley of handheld flight controllers. In the year 2023 the concept of a handheld flight controller was undoubtedly seen as an anomaly in flight simulation hardware. However, with two new prototype handheld flight controllers appearing at multiple flight simulation conventions in 2025 and now a confirmed release date for one of these controllers at the end of the same year, it is time to talk about this upcoming era of handheld flight controllers. Perspective As we start, I would like to establish my perspective and experience with the concept of handheld flight controllers. In the context of this article, the discussion of handheld flight controllers starts in 2023 with the debut of the newly established Yawman flight peripheral company and their Arrow flight controller. This gamepad style controller immediately started a conversation of the validity of this type of device in flight simulators. Arguments against the concept these specialized controllers can be summarized as: Concern about similar price point to existing entry level yokes and rudder pedals. The utility and value of a gamepad controller that is only designed for flight simulators. Gamepads for game consoles and personal computers have been pressed into service for flight games in the past. Why get a specialized device that is not a traditional flight peripheral (HOTAS, yoke, etc). Skyward Flight Media (Skyward FM) made initial contact with Yawman during their debut in 2023 at Flight Sim Expo (FSE). Our contact with the Yawman team eventually led to a review unit of the Arrow being sent to Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza for a launch review of the controller in early 2024. Our review process took the Arrow far beyond its tailor-made use in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and X-Plane 12. We took the Arrow from high fidelity general aviation simulators to AMRAAM slinging BVR engagements. From World War I flight arcade dogfights to alien world space station freight delivery. By the end of the review process, we found that a handheld flight controller does have a legitimate place in even the most experienced flight simmer's collection. It certainly does not replace hardware to the point there is no purpose in purchasing a dedicated trim wheel or throttle quadrant for higher fidelity flight simulation. However, this type of controller and its backend support did make it very easy to access higher quality flight simming without needing to bring out a full sim rig each time. For over a year now, many of the games and simulators Skyward FM has interacted with have been flown with the Yawman Arrow in varying degrees. Perhaps not every single flight done with the controller, but it was plugged in and assessed to see how feasible it would be for whichever title is being played. From there the Arrow would be used in a rotation that made sense. Skyward Flight Media has been classified as a power user of the Arrow by Yawman themselves, taking into account everything that was previously stated. All of that to say that the Skyward FM perspective of the handheld flight controller concept is shaped by the realities of best case and worst-case use from a wide array of flight titles while understanding the limitations of these devices compared to traditional flight simulation hardware. Yawman Arrow To the established flight sim market in 2023, a daring new yoke design is seen as a safer bet in comparison to a true unknown like the Arrow was. The concept of a flight simulation peripheral in the form factor of a game console controller was a wildcard at the time. 2024 graphic. The design of the Yawman Arrow has remained unchanged since release in January 8th, 2024. Its straightforward design incorporates an instrument six-pack button layout which can double as button modifiers to layer controls in simulators. Its sliders on the bottom right faceplate and vernier poles on the underside of the controller are axises that can be reassigned to whatever is needed depending on the simulator it is used on. The built in trim wheel on the bottom left is also a solid addition that is placed far from where the most common button presses and finger sweeps occur. Arguably the Arrow's signature feature is its patent pending mechanically linked triggers which act exactly as full-size rudder pedals. The consistent stiffness of the triggers improves the precision of rudder controls of aircraft flown in simulator. However, that same stiffness is somewhat of a hurdle for users that use them roughly. In the Skyward FM review of the Arrow, I made a note of the potential danger of multiple rapid full force trigger pulls. While the core of the linked triggers inside the body of the controller is rather well built, there are cases of the plastic finger pads of the triggers snapping under consistent, vigorous use. During my conversation with the Yawman team at FSE 2025, they have guided customers through processes to repair or replace parts on the controller, though these did not sound like they were regular occurrences. At launch the price point of the Yawman Arrow in comparison to other traditional flight controllers was a hurdle for potential customers who saw prices of more entry level yokes being close to what Yawman initially offered. The first batch of Arrow controllers sold out on launch day, January 10th, 2025. A second batch of controllers was made ready by January 15th. A price drop from $250.00 USD to $199.00 USD was announced on January 18th, but it does not seem to be something that was done because of commercial failure. Yawman goes deeper into the reasons in their blog post  about it, but the Arrow has continued production and sales since its launch day with Yawman developing new projects. Reviews of the Arrow have continued to be mostly favorable even now. Most pushback against its design centers on the somewhat unflattering visual design, desire for more tactile feedback when pressing certain buttons and higher quality material used on certain parts like the vernier poles at the bottom of the controller. But complains of the device being totally unusable and completely failing are few and far between. Though, as of November 18th, 2025, it seems like the design of the Arrow will need to be reviewed by the Yawman team to remain competitive with the next gamepad style flight controller. Honeycomb Aeronautical Echo It just so happens that while I started writing this article earlier this week, Honeycomb Aeronautical released the reveal trailer for their Echo Aviation Controller with a general release date of December 2025. Talk about good timing. To have such a well-established company like Honeycomb Aeronautical actively develop a controller like this is rather interesting. The Echo Aviation Controller first appeared at the Honeycomb Aeronautical Industry Preview Days hosted in London in July 2025 with the public able to try the prototypes at FlightSimExpo 2025. While Skyward FM did have some time with the controllers at FSE 2025, frankly the Echo has undergone such a considerable change as seen in the November 18th trailer, I had to re-write this entire section of the article. My initial observations and concerns about the mid-2025 prototype of the Echo centered around the positioning of the four levers in the middle of the controller, the size of some of the flight controls at the bottom of the controller and on the face of the controller. My concerns were about the difficult of sweeping fingers over dense clusters of controls and the somewhat unusual placement of things like the trim hat switch and a few of the other non-gamepad standard buttons across the bottom and the top right of the faceplate. However, the Honeycomb team seems to have taken all of the feedback from industry insiders and flight simmers to heart. In terms of customization, the Echo has a pretty much set in stone design with exception to the four controller levers / axises that can now have their caps replaced with color coded knobs. This lends these levers to then become functions like fuel mixture, separate engine thrust levers, etc. The Bravo Throttle Quadrant from Honeycomb has the same capability. Something that has inspired similar General Aviation yoke and throttle combos like the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight Universal Control System. The presence of mechanically linked triggers acting as aircraft rudder pedals was one of the most eyebrow raising parts of the Echo for me. This type of control system is the signature feature of the Yawman Arrow. Such a specialized mechanism both needs to be sturdy enough to handle long term use while frequently being held within very specific positions. All without the device losing tension or becoming detrimental to minute flight inputs during maneuvers. For Skyward FM this is all said from the outside looking in for now. With the redesign of the Echo having a general release date of December 2025, it seems like we will be able to go hands on sooner than later. MeridianGMT X-Ray Flight Sim Controller This company was founded on March 12th, 2025, by former Honeycomb Aeronautical Founder, Nicki Repenning. One of the main messages MeridianGMT has been pushing is modular or expandable design in all of its hardware. Rather than purchasing a single yoke that may cover functionality of a small selection of aircraft, in theory a Meridian yoke could have specific parts of it physically removed and replaced with other modules by the customer themselves. A yoke initially purchased in a single engine light aircraft could be reconfigured for other aircraft types. Of their initial products they have showcased, the X-Ray Flight Sim Controller is a gamepad patterned flight controller with multiple flight focused physical inputs. Official graphic. The X-Ray follows the MeridianGMT theory of as much modularity as possible giving the consumer the ability to quicky swap out modules without hand tools. When imagining a handheld controller you can reconfigure, devices like SCUF gamepads, Thrustmaster eSwap and Turtle Beach Victrix Pro come to mind. On the face of it (literally!) the faceplate of the controller can be pulled from the frame of the controller with a new faceplate inserted. A United States Coast Guard faceplate was show at one point. That level of aesthetic customization is nice, but not required per se. Moving deeper into the controller, the promotional material and the physical prototype, the X-Ray comes with eye catching inputs like spring-loaded flap levers, separate rudder triggers and mentions of a collective/cyclic hub for rotary-wing aircraft. On the back of the controller are extra programmable buttons for specific buttons or input combos. Upon seeing them I think of modifier buttons immediately. MeridianGMT claims that the controller is currently in development with support from Microsoft and Digital Combat Simulator developers. On personal computer plug and play use prioritized. At FlightSimExpo 2025, MeridianGMT announced that they secured a deal with Microsoft to ensure their products to Xbox game consoles. Considering the existence of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, that is a fair point. It does make you wonder if a similar deal would need to be signed with Sony to ensure device compatibility with MSFS 2024 on the PlayStation 5. Key Points Going Forward When I combine hands on experiences at trade shows, extensive presentation watching and my own long-term use of handheld flight controllers. There are a few key points that need to be achieved for the success of, let's call them, the first generation of flight controllers. Acknowledging the wide reach of Microsoft Flight Simulator and ensuring their controllers are game console compatible to reach the now well-established game console flight simulation demographic. Ensuring the pursuit of incorporating traditional flight simulation controls (levers, hat switches, trim wheels, etc.) do not clutter the controllers to the point it negatively impacts user experience during flight. A moderate degree of button customization via software to allow players to assign custom key binds or specific in-simulator functions reliably. The price point of these controllers being equal to or slightly below the cost of entry level flight yokes, rudder pedals, etc. to further entice potential first-time buyers. Controller connection method being either wired or preferably wireless to match what consumers already expect from what is considered standard for gamepads these days. Personally, I find myself being very excited at the prospect of handheld flight controllers becoming a long-term part of the now well-established game console demographic. Hopefully controllers like this could get a new wave of simmers to make the next big step towards getting more advanced flight simulation gear but also enable already established simmers to increase how much they fly thanks to ease of access or add a new portable controller for travel. It just so happens that I was already working on an updated review of the Yawman Arrow over a year after consistent use with it. I look forward to adding a review for Honeycomb's Echo as well. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [ Read Staff Profile ]

Additionally, organizers announced that sponsor and exhibitor registration has begun. Flight sim developers of all sizes are encouraged to see how they can support the show by visiting flightsimexpo.com/partner The Flight Simulation Association (FSA) announced that, in response to attendee and partner feedback, FlightSimExpo 2026 will feature a Friday exhibit hall for the first time! The event will also be offering new single-day ticket options for flight simmers who can’t attend the full, 3-day event. Friday Exhibit Hall Access New in 2026, the exhibit hall will be open from 4:30pm – 7:00pm on Friday, June 12. The doors will open immediately following the conclusion of #FSExpoFriday’s product reveals and developer updates. “We’ve heard from attendees and developers that their favorite part of FlightSimExpo is the chance to interact with developers and try the latest software and hardware,” said FSA Co-Founder and VATSIM controller Evan Reiter. “This change allows us to offer attendees 20% more time in the exhibit hall without changing the overall travel footprint for our partners.” #FSExpoFriday 2026 will begin at 12pm CDT, one hour earlier than last year. Attendees can expect the same weekend schedule as in previous years, including announcements, hands-on exhibits and demos, product updates, developer Q&As, workshops, and more happening on Saturday and Sunday. “At our past shows, attendees have enjoyed behind-the-scenes access to air traffic control towers, airports, museum visits, and more,” says FSA Co-Founder Phil Coyle. “We’re working on offering similar experiences for FlightSimExpo 2026’s attendees, with more details on these to come early in the new year.” For the full event experience, attendees should plan to arrive in Saint Paul by Thursday, June 11 and leave on Monday, June 15. More Single-Day Ticket Options will be Available for 2026 Organizers are also happy to share that more single-day ticket options will be available for flight simmers who can’t attend the entire 3-day show. “Based on the popularity of our ‘Sunday-Only’ option in 2025, we’ll be offering single-day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday ticket options in 2026,” says FSA Co-Founder Phil Coyle. “While the best experience is always for those who can attend the entire show, these new ticket options will make it easier for people who can’t attend all three days, especially for those local to the MSP area.” Organizers will be sharing details and pricing on the new ticket options in the FSA Discord . Attendee registration opens in December. As in previous years, attendees unable to make the in-person event in Minneapolis/Saint Paul have the option to watch the event online via the FSA Captain subscription or a one-time $15 purchase. FlightSimExpo Partner Registration is Open Now FlightSimExpo welcomes software developers, hardware vendors, non-profits, and other flight sim organizations to participate as sponsors, exhibitors, and speakers at the 2026 event. It’s easy to have an exhibit booth: the show’s all-in options include furnishings, internet, electricity, and event passes starting at just $750. Educational speaking opportunities are available at no charge. Anyone interested in sponsoring, exhibiting, or speaking at FlightSimExpo 2026 show can see all the details at flightsimexpo.com/partner . The Venue FlightSimExpo 2026 will be held at the Saint Paul RiverCentre, an 8-mile drive from Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) in Minnesota. MSP airport offers more than 130 non-stop destinations across the country and around the world. Saint Paul is also served by Amtrak's Borealis and Empire Builder routes. Amongst many other attractions, the Saint Paul RiverCentre is just 20 minutes from the Mall of America®, a leading retail, entertainment, and attractions destination, welcoming millions of visitors from around the world since 1992. Discounted hotel rates are available for FlightSimExpo attendees. Attendees can also use links from the FlightSimExpo website to save on airfares from Delta, United, Southwest, and codeshare partners like Air Canada and WestJet. Details at flightsimexpo.com/discounts . Attendee registration opens in December. ### About FlightSimExpo FlightSimExpo is one of the world’s largest flight simulation conventions. The event has welcomed almost 10,000 attendees to events in Las Vegas, Orlando, San Diego, Houston, and Providence since 2018. FlightSimExpo is produced by Flight Simulation Association, a community-driven organization of developers, simmers, and real-world pilots working to make it easier to get started in home simulation. Join the community today—free—at flightsimassociation.com for resources, learning content, webinars, and discounts on top add-ons and simulation hardware.

There are only a couple of flight worlds in VRChat where there's not only aircraft variety, but also all the aircraft made are designed and modeled in-house by the world creator. One of these worlds is Gomasaba Archipelago by Yakisaba . This world just celebrated its first anniversary , so we thought it would be a good idea to come back and revisit this world with a new pair of eyes. We also convinced some of our friends and partners to tag along, which made the experience a lot more social and dynamic. WORLD LAYOUT AND IDEA This world is made to be explored, as it consists of many small, disconnected islands that could or could not have something for you to discover on them. There are a plethora of different vehicles and ways to move around, as well as a couple of static hot air balloons and a dirigible platform for those that would just like to take in the views instead. There is a port area, two dedicated airports on different islands and a road circuit around one of the main island. This allows anyone to just grab the type of aircraft, car or boat they want, and enjoy the world the way they want. This type of experience is quite rare in VRChat, and is quite refreshing to see that it is still getting some love even a year after its release. AIRCRAFT AND VEHICLES The focus of the world, more than in its terrain or architecture, lies on its aircraft and ground vehicles. The main aircraft and the most representative of this world is the Ri-Gou . A twin-engine amphibious float plane, this plane can carry 10 players if you include pilot and co-pilot positions. It can be quite fun to just fly your friends around, an idea that I can get behind as our very own Dragonfly has the same design philosophy. The other pure floatplane is the Rogou-2 , which can also be quite fun to fly! There are also some other two-seaters around, such as the Gunnel Biplane, Nigou-ko monoplane and the Nu-gou PC-21-styled Turboprop. All of these aircraft offer a variety of flight experiences and sensations, so I recommend you give them all a try! Another aircraft that is available is the To-gou , a Coaxial Kamov-style helicopter that is impressively fast. It is also float-capable, which means that you will be able to land wherever and whenever you want. In another unique note, all the aircraft present in this world are for sale on the author's Booth page, which you can find here . TRY THIS WORLD OUT! If what you want is to chill out and just enjoy some combat-free flying in VRChat, then Gomasaba Archipelago is the right place to go. We will continue visiting this world in the future, and we will most likely post about that in our socials, so keep an eye out! About the Author Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos Longtime aviation fanatic with particular preference towards military aviation and its history. Said interests date back to the early 2000s, leading into his livelong dive into civil and combat flight simulators. He has been involved in a few communities, but only started being active around the mid 2010s. Joined as a Spanish to English translator in 2017, he has been active as a writer and the co-founder of Skyward ever since. Twitter  | Discord : Cubeboy

Where are we now? How does this work? An invite to indie developers! Hello, everyone! Aaron "RIbbon-Blue" Mendoza here with an update for the Indie Highlight Series here on Skyward Flight Media. While there is no release planned in November 2025 for this indie flight action game focused interview series, there are good reasons for that. Meanwhile, this month progress is also still being made for the longevity of the series. We do not want to leave you wondering about what is going on, so let us discuss what is happening this month. SERIES HOME PAGE For anyone unaware, the entries of the ongoing Indie Highlight Series can be found in two locations. On the home page for the series and in a secondary tab on the Indie Flight page of our website. Screenshot of home page. 'FAN' ON BUSINESS Anyone following the series has probably picked up on the general pattern for releases. Usually something happens around this time of each month. A teaser post on a Monday with the next entry of the series posted on the Saturday of the same week. This month the lead interviewer of the series, Matthew "FlyAwayNow" Nguyen (FAN), is on a business trip. This is the primary reason there is not an entry of the series being posted this month. Sometimes it is as simple as that, isn't it? While there is no entry to be released in November 2025, things are still moving in the background to keep the series going. BACKGROUND PROGRESS This was mentioned in the July 21st announcement to formally begin the series, but let's go into a bit more detail about how the series is currently operating. 'FlyAwayNow' is the primary means of contact for indie developers that are featured in the series. Skyward Flight Media staff operates in a support role for all other facets of the series. Once an indie developer has been contacted and an agreement to include them in the series is made, a Google Drive folder is created with permissions for access given to all parties involved. With a set of questions proposed by FAN and some follow up questions proposed by Skyward, the words and media gathered during the interview process are put into the GDrive. The content is assembled by Skyward staff and formatted with any extra needed media gathered from the internet or directly from publicly accessible builds of games or demos. Once a final draft is approved, it is ported to the website with social media posts created. Thus far this team approach has yielded great results for all parties. There are interviews with eight indie games and solo developers so far: Aggressors Fantasy Air Combat Delivery Must Complete Kirk Woodes Modern Jet Fighters Online Nova Squadron Project Fairy Supermaneuver Zakon PUBLIC INVITATION TO ASPIRING DEVELOPERS There are already confirmed upcoming interviews with yet to be announced developers going into 2026. The process to figure out which developers are to be contacted next is usually handled privately with communications made in emails, direct messages or voice calls. Starting this month, we are making a public facing addition to the process. We are putting out an open invitation to indie / grassroot developers creating flight action games . Take a look at the aforementioned developers we have interviewed in the Indie Highlight Series thus far to see if your project would fit. You can contact us in the following ways: FlyAwayNow Bluesky FlyAwayNow X.com Skyward Bluesky Skyward Discord Skyward Email Skyward X.com Keep in mind that even if your particular game does not 100% match up with what this series is currently focused on, Skyward Flight Media as an organization has covered indie flight games of all types since 2020. There is still a good chance that we will cover your project outside of the Indie Highlight Series. All you have to do is shoot your shot and see what happens! Thanks for checking in with the Indie Highlight Series. See you in December with the next release. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [ Read Staff Profile ]

The Pressure of a Long-Range Threat If there is one thing Nuclear Option by Shockfront Studios needed, it was a new map with longer distances. While the chaos of a full scale, peer-to-peer, nuclear equipped conflict full of constant ground convoys and aircraft falling from the sky is fun, I personally wanted the ability to have somewhat slower paced, but more complex engagements. On March 24th, 2025, a second map was released with topography that favors beyond visual range engagements. Here, across the open ocean, the unrestricted threat of long-range surface-to-air missiles can truly be felt. Second Map Ignus Archipelago Ignus Archipelago is the second map for Nuclear Option. The original map, now known as Heartland, is at roughly 80% land in the areas frequently used by players. In comparison, the archipelago is quite the opposite. Ocean occupies most of it, with few hills and mountain ranges across its islands. Ignus is also quite a large, with map dimensions of 164 x 82 kilometers. All of this open ocean is ideal for naval based operations, while land based aircraft operations will frequently cover long distances in comparison to the shorter distance flights on the Homeland map which frequently center around large-scale battles between land forces. Gameplay is noticeably different between the two maps. Purpose Built SAM Sites During the initial research sessions of this map in the mission editor, my focus first fell onto the air bases and airports across the archipelago that players will use during every session. To my great surprise, four of the islands include purpose built surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites. They can be found on Ashwood, Broken Atoll, Cliffline and Harmony Sands. Static SAM site. Their design is based on real world configurations of semi-permanent / permanent SAM sites. While any anti-aircraft unit in Nuclear Option will fit, these seem to be purpose built for the longest range SAM in the game, the Stratolance R9. It is analog to real world long-range SAM site systems like David's Sling, HQ-9 or MIM-104 Patriot. The SAM sites features dug outs or earth-barriers for mobile erector launchers, with a raised terrain pedestal for the search and track radar (HLT Radar Truck) in the middle of the installation. There are extra pads that can be used for whatever the mission editor decides, but incorporating a short-range air defense system of some type along with a Munitions Truck seems to be a good use. The Munitions Truck in particular is useful for both keeping the SAM site constantly supplied with missiles while giving players an incentive for hitting the munitions trick, potentially causing it to explode and splash damage the rest of the missile launchers or radar vehicle. There are a few other areas in the islands that are austere, but compatible with medium and long-range SAM sites. A remote SAM site. Area Denial The long range of the Stratolance R9 is especially prevalent when deployed correctly in the Ignus Archipelago. I would even go as far as describing it as genuinely overwhelming for combat aircraft attempting to approach it without a game plan. So long as the HLT Radar Truck of the SAM site can detect and illuminate incoming targets, they will guide semi-active radar guided missiles from up to 50 kilometers away. Depending on the aircraft and weapons players are using, even approaching the SAM site is a type of boss battle in itself. With Nuclear Option incorporating radar notch game mechanics and a visual reference in the player's Heads Up Displays suggesting which direction players should turn to defend against incoming missiles with optional use of self-protection jammers. When approaching from long distance with no terrain to mask behind, players and non-player controlled units must frequently evade while trying to close distance. They will need to choose when to evade and when to press the attack directly into the incoming missiles to close a few more kilometers at a time before turning to evade missiles in the last seconds before impact. It could take a single, unsupported aircraft quite a while to close distance and successfully suppress the SAM site. KR-67 Ifrit in a failed radar notch maneuver. The Stratolance is also able to intercept weapons that are attempting to destroy it. Anti-radiation missiles, glide bombs and cruise missiles can be reliably intercepted at maximum range. Even friendly Stratolance missiles engaging enemy aircraft or ordinance can be counter-intercepted by hostile Stratolance SAM sites. These purpose built surface-to-air missile complexes can be further hardened by surrounding them with short range air defenses (SHORAD) - as they would according to real world doctrine. Tactics, Technology The most obvious answer to overcoming such a sturdy surface-to-air missile site would be the use of an electronic warfare aircraft, like the EW-25 Medusa. While it can automatically triangulate the position of radars and share those positions via datalink, the electronic countermeasure pods are the most effective means to suppress SAM sites. However, these jammer pods have a generally effective maximum range around 40 kilometers . With the ECM pods using a capacitor that only lasts for a few minutes at a time, the EW-25 would need to press into the edge of the Stratolance engagement envelope while cycling its jammer pods off and on to suppress the SAM site. With the radar unable to guide missiles, the Medusa or other aircraft have a window to rapidly close distance and attack. While this purpose built technology is great for the EW-25, all other aircraft in the game must do things the hard way over the open ocean. EW-25 launching anti-radiation missiles from standoff range. Saturation attacks from standoff range with air launched cruise missiles, anti-radiation missiles and/or glide bombs can be effective. Though, a large quantity of munitions is needed, as the Stratolance R9 will have ample time to intercept many of these weapons. The go-to tactic is to rely on radar notching against volleys of missiles to close range with the SAM site and increase the likelihood weapons launched from aircraft reach the SAM site. Flying in at wave top altitude in an attempt to get beneath the azimuth of radar emitters is also possible depending on the topography of the landmass the SAM site is placed on, though players can still expect to notch incoming missile volleys until they are close enough to take advantage of a potential radar blind spot. A mixture of these tactics and technology is the most effective way to suppress or destroy these purpose built SAM sites. T/A-30 Compass ingressing at low altitude to an island housing a long-range SAM site. Skyward's Reception The impact of these surface-to-air missile sites is substantial in the eyes of the Skyward Flight Media mission editor. Their impacts on gameplay are being further explored, as they are now key parts of two upcoming missions that already have working prototypes. One mission focused on naval rotary wing operations during a raid, and the other focused on long-range suppression of enemy air defense missions against an integrated air defense system. Look forward to them! About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile .

Ever since it came out, I have been keeping my eye on the JF-17 Thunder by Deka Ironworks. Recently, I finally got my hands on it. My expectations were rather high since I had heard great things about it from some of my close friends. Expect a full review at some point. The module looks the part and has been masterfully crafted. But today I wanted to talk about the feature that surprised me the most: its functional programmable data cartridge (DTC) system! Not only has this feature been wonderfully implemented, but highlights a gap that exists on several DCS modules. To access the feature, you will have to go to OPTIONS and the click on the SPECIAL tab. From there, to the right, scroll through your modules until you find the JF-17. You will be presented with all of these options: You can edit your entire DTC from here. You can tune and program your countermeasure programs, set bingo quantities for chaff and flares, select which gunsight type you prefer, set your gun burst time limiter and even switch between different voices for your warning annunciator! Customization seems to have been a priority for Deka it really shows. After you are done setting it up, the configurations will apply to ALL your flights. No more will you need to program your countermeasures programs at the beginning of each flight. It saves a lot of time and makes flying the Jeff an even better experience. With such a good implementation of a data cartridge already in the game, it makes you wonder why modules such as the F/A-18C Hornet or the F-16CM Viper lack this kind of customization . In particular, I am extremely puzzled as to why the Viper does not have something like this. The F-16C has a similar DTC system on board , one that can store pilot preferences just like these. MFD page presets per mode, countermeasure programs, radio frequencies, etc. It is a feature I have used extensively in Falcon BMS for a long time, and it is one that I hope gets prioritized by the devs over at Eagle Dynamics. We know the feature is coming from the feature list that ED released earlier this year. For now, I will just keep enjoying the wonderful DYC that Deka have provided us and just keep on programming my countermeasures every time that I use the Viper, which is quite frequently. About the author: Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos Longtime aviation fanatic with particular preference towards military aviation and its history. Said interests date back to the early 2000's leading into his livelong dive into civil and combat flight simulators. He has been involved in a few communities but only started being active around the mid 2010's. Joined as a Spanish to English translator in 2017, he has been active as a writer and the co-founder of Skyward ever since. Twitter | Discord : Cubeboy #9034

A Real Heads Up Display Changes Everything Long before Skyward went "wheels up" for Flight Sim Expo 2023 , we had a set list of planned visits with the many companies and communities in attendance. While winding through the elaborate displays and small but informational booths, I had walked past something that made me triple take. Looking not once, not twice, but three times to assure myself that what I saw was real. There in a quiet corner away from the Microsoft Flight Simulator couches and behind a row of museum aircraft was a row of heads up displays. Actual heads up displays. Not a computer tablet using its camera to superimpose the image. A genuine, image projecting, collimation reliant, beam splitting glass heads up display. Pictures of the booth are below: Since then, conversations with Dan Hall, CEO of Heads Up View LLC , started an ongoing relationship between the two companies. This has led to this product unboxing and first impression of their DT1 HUD . I'll take a moment here to thank them for this opportunity to not only unbox it, but use it long-term for many flights in many simulators to come. Of course, despite Heads Up View recently being announced as a sponsor of Skyward Flight Media, this is a honest take on a rather unique piece of flight simulation kit. Unboxing Skyward Flight Media staff members, T.J. "Millie" Archer and Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza , performed the unboxing after receiving the product from Heads Up View. The box itself contains: (1) dust cover, branded (2) gloves (1) heads up display base (2) HUD brackets (1) HUD beamsplitter glass (4) HUD bolts (4) HUD washers (1) microfiber cloth (1) protective gloves (1) 10' Video Cable/HDMI Cable (1) 10' 12V Power Cable (1) setup guide An extra set of minor instructions were sent to us as well, to be included in upcoming shipments. These units come with a 30-day money-back guarantee from the date the customer receives the order. It states that if for any reason the customer is not satisfied, the return of the unit in its original packaging will validate a full refund. HUV LLC provides a 1-year warranty from the original invoice date, guaranteeing its workmanship and material quality free from defect. The company agrees to, at its option during the warranty period, to repair any defect in materials, components or workmanship or to furnish a replacement unit free of charge. All of this information was explained in a letter placed beneath the top flap of the box, making it the first thing customers see when they open the box. An extra set of minor instructions were sent to us as well, to be included in upcoming DT1 and SC1 shipments. To receive warranty service, emailing support@headsupview.com starts the process. The most notable part of the box from the outside is the sheer size and weight. It looks and feels like a solid piece of kit. But rather than being packed from top to bottom with bubble wrap, a significant portion of it was protective styrofoam packaging. Two layers of sturdy styrofoam panels on all sides of the hardware itself. So secure, it was a bit hard to remove certain items from the box. A good problem to have. Admittedly, one of the things we worried about with something as sensitive as this piece of equipment. Hardware All items in the box come in separate packages, with the main part of the HUD being the heaviest item in the box. A pair of blue vinyl gloves were helpful when handling the more delicate equipment like the beam splitting glass pane and the 6-inch lens on the top of the HUD base. The smaller components like the HDMI cable, DC 12V power supply and HUD glass mounting brackets were made of reliable material, though now that I know adjustable metal HUD brackets are on the way, I certainly look forward to using those in the near future. The most difficult part of the unboxing was removal of the blue protective film on the HUD glass and projection lens. The protective film was very firmly attached to each surface. The included gloves did reduce the chances of accidentally causing damage during installation, but patience in slowly removing the film to reduce stress on the glass is important. Curiously, the HUD base has a speaker built into it. Alongside the ample amount of power sources and display ports on the back of the unit, the presence of audio ports and the speaker was unexpected. During our initial use we did not use the speaker, but did need to disable it as an audio output on our computer to prevent it from grabbing audio. With a handful of screws and a screwdriver, it took very little effort and know how to assemble the HUD correctly. It was very straightforward with an easy to understand double sided piece of paper guide. The overall size of the DT1 is a bit on the large side height wise, but minor redesigns are already in the works to alleviate this somewhat. The space requirement from between the PC monitor and the rear of the DT1 being about 8 to 12 inches did trigger an unusual on the spot redesign to accommodate the HUD for testing. As someone that has frequently favored more compact desktop flight simulator setups that emphasize modularity and the ability to detach flight sim gear as needed, this heads up display was somewhat incompatible. Some quick thinking and readjustments resolved this issue, but this was an example of how the design philosophy of a cockpit focused builder and a desktop flight sim rig are rather different. More on this later. Software This is where we ran into a few problems on our end, and most likely others who do not normally deal with this sort of thing will find a few hang-ups. During this part of the setup, really only patience and the willingness to learn a few new things you may not have done before are what brings the entire process together. The DT1 and other products from Heads Up View LLC acts as a second screen or display for the personal computer. Depending on which flight simulator the HUD is being used with, the ease of integrating the DT1 changes. For example, Lockheed Martin's Prepar3D and older versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator have built in HUD only views that can be undocked into a separate window, then dragged into the DT1 display area. From there field of view adjustments can be made literally on the fly - while flying - without having to type any code; though that is an option for those that are more technical like that. Example of P3D/FSX setup. On the other hand, Eagle Dynamics' Digital Combat Simulator World is very dependent on editing LUA files. The more monitors a user has, the more complicated the setup gets. This is something that has to do with DCS itself, rather than the heads up display. When the DT1 is connected and powered on, DCS does recognize it in its list of monitors. This helps simplify setup to a degree, but for people that are not used to working with .lua files or using multiple displays, this can seem like a daunting task. This is where patience and the willingness to learn a bit come in handy. Fortunately, the Supported Simulations page of the Heads Up View website has all the needed .lua files in .zip files with an ample amount of screenshots to further explain what needs to be done. These files need to be placed in very specific folders. Most importantly, some basic math will need to be done to calculate the combined dimensions of both displays. Those dimensions are then used in the .luas that export the heads up display outside of DCS World into the DT1 secondary display. And of course, since this is editing .luas that are a part of the simulator's base files, it is possible that an update to DCS World could override any user made changes. While that does sound annoying, this problem is easily circumvented just by copying and pasting the user's HUD settings into a separate word document. In the event data is overwritten by an update, pasting the data into that file can be done within a minute or so. Example of DCS World setup tutorial. Once the DT1 is running in sim, further adjustments to HUD position and size can be made to work best with the user's hardware setup. Adjusting the HUD image vertically or horizontally is also done by changing X and Y values in the corresponding .LUA files for each aircraft. Other simulators utitlize third party software to make this process much easier, so it is best to check the HUV website or send an email to their support staff to ask more specific questions. First Impression During our unboxing day, we flew short non-combat sorties using the F/A-18E Super Hornet in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and the F/A-18C Hornet Lot 20 in Digital Combat Simulator. The DT1 worked exactly as advertised, even in the most difficult of visual conditions like bright white clouds in the midday. The HUD image was not completely washed out. The back side of the HUD unit also has its own set of controls for changing contrast, brightness and more. So even the brightest of high definition 4K+ monitors do not washout the colors of the DT1. After further adjustments were made for the desktop setup we used, the DT1's image clarity and its ability to physically project the HUD image had an immediate impact on immersion within each simulator. That authentic feeling of it "really being there" permeated everything we tested. This was especially true when using head tracking with the DT1. Without the heads up display being ever present on the computer monitor, peeking around the HUD or seeing how the information somewhat appears and disappears during changes in the user's seating position further adds that "real feel" experience. With the HUD being an addition that is unmoving, unlike a rudder pedeal or HOTAS that is constantly being manipulated, once it is in place there is no need to relocate it or adjust it. Unless it needs to be removed from a multi-use desk area. With a majority of the visual adjustments to the information displayed made within each simulator, physically moving the HUD out of the way, if needed is not a massive problem. I believe that, on its own merits, the heads up displays from Heads Up View are the most authentic and realistically priced way for very serious flight simulation users to get their hands on this type of accessory. Rather than paying a many thousands of US dollars for a 1:1 design accurate, fully licensed HUD that would only fit in one simpit, the approach of Heads Up View offers a more grounded approach. With their design being more universal, made of more accessible materials and capable of standalone use, simmers can purchase the DT1 at a more realistic price point of around 795.00 USD. Certainly it is still a high price when you think of other flight simulation accessories around or beneath the same pirce point. In conversations with the CEO of Heads Up View, I brought up the point that these devices are very niche in the sense that it is a sea changing piece of flight sim gear but not absolutely vital to all flight sim operations. This truly is a cockpit builder level accessory. I cannot say it is something that will be as prolific as rudder pedals, for example. However, it is an eye opening type of hardware that makes you reconsider how you approach flight simulation as a hobby. Within minutes of flying in each simulator, there was a palpable mix of excitement to see a genuine heads up display working outside a near-professional use simulator and gradually understanding what the addition of this level of flight simulation hardware to a desktop style flight simulation setup means in the long-term. A hand between the DT1 and PC monitor. The Tip of the Iceberg For the past few days the Skyward staff has been discussing what our next step with flight simulation is because of the presence of the Heads Up View DT1 in our collection. As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, the use of the DT1 has pushed us into an unexpected position with this level of flight simulation. In the near future, a second article discussing the DT1 and the next level of flight simulation is set to release with what we think are informative points of view being in this transitional point we are now. Expect an unusual team project from Skyward to be announced in the near future. Heads Up View DT1 with branded dust cover. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [Profile]

From Flyout to Aviassembly and everything in between , we have always had a predilection for covering build-your-own-plane flight games. But, when covering this peculiar genre, there’s always been one game we’ve mentioned, yet never covered on its own; the benchmark, the standard, the one all are compared against. And, alongside the more space-focused KSP, it could be argued it’s what started this genre to begin with. I’m talking, of course, about SimplePlanes. Released in 2015, SimplePlanes did not feature impressive graphics or super detailed flight simulation mechanics. What it did offer, however, was an extremely flexible building system which put almost no bounds on players’ creativity, as well as means to share these creations. The end result is that across its 10 years of existence, SimplePlanes has seen thousands of creations uploaded by its player community, covering everything from airplanes to cars, ships, and even functional, fully articulated mecha. On a personal note, many years ago I was a small part of this playerbase - and though my take on Santos-Dumont’s Demoiselle was once featured on the game’s home page, I never considered myself anywhere close to being one of the best creators out there. The level of quality and detail some folks managed to achieve is truly mindblowing (check out this nearly simulator-level F-5E , for instance!), and while I’m sure the developers could never have anticipated their game would be used in such a way, they did support this community with a great deal of updates designed to give players even more ways to explore their creative madness. So it should come as no surprise when Jundroo announced they would be doing a week-long open playtest of its sequel, we were excited to try it out! Rising Up to the Challenge Of course, there’s a problem with sequels in gaming. A sequel has to at least equal, and hopefully surpass, its predecessor; and when the predecessor in question is a creative sandbox with thousands of user creations attached to it and a highly dedicated player base, that bar is very high. Too often, we see games that either fail to rise up to the expectations set by the original entry, turn out to be a mismanaged mess, or both; and after the catastrophic failure of Kerbal Space Program 2, I’ll admit that I was worried when Jundroo first announced SimplePlanes 2. I had several doubts regarding some of the proposed features, and despite my appreciation for the developer’s work in the original game - or perhaps exactly because of it - I approached this new entry with more than a healthy degree of skepticism. I’m happy to report that this playtest demo has addressed the majority of those doubts. There’s real effort and care put into this game, and the result is very promising. Some key features were not yet available, therefore some questions still linger; but overall, this was a great experience. Cleared for Startup Upon starting the game, you are greeted by the game’s new mascot, Major Chad. He also serves as the avatar for the player and was one of the changes I was deeply worried about but ended up being positively surprised with; we’ll get back to him later. The menu UI is pretty simple and easy to navigate, and upon hopping into the builder/aircraft editor, a list of default crafts built using SimplePlanes 2’s new features is available. Some of the base game vehicles available. Many of these crafts were built by longstanding members of the community which were invited by the developers to participate in internal testing; a showcase of the developer’s engagement with the player base. Unfortunately, players were not able to interact with the game’s building system in the demo; thus, all that was left to do was pick the game’s standard F4U Corsair replica and step into the cockpit. When the scenery loaded up, I was suddenly hit by this strange feeling - the UI was familiar, but much easier on the eyes. The visuals were completely different, yet they still reminded me of the original game somehow; and to top off the cozy atmosphere, the game’s brand new, 80’s-infused soundtrack shows off one of the tricks up its sleeve - it changes dynamically during gameplay! I wasn’t expecting this much effort to be put into the music for a plane builder game, but I’m glad it was - it pairs with the game very well, and while I eventually got tired and switched to my own playlists, that only happened after a few hours of continuous flying. Gone are SP1’s flat oceans and smooth terrain; water now features dynamic waves (which, besides being eye candy, actually affect ships and seaplanes) and clouds are now volumetric, instead of a flat skybox. Comparison between the water in SP2 (left) and the original SimplePlanes (right). The brand new map features greatly improved terrain, both in terms of modelling and textures; airports and towns are decorated by lovingly crafted 3D models which match the game’s visual identity perfectly; and trees now populate the previously barren grasslands, making low-level flying feel much more dynamic. Unfortunately, only a small area of the map was accessible in the demo, encompassing a single island; however, we know Jundroo is working on a much bigger map, full of locations to explore - just like in the original game. But going back to low-level flying, what happens if one of your wings has an unscheduled meeting with local vegetation? Well, the trees have hitboxes, so the result is almost certainly going to be a fireball. If you’ve played the original SimplePlanes, you’re probably expecting the cockpit piece - the part which defines the player’s POV, so often scaled down to 0.1% in order to visually hide it in custom builds - to go flying off to the stratosphere. But this is where Major Chad steps in. Even in craft where the new player character doesn’t show up visually, once the player’s vehicle is destroyed Major Chad jumps from the explosion like an action figure hero, and the player’s controls and POV switch from the vehicle to the character. Even upon being launched towards the ground at 600 knots, the Major will effortlessly come to a standing stop without a scratch, like he’s an anime protagonist or something. Bro’s built different. The player is then free to walk around the scenery, and either respawn the craft (either at the initial or present location) or just wander around. Players may also elect to exit their craft to explore on foot at any time: Major Chad can run, swim, and even push your vehicle around - which comes in handy for smaller airplanes if you need a little pushback in a remote grass strip. Players also have several customization options for their character, which serves as their avatar in multiplayer. This player character was one of my main concerns going into SP2; it is such a major departure from the original game’s concept. Yet, having seen how it’s been implemented firsthand, I can now confidently say this is a great feature and was a smart move by the developers. After testing out the game’s default vehicles and their showcasing of the game’s new features - the new wings with built-in flaps, the targeting pods, the improved aerodynamic simulation system which results in far more believable handling qualities. These are all marked improvements over the previous game; but they are not the game’s most impressive feature. It was time for the real test: Backwards compatibility. Some creations made for the original SimplePlanes are absolutely stunning, such as this bushplane by TheCatBaron As advertised, players would be able to import creations from the previous game into SP2 - a huge deal, since there are literally thousands of them. But with core systems such as the aerodynamic simulation changed in this new game, I wondered how they would behave - it’s no use being able to import a design from SP1 if it is completely non-functional, after all. I open up SimplePlane’s website and look at my creations: Uploaded six years ago. It’s been that long? Holy smokes. I should be worried about this thing’s compatibility with the latest SP1 updates, let alone SP2! I reckon if this works in the new game, anything will. What shall be my airframe of choice for this stress test? My eyes immediately turn their gaze to the most cursed option available - the asymmetric S. Ca. 163 Quimera. It’s got a bunch of custom systems made from SP1 parts - custom landing gear, custom cannon, custom missiles. Most importantly, it is an affront to basic aircraft design principles, has very temperamental handling characteristics, and had several quirks even in its original game. In other words: it’s perfect. Behold. my most adorable abomination! With a certain degree of hesitation, I load it into SimplePlanes 2. It loads into the game’s aircraft editor - immediately, SP2’s new shaders means it looks better than it did in SP1. But will it fly? I take the clumsy bird to the runway, throttle up, rotate… and an ear to ear grin grows on my face. Lo and behold, the imported aircraft work great! Sure, there are a few quirks with very complex designs, but overall, craft imported from SP1 behave just like they did in their native installment. It lives! Look at how happy it is! This is, to me, the very best feature of SimplePlanes 2 ; considering so many of the systems (aerodynamics, construction) are either brand new or thoroughly revamped, it would have been far easier for the developers to just make it a completely separate game. But instead, they deliberately took the extra effort to make the game backwards compatible with the legacy systems of SP1, allowing players to enjoy their old creations alongside SP2’s new toys. This decision highlights the passion the developers have for this project, and the regard in which they hold the community which has formed around their game; it acknowledges the thousands of creations players have made, and shows respect and admiration for the thousands of collective hours spent on them. Instead of being relegated to obsolescence, all of these little products of human creativity are now given a second chance to shine in a brand new stage. I cannot overstate how praiseworthy this is; it is rare to see developers put this much care into acknowledging player’s effort and time, let alone making sure virtually all content from their previous game gets carried over to the sequel. Well done, Jundroo. Airliners, Airships, and Armageddon Unlike its predecessor, SimplePlanes 2 features multiplayer support from the get-go , without any need for mods - and I was very surprised to see it already implemented in this demo. Could use an ATC feature though, I'm not sure this is FAA compliant... Flying your creations (or the standard craft) alongside your friends in SimplePlanes is great - there is nearly unlimited potential for all sorts of silliness and debauchery. For this purpose, SimplePlanes allows you to create private lobbies, from which you can invite your friends via Steam. However, public lobbies are also a thing. What happens when you give people nearly unlimited creative power, weapons which can be XML edited to have ridiculous stats , and the opportunity to use these tools against their fellow humans in a virtual environment? Average day on an SP2 multiplayer server. It doesn’t take a lot of thinking to conclude the answer is pure, utter and unbridled chaos, with so many megatons of explosives being dropped each minute it’d make MacArthur blush. There’s also the players with absurdly overpowered spaceships with auto-aim insta-kill lasers - although admittedly it was fun hunting them down with a bog standard 4th generation fighter. So why on earth would you want to play multiplayer SP2 in a public lobby? Well, because if you happen to come across some people who aren’t solely looking for a power trip, there’s cool interactions to be had. Jundroo knew this would happen, which is why lobby owners can select the “Peaceful Mode” option, which disables weapon damage. Ill-intentioned players can still ram others, or just be a nuisance by causing huge explosions which drop everyone’s frame rate, but these cases can be easily dealt with by kicking the offending players from the lobby. Escorting a Mriya flown by a random player online. In the few hours I spent in peaceful public lobbies, I flew formations with complete strangers, landed a pre-WWI aircraft on top of another player’s sci-fi spaceship carrier, buzzed a player who was drifting their car in the touge-like circuit of the woodlands, and generally got to see a plethora of different vehicles I would have never seen otherwise. The future meets the past: I coordinated this landing with the ship's owner, which walked out to meet me. Another noteworthy feature is the event system - players can start events such as races (both for cars and aircraft), team deathmatches, and even co-op combat events, such as intercepting AI bombers or fighting against an invasion of AI mechs. Get that Gundam out of here, air power is still king! These events can be started both in single and multiplayer, and in the latter case players who do not opt into the event won’t be affected by it. In my opinion, this is a great way to implement this system and I’m eager to see what new events show up in the final product! When in an event, participating players on your team turn blue on the HUD. Outside the Test Envelope Let’s talk about some of the features which were not yet available in the demo, because there are some pretty big items on the list. The first and biggest of them all is the in-game builder itself. In the demo, players were able to access a pretty good selection of default/example vehicles, as well as import creations from SP1; however, all builder features were disabled, meaning there was no way to try out the new parts and building system of the new game. This leaves a lot of questions open: how similar (or different) is it to the original? Are crafts made in SP1 editable in SP2, and if so, how easy will it be to retrofit them with SP2’s new wings, for instance? And most importantly, how on earth did they make the demo aircraft look so beautifully smooth? So smooth! And then there’s the new wings. SP2 uses a completely new wing modelling system, as described in the game’s news hub. This should, in theory, make it a lot easier to get the shape and look you want, without employing the various subterfuges which were necessary in SP1; but crucially, the physics modelling has also been rebuilt from scratch. The new system features a vastly improved drag model; and now accounts for things such as spanwise lift distribution, induced drag (with the associated wingtip vortices!), and control surface moments - which alongside accounting for the effects of flap deployment on the wing’s Cl-Alpha curve, means we finally get flaps which actually work like flaps! All of this sounds very exciting, and has been extensively documented and explained by the developers in their dev blog - a fact I greatly appreciate - and we were indeed able to get a small taste of this new system with the game’s preset aircraft. However, in the demo, this system was a black box - you could not modify or create new wings, so just what new possibilities will be opened by this new implementation are yet unknown. Finally, there’s the new engines and transmission systems. They are now simulated in much greater detail, which should improve the immersion and fidelity of car designs. Players will be able to change the number of cylinders, their sizes, and other such configurations; again, we weren’t able to play around with this, but the game’s default cars do suggest this system is implemented and working. The base game sports car is pretty fun to drive around! The long-time reader may have had a sense of déjà vu with SP2’s new wing and engine systems; and that would be no coincidence, because the procedural systems used for them are a lot similar to what Flyout has implemented (at least on the user-facing end). And thus, the big question is: How easy (or not) will these new systems be to use? While they offer players a lot of new options to play with, SimplePlanes’ greatest strength has so far been its relative simplicity: it strikes a balance between Aviassembly’s casual gameplay and Flyout’s aerospace engineering freshman complexity. It is very approachable at first, and becomes as intricate as your creativity allows. Flyout has also arguably already captured the more hardcore, super-in-depth audience for aircraft building games (a niche within a niche!). It’ll be interesting to see the direction SimplePlanes 2 ultimately takes in this respect. Conclusions When it was first launched, SimplePlanes was criticized for its flat graphics and lack of personality. In other words, it didn’t truly feel like a game; and while I’d argue the community that formed around it is proof that the game found its niche and the early critics missed the point, SimplePlanes 2 does feel like a welcome injection of game-iness into the original concept. With its renewed visuals, charming soundtrack, and lovingly crafted terrain and buildings, the game has a much more interesting atmosphere than the original; and the built-in multiplayer system gives players a whole new dimension to explore that world in. If SimplePlanes 1 was more like an engineering proof-of-concept, SimplePlanes 2 seems to be shaping up to become its final product, the result of a decade of user feedback and developers’ work. The effort and passion the developers have poured into this game is evident, and the retrocompatibility with SP1 ensures the new game can tap into an entire decade of the collective playerbase’s efforts in content. Even though the demo’s gameplay was limited, and some of the new features remain to be seen, it was enough to give the impression SimplePlanes 2 will be what so many sequels fail to: Just like the first one, except better. About the Writer Caio D. "Hueman" Barreto An incurable aviation fanatic since childhood, fascinated by the design and history of practically anything that flies. A long-time fan of flight games, he holds a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering and pursues his hobbies of drawing, writing and flight simulation on his spare time. See Staff Profile .