It"s been over two months since there"s been a new plane added to Microsoft Flight Simulator. This week, that finally changed with the release of the latest entry in the Famous Flyer series. Virtual pilots can now check out the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries MU-2 plane in the in-sim marketplace.
In a blog post, Microsoft talks about the technical and historical aspects of the MU-2. The twin turboprop plane had its first flight in 1963, and a total of 704 airframes were built between 1963 and 1986.
The MU-2 was designed to be an aircraft that could be used for a variety of tasks. Microsoft stated:
The utility of the MU-2 is broad. It has successfully proven itself as a business and VIP aircraft, an air ambulance, search and rescue platform, and as a general cargo carrier. It has also served a wide variety of military roles, including liaison and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) collections. Over the years, several iterations have been released, including those with extended fuselages, enhanced power variants, and extended range versions.
The MU-2 is currently available to purchase in the in-sim marketplace for $14.99. It also includes five liveries (White, Executive White, Executive Black, Xbox Aviators Club, and Aviators Club).
Next week, pilots can look forward to checking out a new world update for Microsoft Flight Simulator, as it will add more detail to the Northern Europe and Greenland areas Another Local Legend plane, the Saab B 17, will also be released at the same time.
While this game will continue to be updated for some time to come, development work continues on the upcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. The stand-alone continuation of the game will include improved graphics along with a long list of new features and improvements. The upcoming Ornithopter vehicle from the 2021 film adaptation of Dune is also coming at some point to Microsoft Flight Simulator, although we will likely have to wait until 2024 due to the delay in the release of Dune Part II in theaters.