13 November 2024
There are plenty of exciting new projects currently in the works at Black Square - here's Nick Cyganski to tell you about his latest plans for the expanding Black Square MSFS fleet...
Click on the screenshots below to see the full-size images!
As is surely the case for most developers, I have been asked whether my existing aircraft will be compatible with MSFS 2024 with increasing frequency. It was my intention to offer fully compatible versions of my standalone aircraft (Velocity XL, TBM 850, Piston & Turbine Dukes) on day-one of MSFS 2024; however, the MSFS 2024 Dev Alpha has revealed several undocumented breaking code changes, and it is unclear how the Dev Alpha will relate to the release build. With so much uncertainty, the best I can offer is my dedication to these products, and providing a quality experience in MSFS 2024 for existing users as quickly as I can. In their current state, these aircraft are already enjoyable in MSFS 2024, but present minor graphical and animation abnormalities due to core simulator changes that I would not ignore in an ordinary MSFS 2020 product releases.
As for the Steam Gauge Overhaul series (Analog Caravan, Analog King Air, Analog Bonanza, and Analog Baron), I have been planning a major reboot of these titles as standalone aircraft for MSFS 2024. These new aircraft will be known as the "Professional" series, and will include all the technology that makes the TBM 850, Dukes, and Starship among the most complex general aviation aircraft for MSFS. It is also possible that there will be a path of least resistance to bring the Steam Gauge Overhaul fleet into MSFS 2024 as-is, for those who wish to continue using these titles in the new simulator; however, we cannot be sure until more is known about the release version of MSFS 2024.
Today, I would like to offer a preview of the "Caravan Professional", a drastically improved version of my Analog Caravan with many new features and improved graphical quality.
The Caravan Professional will comprise two separate, and independent titles, each with two variants of the base aircraft. One title will contain the base model Grand Caravan with a passenger interior for seating of up to 12 passengers and 2 crew, both with and without the optional cargo pod.
The other title will contain the Grand Caravan Amphibian, and Super Cargomaster variants. All four new variants of the Caravan Professional will also be sold together as a discounted bundle combining the two titles. Existing owners of the Analog Caravan will be provided with discount codes for these new titles.
Unlike the Steam Gauge Overhaul series, the Black Square Professional Series will feature all new exterior models and sound packages. The models' textures and materials exceed the quality of all previous Black Square aircraft to date.
The Caravan Professional implements all of the applicable features made popular by the Black Square TBM 850, and Turbine Duke, including custom turbine engine simulation, beta range, propeller feathering physics, turbine engine failures, voltage-based light dimming, realistic strobe bounce in clouds, FOD damage, improved environmental simulation, gyroscope physics simulation, and incandescent lighting effects.
Black Square's Tablet Interface has also been added to the Caravan Professional, allowing users to configuring options, set payloads, manage 100+ failures, and monitor real time visualizers for the engine, live electrical schematic, and environmental systems. Along with this addition comes many improvements to the existing systems from the Analog Caravan needed to provide information for the tablet visualizers. The code complexity of the electrical, environmental, and engine simulations in this aircraft have each doubled or tripled when compared to the Analog Caravan.
The Caravan Professional will also include additional hot-swapping avionics configurations, doubling the Analog Caravan's total from 6 to 12 configurations. Users will now have the choice of adding a KLN-90B vintage GPS, or modern GTN/GTNxi 650, alongside the GTN/GTNxi 750, GNS 530/430, and KNS-80. Autopilot coupling has also been added to Black Square's KNS RNAV Navigators in recent updates, allowing users to fly more complex procedures with the help of the aircraft's autopilot.
The aircraft's manual has also doubled in length, with all new screenshots, and detailed descriptions of all the new systems and features. The manual also includes performance tables for all variations of the Caravan Professional, and a table of inputs and outputs for home cockpit builders. The aircraft's code itself has also been updated throughout to provide substantially improved hardware interaction.
Next, I would like to introduce my next general aviation project.
Black Square's Commander 114 will deliver the same high standard of quality represented in my other standalone aircraft, including the physics-driven reciprocating engine simulation that debuted with the Piston Duke, along with the tablet interface and system visualizers.
The Commander's avionics suite will be a slight departure from previous Black Square aircraft, with new vintage avionics options to reflect the first production run of the 114. The model featured here also includes some performance modifications, such as a three-bladed propeller, and an improved cabin air ventilation inlet on the tail.
The Commander is well known for its luxuriously wide cabin, but also its sturdy trailing link landing gear, which makes it an excellent back country retractable-gear aircraft for those new tessellated surfaces in MSFS 2024.
Before Black Square's Commander 114 is released to the public, we will also see the Bonanza Professional and Baron Professional arrive to the market with many of the same features as the 114, such as the reciprocating engine simulation, and tablet interface.
