Microsoft Flight Simulator It is entering the final stretch of testing and updates ahead of launch on August 18. On Tuesday, the game entered a closed beta period, with developers adding nine new planes and nearly two dozen landing challenges. The announcement was made on the game’s official website.
Among the new planes available for beta testers is the Icon A5, a small sports plane that can land on water. The plane, which will be available in all three versions of the game, including the Xbox Game Pass version, allows players to land in any body of water in the world.
Also included is the Aviat Pitts Special S2S aerobatic biplane and the Zlin Aviation Savage Cub, a lightweight but rugged two-seater bush plane popular with outdoor types.
Asobo also announced the incorporation of three tourist trips through the bushes, which include overflights of Nevada, Patagonia and the Balkans.
Another major addition is a series of landing challenges that will challenge virtual pilots in adverse wind conditions at some of the world’s most dangerous airports. They include an approach at Tenzing-Hillary Airport, also known as Lukla Airport, in Nepal. Located at more than 9,000 feet elevation, it stands within the highest mountain range in the world.
The new beta version also adds support for Track IR, an infrared peripheral that tracks the movements of the user’s head inside the cabin.
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