PMDG has released a new development update surrounding the progress of the next iteration of its Boeing 737. The smaller 737-600 variant of the world’s most-sold narrow body jet is set to release for Microsoft Flight Simulator in a matter of days, as of the time of publication.
While the 737-600 isn’t the smallest variant of the entire 737 lineage, it is the smallest of the type that is still actively used. Its predecessor, the -500, is used in very limited quantities these days. So it’s not surprising that PMDG has chosen to go only as far down as the 737-600 for its initial release of complex add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
As mentioned in an official update on PMDG’s Forums, the team is currently testing a new Lateral Flight Path Model, along with “a significantly updated vertical path model that is finally able to leverage the improved accuracy of the lateral model into it’s own computational process.” The simplest way of putting it is that the jet’s flight dynamics are being brought closer to the real deal.
Big boy Boeing
Seeing that the real-world 737 family shares DNA, the same will be true for their virtual counterparts. The aforementioned improvements will have a trickle down effect to the already released Boeing 737-700 and the upcoming 737-800 variants.
The existing -700 model will receive these improvements in an update that should coincide with the release of the -600. Meanwhile, the stretchy boy that is the -800, which is actually the most popular model in the Boeing 737 family, will arrive at some point in August.
Image Credit: PMDG
PMDG stresses that its release timings might change if unforeseen hiccups come into play. The initial rollout of the -700 was quite the fiesta, seeing that it was met with several delays up until its release day when PMDG’s storefront crashed for several hours due to being overrun by excited customers. On that note, we don’t know the exact pricing of the -600 and -800 yet. They will be separate purchases even for those who already bought the -700, however.
Finally, the team is also working on an EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) for all members of the 737 family. No hard details have been made available, including a release date. PMDG simply states that it is coming along. Some fans have been greatly anticipating this feature due to how well it improves the sim experience. Despite all the excitement, it seems like the developers are taking the same approach they’ve taken with the planes themselves — it’ll be ready when it’s ready.
Once all members of the 737 family release for Microsoft Flight Simulator, PMDG will continue its work on larger aircraft such as the Boeing 767. These products won’t be around for a while, however.
