Xtreme Prototypes updates

by mark.avey on January 21, 2008

Xtreme Prototypes has announced that they’re working on a new aircraft - the Avro Arrow. This is of particular interest to me due to my love of Delta wing aircraft:

Xtreme Prototypes is proud to announce the upcoming release of its CF-105 Arrow for Flight Simulator.

The real Avro Arrow was designed and built by the A.V. Roe Aircraft Company of Canada as North America’s best defense against Soviet long-range bombers during the Cold War. The Arrow was a revolutionary aircraft and the most advanced of its time. It used computer control and "fly by wire" and had a sophisticated integral missile system. At the time, the aircraft was probably the fastest plane in the world and capable of flying over Mach 2.0. The Arrow became a legend after the Canadian government ordered all work on the Arrow to stop and the prototypes destroyed before the aircraft could fulfill its intended role.

The Xtreme Prototypes Arrow add-on package will contain five versions of the Avro CF-105 Mk. 1 equipped with two Pratt & Whitney J75-P-3 or J75-P-5 engines and one version of the CF-105 Mk. 2 equipped with the mighty Orenda PS-13 "Iroquois" engines each capable of delivering more than 26,000 pounds of thrust.

As with the X-15 series, each aircraft is highly detailed and has been carefully modeled based on available archive material in order to conform as closely as possible to the real-world Arrow. The add-on aircraft package will include a fully functional 3D virtual cockpit with over 500 parts and full 3D gauges and flight instruments.

They are also planning an update to their first aircraft - the X-15:

Version 1.1 is identical to the current version except for the addition of the virtual cockpit that allows a total 3D immersion into the X-15 flying environment. The VC contains over 800 parts and nearly 200 animated gauges, switches, levers, light indicators and flight instruments. It is compatible with both FSX and FS2004 but will perform better in FSX.

As with the 2D instrument panels of the current version, the virtual cockpit has been meticulously created to conform as closely as possible to the cabin of the real X-15 rocket aircraft.