X-Plane 9 Beta 3 released

by mark.avey on November 30, 2007

It looks like the usual “Beta Rush” has started for the next version of X-Plane This seems to be the usual pattern for X-Plane. Once a major version update is announced, we seem to get a lot of Beta’s in quick succession. Version 9 Beta 3 has now been released with quite a few updates. Here’s a sample. You can see the full list on the Beta site.

Sky colors should be a smoother gradient now.
Nullzone available is now available for PFC flight controls.
New command: INSTRUMENT BRIGHTNESS. Kind of nice.
Wind model improved a bit. Set some wind and especially turbulence in the weather screen, hit | to go to external view, hit / a few times to see the wind. Then start flying and see how it changes faster as you fly faster. This was introduced in v8 and refined for v9.
Further framerate optimization.
Autoland refinements.
Wide-screen image distortion solved.
Tiny tiling artifacts in the 2-D cockpit in the Avanti may have been visible with Beta-2. This may be solved for Beta-3.
You should be able to raise and lower the landing gear when in the water… amphibs need to do this!
Carrier, birds, smoke puffs, boats, etc. no longer run at double-speed with reflective water turned on.
Joystick pan/tilt buttons do more stuff in more views, as requested.
Mouse-steering cross-hair reminders now remain at last yoke position, not center position, as requested.