Microsoft Flight Simulator is specifically designed to celebrate flight simulation fans through a focus on the authenticity of flying and visually stunning environments.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is the next generation of one of the most beloved simulation franchises. From light planes to wide-body jets, fly highly detailed and stunning aircraft in an incredibly realistic world. Create your flight plan and fly anywhere on the planet. Enjoy flying day or night and face realistic, challenging weather conditions.

By revamping our tech, working in close collaboration with the community and pursuing the best partnerships across the industry, we intend to deliver the best-in-class flight simulation experience.

Microsoft Flight Simulator has released its first-ever City Update today featuring five brand-new photogrammetry German cities: Hanover, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Bonn, and Cologne. Simmers will even be able to spot the famous Koelnmesse, home to the renowned gamescom show. This free update can be downloaded from the in-sim marketplace right now.

Furthermore, the Microsoft Flight Simulator team revealed additional details about the upcoming release of the exciting 40th Anniversary Edition. It will be available for free on November 11, 2022 to those who own Microsoft Flight Simulator or Xbox Game Pass members and will feature, for the first time since 2006, helicopters and gliders, the most requested enhancements by our community. In addition to the helicopters and gliders, we will introduce another highly-requested community feature: a true-to-life airliner, the sophisticated Airbus A-310 where nearly every single button works just as expected.

We are also celebrating the storied history of aviation with seven famous historical aircraft in the Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition. These aircraft include the 1903 Wright Flyer, the 1915 Curtiss JN-4 Jenny, the 1927 Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis, the 1935 Douglas DC-3, the beautiful 1937 Grumman G-21 Goose, the 1947 Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, and the famous 1947 Hughes H-4 Hercules (the largest seaplane and largest wooden plane ever made), also known as the Spruce Goose.

We are also adding four classic airports, including the Meigs Field in Chicago which is a traditional starting airport for the Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise. It is an exciting update full of aviation history to celebrate our community and the beauty of aviation!

In summary, the 40th Anniversary Edition will bring:

• 4 classic commercial airports
• 10 glider airports
• 12 new aircraft
• 14 heliports
• 20 classic missions from the franchise’s past

We hope you’ll check out the City Update 01 (German cities) available today and follow along as we get ready to bring you the Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition on November 11. The sky is calling!

To celebrate its first-ever City Update (select German cities), Microsoft Flight Simulator has released the Junkers F 13, the next aircraft in its “Local Legend” Series. The F 13 is a single-engine, low-wing monoplane by German aircraft manufacturer Junkers and took its first flight on June 25, 1919. The F 13 was one of early aviation’s most innovative aircraft as the world’s first all-metal civilian transport plane, using Duralumin (an aluminum alloy), and boasted cutting-edge engineering implementations, notably in its wing design. Crewed by two, with seating in its cabin for four, more than 300 F 13s were manufactured during the 13-year production run. The well-built, reliable, and stable aircraft flew throughout the world, and a few even into the early 1950s.

The F 13 features a cantilever main wing, requiring no external bracing, which was unique at the time for an aircraft of its size. The wing has a straight leading edge and a span of 48 feet, 7 inches. The aircraft has a traditional empennage and a standard undercarriage that is easily convertible to floats.

Over the course of its production run, Junkers used a variety of in-line and radial engines to power the F 13. These included the 6-cylinder, in-line 158-horsepower Mercedes D.IIIa, the 6-cylinder, in-line 306-horsepower Junkers, and the 6-cylinder, in-line 355-horsepower BMW Va. This model uses a supercharged 9-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-14B Wasp Junior radial piston engine that delivers 450 horsepower to a fixed-pitch, 2-blade propeller.

The Junkers F 13 boasts a range of 870 miles, climbs at 470 feet per minute, and has a service ceiling of 16,700 feet above sea level. It cruises at 100 miles per hour with a top speed of 106 mph.

Futuristic for its day with its angular, simple design, the Junkers F 13 has proven to be an enduring masterpiece of aerospace engineering. The simulator version combines the pleasurable performance of this vintage classic from 1919 with the safety characteristics of a modern aircraft. Aviators will cherish their time in the cockpit of the F 13, which performs as beautifully as it looks, from takeoff to landing.

The Junkers F 13 is available in four variants: vintage with standard terrestrial landing gear (wheels), vintage with floats, vintage with skis, and a replica variation. Liveries include vintage, Xbox, and Aviator’s Club. Try it out today in the Microsoft Flight Simulator in-sim marketplace for $14.99. And, keep watching for more “Local Legend” aircraft coming soon.

Key Features:

• Vivid and Detailed Landscapes – Immerse yourself in the vast and beautiful world that is our planet with more than 37 thousand airports, 1.5 billion buildings, 2 trillion trees, mountains, roads, rivers and more.
• A Living World – Earth is vibrant and ever-changing and so is the world of Microsoft Flight Simulator which includes live traffic, real-time weather and animals.  
• Highly Detailed Aircraft – Hone your pilot skills in a variety of aircraft from light planes to commercial jets with comprehensive flight models. Every aircraft includes highly detailed and accurate cockpits with realistic instrumentation.
• New Checklist System – From pro to beginner, scale your level from full manual to full assist with interactive and highlighted instrument guidance and checklist.
• Dynamic Weather – The new weather engine enables users to switch on the live weather mode to experience real-time weather including accurate wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, rain and more.
• New Day & Night Engine – Experience flight at any time of day or year allowing for night VFR, visual flight rules, navigation.
• Aerodynamic Modeling – A state-of-the-art physics engine with over 1,000 control surfaces per plane allows for a truly realistic experience.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is available for Xbox Series X|S and PC (Xbox Game Pass).