Announcements of retro jetliners for Microsoft Flight Simulator are becoming more and more common. In fact, Just Flight is swooping in to add yet another of such entries into the bucket with the reveal of its upcoming Fokker 100 project, which is aiming to take to the skies of Microsoft Flight Simulator some time in 2023. The Fokker 100 isn’t incredibly old; it was introduced to public service back in 1088 with only 283 of the type ever built. So it wasn’t a particularly large seller.
It mainly found use with Australian carriers like Virgin Australia, QantasLink and Alliance, though other carriers like American Airlines and USAir also bought a few units. Seeing that the Fokker 100 is classified as a regional jet, it primarily competed with smaller jets like the CRJ-100/200 and the Embraer ERJ and E-Jet family. Modern aircraft of this type include planes like the Airbus A220. The classic Fokker 100 is capable of carrying just 97 passengers with a range of up to 1,710 miles and a service ceiling of 35,000ft. With a top speed of Mach 0.77, she’s not a slow bird by any means.
Golden age
Just Flight is recreating the Fokker 100 “with incredible detail” to take full advantage of Microsoft Flight Simulator. This extensive work will show throughout the model, with both its interior and exterior modelling and texture already “progressing very well.” Additionally, the team is working on building the Fokker 70, the shortened variant of the Fokker 100.
A few months ago, Just Flight released the BAE 146 Professional, another retro regional jet, with a quad-engine design rather than the usual twin-engine. It’s one of the most complex aircraft to come to the sim yet, which is giving the community high hopes for the Fokker 100 and Fokker 70.
Another retro jetliner on the horizon is the Airbus A310 from iniBuilds. Unlike the Fokker, which will be a standalone payware release, the A310 will come as part of a free expansion to Microsoft Flight Simulator that will release later this year.
