Hype Performance Group has released their Hot Air Balloon for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Usually known for developing helicopters such as the H135 freeware and the payware H145, they decided to try ballooning next.

With a custom flight model, it’s - according to HPG - the first professionally developed hot air balloon for MSFS. The feature list follows down below:

Highly Detailed 3D Model, Textures and Animations

• Professionally modeled with incredible interior and exterior details
• 17 liveries included, all at 4K resolution and with PBR textures inside and out
• Fully animated cockpit and animations for inflation, deflation, stall and collapse
• Animated 3D humans including a hot air balloon operator and 2 passengers
• Designed and optimized for VR with great FPS performance, working VR Cockpit Zoom and proper visual scaling throughout the model

Avionics & Systems

• Steam gauges showing barometric altitude, vertical speed and envelope thermometer
• Available AI pilot that can control the hot air balloon based off terrain or altitude 
• EFB tablet included with maps and additional apps available 
• Balloonist Maps App: shows GPS speed and track
• Little NavMap App: connect to LNM, the free open source flight planner, navigation tool, moving map, airport search and airport information system
• Nearby Radio Stations: listen to radio stations local to the area you're currently flying in

Hot Air Balloon Flight Model

• Fully integrated internal hot air balloon flight model and envelope simulation
• Power Plant: 2x 12 million BTU burners with realistic visual and sound effects

Immersive Sound Pack

• Realistic burner and environmental sounds 

Bonus Features

• Launch fireworks with realistic visual and audio smoke and explosion effects
• Create other nearby AI flown HPG Hot Air Balloons on demand
• HPG Hot Air Balloon can be set to follow a MSFS flight plan or current wind conditions

The add-on is available on HPG’s website for $15.00. Stay tuned to Threshold for more flight simulation news!

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