TFDi has recently released their rendition of the passenger and cargo variants of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 for Microsoft Flight Simulator (and Prepar3d), an ETOPS-capable trijet introduced in 1990 and still in use by many cargo airlines around the World. 

The original idea behind the MD-11 development was to take the DC-10 as a baseline and modernize it with the latest and greatest in technology from the early 90s, albeit without going overboard given McDonnell’s financial situation, which led to suboptimal fuel efficiency in comparison with the soon-to-be rivals at the time (Airbus A330/A340, Boeing 777), but with greater maximum range, even if briefly (which made it a relatively short-lived airplane, with only 200 units built). 

The timing couldn’t have been worse for a brand-new trijet, as airlines were already prioritizing fuel-efficient twin-engine airplanes and slowly phasing out their fuel-guzzling three, four-engine jets. Unsurprisingly enough, the MD-11 didn’t take off in orders.

TFDI’s rendition brings the General Electric engines (Pratt & Whitney option to come later), with custom modeled systems, a custom-built flight management computer, high-resolution texturing, high-detail cabins (pax and cargo), and an onboard EFB allowing you to control payload and change specific settings. 

Their “a la carte” pricing model allows you to pick only the variant(s) you want: both cost $69.99 (cargo or passenger), and the other variant can be obtained for an extra $9.99, making it $80 for both. An “ extended simulation package” is set to be released in late 2024, adding failures and circuit breakers. The base packages can be found on TFDi’s website.

Shout out to SCOTSGOD for the screenshots! Stay tuned to Threshold for more flight simulation news!

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