Earlier this week, aircraft developer Hot Start has published a new forum post that updates the community on the status of its upcoming Challenger 650 for X-Plane 11 and previews some of the aircraft’s features. The Challenger 650 is the newest addition to the Take Command! series, and is Hot Start’s second aircraft, Take Command! is X-Aviation’s brand of comprehensively detailed aircraft simulations, the catalog is contributed by multiple renowned developers including LES, Hot Start, and IXEG. Hot Start aims to break new fronts with the Challenger, introducing an immersive experience with new levels of simulation not offered as of late, complemented by a highly detailed exterior/interior modeling, custom night lighting, and accurate avionics. The aircraft's release is a symbolic end to over three years of continued development, Cameron elaborated on the team's approach to their products:

"Hot Start designs products with the goal of making them feel like living, breathing machines, without obscuring the finer details of what goes on “behind the scenes” of the simulation. They're all about learning new things, while having fun at the same time."

 According to the post, the aircraft is “nearing completion” and the developers are currently putting in the final touches. The finished product will feature a “stunning” exterior model with “exquisite visual details” that does not impact the simulator’s performance by fully utilizing X-Plane’s “object-kill functionality”:

Additionally, both the cockpit and cabin have been furnished with models and textures that give the plane “the appearance of a premium luxury product”. Finally, all areas of the Challenger will be illuminated with “over 330 individual lamps and over 500 dynamic light sources” that are custom placed throughout the jet

As for the aircraft’s systems, the Challenger 650 will feature “an extremely faithful custom recreation of the Collins Pro Line 21 Advanced suite”. For additional realism, each of the avionics are “separated into individual computers that run independently from each other”. Each of these computers can only “learn of the outside world through simulated sensor inputs” and communicate with one another via “simulated data buses”. Finally, to provide the users with insights into the aircraft’s innerworkings, study displays can be accessed in the cockpit where users can learn how each system is functioning to their commands. For a full list of features, check out the developer’s post.

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Hot Start has also revealed that the Challenger 650 will be released on January 7th, 2021. Though the pricing for the aircraft has yet to be announced, it will potentially line up that of previous products in Take Command! series at $64.95 USD. Additionally, the developers will be showcasing the aircraft via livestream in the 3 days leading up to the release. For more information on Hot Start’s Challenger 650, check out another Threshold article. Check out the original post on X-Pilot for more images.