Thranda Design’s latest aircraft to be released, and the latest in their “DGS (Dynamic Generation Series)” is the DHC-2 Beaver for X-Plane.

The Beaver has been in development since the start of mid-September and is to join Thranda’s existing lineup of aircraft including the Pilatus PC-6 Porter and the Kodiak Quest.

Also included in Thranda’s lineup is the PC-6 “Adventure Pack” which adds many new features including visual skydivers and an amphibian variant to the aircraft, among other features.

Alongside their own in-house lineup of aircraft, Thranda cooperates with other developers to port over aircraft from other simulator platforms, predominantly P3D. Developers to have worked with Thranda include Just Flight and, in the past, Carenado. Thranda is now working with Just Flight to bring the VC-10 and Avro RJ Series to X-Plane.  

The beaver has an extensive feature list, with major highlights of Thranda’s now-infamous configurable instrument panel, an intricate fuel system and an “advanced” FMOD sound set.

Find the full feature list here:

Special features:

• FULLY configurable 3D instrument panel.
• Over 50 instruments to choose from! (Including Aspen EFD 1000, and support for RealityXP's GTN750)
• Move any instrument to any location on the panel, or even between pilot and copilot's panel!
• Comes with 6 panel presets, but can easily be expanded by moving instruments around, using a simple and intuitive interface.
• Save your own presets, and even share them with the community!
• Instruments can be moved in 3D directly, on a 2D pop-up preview window, or by numerical entry for precise placement.
• Intricate, realistic fuel tank system, featuring tip tanks and removable belly tank. Overflow logic when transferring too much fuel from other tanks to primary tanks.
• GNS430 and 530 can be swapped out, but a restart of the plane is required, as 430s and 530s are mutually exclusive in terms of compatibility in X-Plane
• Dynamic livery editor (like in the Kodiak and the Pilatus PC-6)
• Full PBR control! Create stunning metallic liveries, or matte, sand-blasted look in mere seconds!
• Additional control over dirt/grime, scratches/nicks, adjustable in real-time to dial in the exact desired amount of wear and tear.  Affects airspeed. Clean plane will fly 2-3 MPH faster.
• Create "virtual" liveries, based on one common design layout, and assign any colour to any available paint segment.
• Quickly create preview of livery in real-time, using intuitive controls.  Previews now include visualization of metallic materials and dirt overlays. 
• Apply selected livery in real-time, right in the sim, without the need to even touch a 3rd party image editor!
• Option to include/hide manufacturer logo on tail, and control its colour.
• Option to change the tail number in real-time, or disable it altogether. (Enter a "space" instead of a callsign number to create a blank tail number.)
• Easily and quickly create dozens of paint schemes in-sim!
• Also supports 12 traditionally painted liveries, all visible in a convenient pre-selection preview window.
• Uses SkunkCrafts Updater.  Option to participate in Beta program, via check box in SkunkCrafts Updater. 
• Excellent hi-res PBR realistic materials, featuring true-to-life plate deformation and to-the-rivet precision.

Feature-rich elegant fly-out menu with the following features:

• Realism settings for engine and tail wheel (simplified vs. realistic modes)
• Radial engine visualization in pop-up window, which showcases the inner workings of the engine.
• Real-time primer and pre-heat logic, with visualization indicating correct priming range
• Innovative electric tug, with in-panel controls to move forward/backward at the desired speed, and steer proportionally
• Control over chocks, individual tie-downs, covers, internal lights, external lights, etc.
• Option to enable/disable Belly Tank, with realistically simulated weight, momentum, rotational inertia, and drag characteristics.
• Option to start up running (all systems ready), or cold-and-dark, for realistic startup procedures.
• Option to run engine in a simplified manner (no pre-heat, no priming, easier starts)
• Control landing lights, strobes, beacon, and nav lights via pop-up window
• Detailed weight and balance manager with visual chart, individual passenger seat weight control, Lbs/KG unit toggle, CG control, external tank control, and the option to save and load configuration.
• Multiple camera snap points, above and beyond what's available by default in X-Plane, so you can perform your walk around checks.
• Adjust your camera's Field of View without having to go to an X-plane menu, allowing for real-time adjustments.
• Audio mixer: individually control audio channels in real-time, so you can adjust volumes while hearing them play.
• Slew control: move your plane around the world, temporarily bypassing flight physics.  Includes ground mode and air mode.
• Dynamic panel control page, with a separate view for the entire panel layout preview, or a per-instrument view, allowing for fine-tuning of instrument position, as well as copy-paste function to quickly replace instruments.
• The "Misc" page in the fly-out window contains options to customize the plane, such as:
• skis
• tundra tires
• mud flaps
• bubble windows
• throttle quadrant model (choose between classic and new design)

Flight dynamics and systems:

• The Beaver has unique flight dynamics, characterized by being a "flap-happy" plane.  This is faithfully reproduced in the sim version.  (Can require slight flap extension during cruise, depending on conditions).
• The Beaver is the quintessential Canadian classic STOL workhorse, whose flight characteristics and excellent STOL capabilities are calibrated to maximum precision in the sim.
• Details, such as the wobble pump, the ratcheting carb heat lever, the manually pumped flap system (with direction valve), and the primer system are faithfully modelled for maximum immersion.
• Tie-downs and chocks actually keep the plane from moving, even in high winds.

Advanced FMOD-based sound system:

• Pioneer in procedural engine sounds. (No two starts sound alike: coughing, sputtering, and clanking valves all contribute to a nuanced, rich, immersive sound experience.)
• High fidelity, multi-track sounds with smooth transitions and amazing atmospheric effects.
• Individual volume control over different aspects of the sound experience, adjustable in real-time (while listening to the sounds)
• Different sounds for front of plane than for back of plane
• Panning around the plane in exterior view yields awesome 3D audio effects, including "blade slapping" sound when view is perpendicular to prop
• Individual buttons and switches in the cockpit each have their own unique sound.
• Sounds actually give you clues as to what's happening under the hood
• Outside wind intensity is affected by slip and AoA. (The more the surface area of the fuselage is hit by oncoming wind, the louder the sounds

Thanks to Threshold Discord member Janis for tipping us off to this news, fancy submitting some news we haven’t covered yet? Let us know our Discord server.

To purchase your very own copy of the Thranda DHC-2 Beaver, head over to the X-Plane.org store where it is available for the special introductory price of $34.95 down from $39.95.