iniBuilds A340 Airliner: Systems Development Update 2

[mattY]

Hello,

Mike here - I’m the Head of Aircraft Development at iniBuilds, responsible for leading all projects at iniBuilds with a primary focus on the systems and flight model work. I have been a commercial pilot in various capacities for much of my 20-year long career in aviation. I bring a wealth of real-world knowledge to the table at iniBuilds in day-to-day development in leading our flight sim projects from A-Z.

Following Max’s deep dive into the initial art and visual side of the iniBuilds A340 Airliner last week, I’m excited to share some insight into what the technical team has been working on. In this update we’ll cover ongoing refinements made from community feedback (from last week’s post), new flight model advancements, and a look at the systems that will define how the aircraft feels to operate in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

ONGOING ART UPDATE

The art team is very motivated to get refinements in after seeing the community engagement over the past week, that they’d like to update you on some points shown off in the initial update that have received further refinements throughout the dev cycle.

Updated Engine Fan Blade Rotation Direction

The engine fan blades were spinning clockwise, when in fact they are supposed to spin counterclockwise during operation, this has been addressed to complete the feature implementation of the new blades. See them in action below.

Continued Wing Flex Improvements

The wing flex is undergoing continued tweaking; however, we wanted to show you the latest state where we have increased the sensitivity of the wing and reduced the flex-amount on takeoff. This has been tweaked accordingly with reference videos, although bear in mind it will vary slightly depending on how much fuel is loaded, braking and wind direction, strength, and gusts.

Further Updates to EIS1 Displays

Work continues on the EIS1 cockpit configuration, with refinements made to replicate its well-known low-res character (compared to EIS2). The latest iteration features degraded edges on the PFD’s attitude and vertical speed indicators, along with a pixelated terrain mask, giving the CRT displays their authentic old-school look. As before, it is still work in progress!

Rain & Weather Effects

Immersion is key, and realistic weather effects are part of that. The A340 Airliner features wipeable rain masks across the windscreens, complementing the suite of atmospheric effects already in place - from engine condensation to wing vortices and vapor trails.

Emergency Slides

Along with our custom door handling logic that allows you to arm and disarm slides comes the slide deployment visual model. Following the usual logic, the slides will deploy automatically (or accidentally if you forget to disarm the doors) when the door is opened.

FLIGHT MODEL

MSFS 2024 Flight Dynamics

The A340 Airliner’s flight model has been built from the ground up using MSFS 2024’s latest aerodynamic systems. A key feature is the new fuselage object implementation, which allows the simulator to account for the aircraft’s full shape - including its four engine pods - resulting in more accurate crosswind handling, sideslip behavior, and drag modelling.

Ground Handling

MSFS 2024’s new ground contact model powers the A340 Airliner’s taxi physics, giving the aircraft a more direct, weighty feel on the ground. Nose wheel inputs are now properly simulated - meaning overly aggressive tiller or rudder use can cause realistic skids, even leaving marks on the taxiway.

Custom Flap & Slat Simulation

We’ve taken full control of the slat and flap system, writing directly to the simulator for maximum accuracy. This allows for precise handling in slats-only configurations - something especially noticeable on approach at lower speeds.

Engine & Performance Simulation

Engine simulation has been expanded to cover EGT, fuel flow, FADEC behavior, oil pressure, and consumption. Together with a refined thrust model, these parameters recreate the A340 Airliner’s famously underpowered feel. At maximum takeoff weight, expect slow climb rates - close to 40 minutes to cruise at times - and sluggish acceleration compared to more modern Airbuses.

Flare & Rotation Technique

You will find that the A340 will need more of a flare than the A350 given it’s more aggressive FBW flare mode and will need correct rotation technique for takeoff. What do we mean by this? The standard Airbus rotation technique is for a smooth 3 degree per second rate and if you don’t follow this with the 340 you very much run into the risk of striking the tail as the 340 is very low on thrust for most take-offs it will need to be gently lifted off the ground.

Fly-by-Wire Refinements

The A340 Airliner’s fly-by-wire system has been tuned to replicate the heavier, less reactive feel of the real aircraft compared to the nimble A320 family. Unlike newer Airbus models, the roll doesn’t “snap” instantly back to level when sidestick is neutral - instead, you’ll feel a smoother, more progressive handling response right down to touchdown.

We will be going into a further deep-dive on some of these topics in the 'Welcome to' video shortly before release, but this should give you a good flavour on what to expect! 
 

SYSTEMS
We’ve been hard at work bringing the iniBuilds A340-300 to life with an uncompromising focus on system depth and accuracy, ensuring it delivers a true-to-life experience for our community. Every system on the aircraft is being carefully modeled with a high degree of fidelity. If this is your first impression of an iniBuilds airliner, you can expect a full suite of functional systems, from a detailed custom FMS with SIDs/STARs, SEC flight plans, custom LNAV/VNAV, custom hydraulic and electrical systems and so much more! If you've used an iniBuilds airliner before, you'll find our usual systems simulations included, allowing you to pick up where you left off and spend more time exploring some new bits too!

Onboard Printer

By popular demand, we’ve included a functional printer from day one. You’ll be able to print flight plan INITs, takeoff data, and weather reports directly in the sim, with physical printouts appearing on the tray table for easy reference in flight.

Standby Attitude Indicator Caging

The EIS1 cockpit features a fully animated caging mechanism for the standby attitude indicator, replicating the gyroscopic alignment in detail - a small feature, but one that adds to cockpit authenticity.

 

Para-Visual Indicator (PVI)

The PVI, a predecessor to modern HUD/localizer symbology, is included as an option for the EIS1 cockpit. It provides lateral guidance during low-visibility approaches and can be toggled via the EFB.

DCDU & ACARS Integration

Through integration with third-party ACARS systems, you’ll be able to communicate directly with online controllers via the MCDU and DCDU. This includes vertical and lateral clearances, weather requests, and even free-text messaging, bringing data link operations into the sim.

MORA Display

The Minimum Off-Route Altitude (MORA) grid is now available on the ND, providing clear en-route obstacle separation awareness.

Autosave

Our autosave feature from the A350 Airliner returns with expanded flexibility. You’ll be able to set custom save intervals, manually save flight states, rename autosaves, delete autosaves and reload progress at any time - ensuring your long-haul isn’t lost to a power cut or catastrophic failure.

EIS1 vs EIS2 ND Logic

Differences between the two cockpit configurations extend beyond visuals. For example, a noticeable feature of the EIS1 ND is that route curves will not display unless a direct to or hold is inserted - a quirk of older Airbus avionics faithfully recreated here.

Cabin Temperature Simulation

To model cabin realism, the A340 Airliner features a dynamic temperature system. Conditions are calculated from ambient temperature, pack output, and door states—so Antarctic turns feel very different to Dubai departures. The cabin is split into simple zones (cockpit, forward, mid, aft), each nudging toward its target with help from recirc fans and trim-air. On the ground, opening a door lets outside air swing the cabin temperature quickly, with the change happening dynamically. 
 

GSX Integration

GSX support has been rewritten for the A340 Airliner, with full customization directly via the EFB. You’ll have the flexibility to tailor how GSX interacts with the aircraft, from ground services to passenger flows.

EFB Overhaul

The EFB has received a major update to its interface and logic, improving workflow across flight planning, loading, and navigation. Popular sections like Navigraph and LIDO charts remain, but layouts have been refined to handle the growing list of pages and third-party integrations.

Closing Notes
This update only briefly reflects the progress we’ve been making on the systems and flight model side of the A340 Airliner project.

From the quirks of the aircraft’s unique handling and performance to the depth of its cockpit options and integrations, it’s s shaping up to be another must have for your long-haul simulation fleet.

We’ll continue sharing more teasers and information into both systems and visuals in the coming weeks leading up to the release.

As always, thank you for your support. 

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Mike