It’s the first Monday of the month, which means it’s time for the first edition of No Money Mondays for this month. This time, we’re focusing on the newly released Airbus A380 for Microsoft Flight Simulator by FlyByWire. After years of development, this highly anticipated aircraft has been released in its alpha stage. While there are still several features under development, the team has stated that the aircraft is capable of flying from point A to point B. As a result, the virtual skies have recently been filled with this massive aircraft.

The Airbus A380 is an enormous aircraft with a wingspan of 261.8 feet, making it the largest passenger airplane ever built. The A380 had its first flight in 2005, and the first delivery to Singapore Airlines occurred in 2007. Unfortunately, production of this aircraft ended in 2021. The A380 has been operated by various airlines, serving routes all around the world. The aircraft has become, and will always be, an icon of passenger aviation due to its exceptional engineering and impressive size.

The FlyByWire A380 is currently in an alpha state. When downloading, you can choose between a 4K or an 8K variant of the aircraft. Due to the fact that the plane is still in alpha, performance may not be optimal, and I’ve noticed this is common feedback across the flight simulation community. If you're experiencing similar performance issues, I highly recommend trying the downscaled cockpit texture mod available on flightsim.to. This mod has significantly improved my performance.

After taking the A380 for a short test flight, I was thrilled to finally have a decent rendition of the A380 in Microsoft Flight Simulator, and indeed in any flight simulator. There are a few quirks here and there, but as I mentioned, it is still in the alpha stage, so that is to be expected. After years of waiting, it's great to finally take this impressive aircraft into the skies. The aircraft is packed with features, including a fully customized simulation of the A380, offering functionalities such as brake-to-vacate, body wheel steering, and an onboard airport navigation system.

The newly released Airbus A380 by FlyByWire is now available for download through their installer. You can find and download the installer from FlyByWire’s website. Now, it’s time to take the largest passenger aircraft out of the hangar and into the skies!

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