The release of version 1.5.0 is the main aim for the developers of the Magknight 787 going into May, with a refreshed cockpit and engine models taking centre stage in this month's development update.

"Over the past few months we've been working on the new 3D cockpit for the 787, and the RR engines," says Mitchell Chen, the poster of this most recent development update. "GE engines have also been worked on, including new fan blades, textures, and normals. The systems team had also been hard at work, adding many new features in 1.5.0, including air systems."

Chen stresses that the images of the cockpit shown today are not to be taken as the final product. He says that the "grains" visible in these images will not be present in the final export to X-Plane, and that the colours used in the cockpit are subject to change.

The Rolls Royce engine models shown off today are "close to completion", though some texturing issues will need to be addressed before release.

Additionally, the status post, made on the X-Plane.org Forum, notes that v1.5.0 will be using new texture mapping, meaning that liveries will need to be updated to make full use of the new art. Chen says that current liveries will not stop working, however.

Other goals planned for 1.5.0 and beyond were also addressed in a short FAQ section, which affirms that this update will be free to all current users of the 787.

Release dates also saw a mention in this section, though neither the flight management system nor the new cockpit have been given solid dates yet, as both answers simply read "when it is ready..."

See the source post for this article on the X-Plane.org Forum, or see the Magknight 787's previous status update from March in a previous article.