I'm glad that 2020 users are being used as beta testers for the rest of us 🙂

4 hours ago, St Mawgan said:

I'm glad that 2020 users are being used as beta testers for the rest of us 🙂

My understanding is that the helo has been thoroughly tested and this will be a fully featured release rather than an early access or "beta" for 2020. Also it sounds like these will be very separate products for each sim, with 2024 features to be incorporated later this year via the 2024 SDK (so it's "native") in addition to new avionics options, new external variants (agricultural spraying version for example), etc etc. Additional features for both editions of the helicopter will appear based on customer feedback, so it sounds like if you want to weigh in on "nice to haves" in 2024, then try out the 2020 version.

I'm cautiously optimistic as they've proven that they've done their research and seem to be making quite an effort. Early reports just based on visuals from the notoriously cranky Russian flightsim community also show that they are generally happy - they seem to have a few rivet counters and there are a few comments literally counting rivets, pins, and screws to ensure they haven't missed anything (one comment was complaining about missing a pinhead sized sensor in an a/c cooling fan...yes we're at that level), but it's at that level of nitpicky vs showing general displeasure with the visuals. 

As someone for whom 2020 works better (due to favored addon compatibility and computer specs....too many 2024 issues), I'm glad that the initial release supports 2020, and I'll look forward to the 2024 version late in 2026 (in which I may transition to that sim by then). 

23 April via Simmarket, price TBA early next week. 

This is now released via Simmarket. 2024 version coming later this year / in a few months with new and native features. 

https://secure.simmarket.com/digital-aeronautics-mi-2-hoplite-msfs20.phtml

The list of features, with a focus on the systems, is impressive. 

Its shame 2024 version put on back burner 😞

34 minutes ago, sd_flyer said:

Its shame 2024 version put on back burner 😞

Very respectfully, I think that's a mischaracterization, as I think "back burner" means set aside with no active development to appear sometime later...maybe. 

I am not a company/dev rep, but from what I see clearly in their statements across social media, active development of the 2024 version is going on now, to be released in the coming months. 2020 was already in the queue and finalized first, and they're making a native 2024 by using lessons learned (and feedback) from 2020 to move forward. I think we all know about the new challenges with the 2024 SDK too. 

So...it's being worked, it's coming, but we just need patience. 

Hmpf, they do not aim at international customers with that trailer it seems 😉

EDIT: I mean the second video on the SimMarket page which I accidently hit, it seems. This is from a polish beta tester. Looking forward to some english streams heopfully

Edited April 23Apr 23 by guenseli

40 minutes ago, STK said:

Very respectfully, I think that's a mischaracterization, as I think "back burner" means set aside with no active development to appear sometime later...maybe. 

I am not a company/dev rep, but from what I see clearly in their statements across social media, active development of the 2024 version is going on now, to be released in the coming months. 2020 was already in the queue and finalized first, and they're making a native 2024 by using lessons learned (and feedback) from 2020 to move forward. I think we all know about the new challenges with the 2024 SDK too. 

So...it's being worked, it's coming, but we just need patience. 

I don’t know “later this year” sound like very uncertain future. Active development perhaps would give more precise measurements .

really would love to have this helo along with Milviz UH-1 (which seems been developed forever )

13 minutes ago, sd_flyer said:

I don’t know “later this year” sound like very uncertain future. Active development perhaps would give more precise measurements .

really would love to have this helo along with Milviz UH-1 (which seems been developed forever )

I'm confident it's coming and suspect they don't want to give a precise deadline, as many devs shy away from those now due to the inevitable squawking if they miss it. My presumption is in the last three months of 2026. They know what features they want to add at minimum, and are already working on the 2024 version from what I read on Discord. 

Regarding the Huey, I suspect the Taog masterpiece threw them for a loop and they realized they have to achieve higher fidelity to compete. This is my guess. Of course, Blackbird/Milviz isn't known for their expedience either. They announced the 737-200 in the *year* 2020 to be released for that sim, and here we are in 2026. From a quick look the Blackbird/Milviz Huey was first announced in 2022. 

It’s an interesting looking helicopter but not knowing whether there’ll be an upgrade path to the ‘24 version makes it a difficult purchase to justify right now

2 hours ago, Matchstick said:

It’s an interesting looking helicopter but not knowing whether there’ll be an upgrade path to the ‘24 version makes it a difficult purchase to justify right now

Yep - I’ve seen reporting that the 2024 version will be a separate purchase, implying no upgrade path(?).

If so, I’ll have to wait for v2024 or clarification. 

Even then, it’d have to be a free upgrade to v2024 simply because I no longer fly in v2020. 🤙

10 hours ago, UrgentSiesta said:

Yep - I’ve seen reporting that the 2024 version will be a separate purchase, implying no upgrade path(?).

If so, I’ll have to wait for v2024 or clarification. 

Even then, it’d have to be a free upgrade to v2024 simply because I no longer fly in v2020. 🤙

It's not very clear but at least the creator of the helicopter wrote this, over at the FS forum:

Quote

The good news is that the MSFS-2024 version will come soon and you won’t have to wait long. It is planned for release in the second half 2026.

And of course, the users who buy the MSFS-2020 version will receive exclusive loyalty benefits for upgrading to MSFS-2024 version!

Now, he didn't write what these "loyalty benefits" meant. Is it a price reduction or something else ? No idea yet.

And it's important to mention that the MSFS2020 will not work correctly in MSFS2024, so if you don't have MSFS2020 installed anymore and use only MSFS2024, you should refrain from buying this helicopter for now, until the real MSFS2024 version is released 🙂

Edited April 24Apr 24 by Daube

23 minutes ago, Daube said:

The good news is that the MSFS-2024 version will come soon

I highly vote for that we get a flightsim wide binding agreement what "soon" should mean!!!

Can't be that it stretches from a few days to a year, depending on the developer

 

(I do not mean that serious!)

4 hours ago, Daube said:

It's not very clear but at least the creator of the helicopter wrote this, over at the FS forum:

Now, he didn't write what these "loyalty benefits" meant. Is it a price reduction or something else ? No idea yet.

And it's important to mention that the MSFS2020 will not work correctly in MSFS2024, so if you don't have MSFS2020 installed anymore and use only MSFS2024, you should refrain from buying this helicopter for now, until the real MSFS2024 version is released 🙂

The dev has clarified in replied to a question I asked about an upgrade path that "loyalty benefits" does mean a discount.

Tha Mi-2 😍

Digital Aeronautics Mil Mi-2 Hoplite Helicopter for MSFS

 

Edited April 24Apr 24 by jcomm

3 hours ago, jcomm said:

Tha Mi-2 😍

Digital Aeronautics Mil Mi-2 Hoplite Helicopter for MSFS

@Daube Well, the good news is that Belatu reports it does actually work fine in v2024 except for some “minor” things that simply don’t exist in v2020 (walk around, etc). 😁👍

Now, I’m OCD enough that it’s still a No Go for me if there’s no “free upgrade”* to v2024. 

even better, he says the physics are top tier (something he doesn’t say too often).

Overall, I’ve yet to find a helo review of Belatu’s where I’d feel like he steered me wrong. 🤙

The only thing I find overtly disappointing is the lack of ANY radio nav other than ADF(!). From DCS Russian helos, I do realize that’s genuinely a thing, but still, at least an optional 430 would be greatly appreciated (à la Just Flight 😁)

* I normally don’t care about free updates, but only if I’ve gotten use in the original sim. I just don’t fly v2020 any longer, so…