Asobo has released a substantial update for its Expert Series 01: ATR 42-600/72-600 add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The turboliner has been waiting in the wings for quite a few months for this update, and now that it’s out, players can enjoy an improved aircraft package and two new variants. The new update is free for all ATR owners in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Tidying up
Asobo’s ATR add-on was released back in spring 2023 in a mostly good state. As the first in the Expert Series collection, it made a solid first impression of what seems to be Asobo’s mission statement: provide high-fidelity add-ons for an affordable price. It’s no surprise that Asobo has confirmed that the ATR package is “one of the most popular aircraft” being flown in the sim.
Over a year and change later, the ATR has aged somewhat nicely, as it has grown a bit long in the tooth in some areas. This includes some bugs and hitches that have cropped up which muddy the experience, and that’s a big part of what this new (long-awaited) update seeks to address.
The changelog lists quite a few squashed bugs and improvements that are now live. Beyond that, the main highlight of this update is the inclusion of two new variants: the ATR 42-600 STOL and 72-600 Freighter.
Package expansion
These two new variants of the ATR 42 and 72 offer unique characteristics from the standard forms of each model.
STOL stands for “short takeoff and landing.” As the name suggests, the 42-600S can land and take off from shorter airfields than the standard version. This makes it more versatile as it can perform missions in and out of more remote airfields.
As for the 72-600 Freighter, it shares most of its DNA with the regular model and its role is more focused on shuttling cargo around. Major air freight companies like FedEx and Amazon Prime make use of the 72-600F in their daily operations, so now such missions can be recreated in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Up to speed
We covered the ATR 42/72-600 add-on back when it was initially released and gave it an overall mark of approval. If you have yet to check it out, it (and the update) can be downloaded from the in-sim Marketplace of Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Owners of this aircraft will also be able to pilot it in the upcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, which is set to offer easy transfers for fundamentally all existing add-ons. Alternatively, Asobo is also selling a bundle of all of its first-party add-ons for use in the new sim as part of the Aviator Edition, including the ATR. For more details on that, check out our coverage on Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 pre-orders.
