Beginning V2 Rollout and Future Plans

Posted August 5, 2023

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the V2 rollout process (and some tasty announcements)! Over the coming days, we will begin by pushing a “staging” build to start the process of delivering V2. This will involve pushing modules of V2 in two distinct blocks. We have hit a milestone with V2 where certain modules are zipped up and ready to go, and do not rely on dependencies that are still in progress. We promised we wouldn’t hold back on stuff that is ready to go, so here it is. The burning question here is what we’re including, so let’s run through that list.

In V2 Block 1, you will get FBWv2, FMv2, the first of our new displays (ISIS, and smaller displays will come later), all our code-side performance optimisations (including the new display render tech!), a good chunk of the non-dependant avionics improvements throughout the airplane, including our new VNAV, and bug fixes aplenty. Full changelog will be with you when we roll out. This, then, will set the stage for the second phase of delivering V2, which we expect to conclude by the end of September (this year, before the 2024 memes start!). Block 2 will include the new visual model, IAE and external engine model, further avionics fixes, EFBv2, and any revisions or improvements we see required to Block 1.

Why split it into 2 blocks? Well, Block 2 needs a bit more time in the oven, we don’t think it’s quite ready for prime-time just yet, but in the same breath, we cannot in good conscience hold back the substantial improvements we’ve made to the user experience with Block 1 now that those teams have wrapped on their work. We also would very much like to get some feedback from the community on the work done so far, so that we can further iterate on it for our Block 2 target in September, and provide a better overall experience when V2 is fully delivered.

As a taster and a thank you for the patience, later next week we will release some screenshots to demonstrate what exactly it is we’re aiming to achieve with Block 2 while you wait for it - specifically in this case, with the visual model. The entire aircraft has been painstakingly rebuilt - raising the bar from what we managed to achieve with our first version, but also consuming lots of time and resources - all for free. Why do it?

Well, I’ve been keeping a secret from you all. It’s not a very good secret, given I believe most would have guessed what is to follow. In parallel with revamping the A320 with V2, we have also been building an A321 and A319. The improvements we've made with V2 have provided a stronger foundation to build upon for this expansion. We intend to release these by the end of the year, as a single expansion package, for £39.99 - and yes, as is with the A320, sharklets will follow, and for free. So, September for Block 2, and A321 and A319 by the end of the year. Early into 2024, we will update all our product lines with Sharklets, for free. Timelines. I hate them. But we feel it’s best if you know our targets, as I can feel that most would prefer going without the anxiety of not knowing what we’re planning to do, or when we’re doing it. You are paying customers and it feels right to share the roadmap for what lies ahead with Fenix. Some may wonder why A321 and A319 before A320 sharklets, and it’s a fair question - this is where it'd be much easier to make up some technical developer jargon-filled excuse, but we've always made a point of putting honesty ahead of PR, and the reality is, from a commercial standpoint, we’d like to make sure that the company remains in good financial-stead, enough to support the continued development of the current product line, and all the good stuff we have coming to you over the next few years.

For now, enjoy the revised displays, the better performance, and the improved handling and behaviour of the aircraft - and the next month and a bit will whizz by while we prepare the rest of V2 for you. Over the weekend, I’ll drop in some performance benchmarks for V2 Block 1, and the gains we have managed to make over the .146 (your current version) - after that, I’ll be back in a few days with a changelog and a build sometime into next week.

Thanks,