Fenix Phoenix Update: Everything You Need to Know About the Biggest Upgrade Yet

Get ready, flight simmers! The highly anticipated Fenix Phoenix update is landing this Tuesday or Wednesday. After a long wait, the Fenix team extends massive thanks for your incredible patience. This isn't just a patch; it's a massive overhaul touching almost every aspect of their Airbus A320 family for both MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024. Here’s a breakdown of what’s new:

Release Date: Aiming for Tuesday or Wednesday (as of filming).

Core Highlights (Applicable to both MSFS 2020 & MSFS 2024)

1. Revolutionary Landing Dynamics:

   • Completely rebuilt landing profile based on data from over 800,000 real-world flights covering all variants.

   • Expect measurably more realistic aircraft behavior on touchdown.

2. All-Axis Fly-By-Wire Retune:

   • Pitch and roll systems retuned using new, extensive real-world data sets.

   • Crucial Note: Best results now come from using completely linear control axes (more details to follow).

3. Control Input Damping & Enhanced Handling:

   • Subtle simulation of control input damping dynamics added.

   • Custom map applied to the roll axis for significantly improved hand-flying feel.

   • Result: SDS (Simulator Damping System) is deprecated and no longer needed.

4. Upgraded Ground Handling:

   • Utilizes ASOBO's latest ground handling model.

   • Rudder axis reworked again for better controllability, tuned around linear axes as the starting point.

   • Faithful recreation of real aircraft input mapping and damping.

5. "Baby Shark" - A319 Sharklets:

   • Introducing the Sharklet-equipped A319, used by operators like American Airlines.

   • Features a special "hot rod" engine: the CFM56-5B7, producing thrust comparable to a standard A320's -5B engine.

   • This brings the total CEO external engine models to seven.

   • Bespoke flight model accounting for Sharklet-induced lift, drag, and other changes.

   • Flight characteristics signed off by real A319 test pilots.

6. Weather Radar Improvements:

   • Gain control now available (Tilt control still requires core platform changes).

7. Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) Updates:

   • Stop margins added to Takeoff Performance calculations (UI revamp planned for later).

   • Custom PDF viewer in Pilot Briefing app (read magazines, import offline charts).

   • Ability to adjust volume of other Windows processes (VPilot, GSX, Spotify) using the ACP knobs.

8. Completely New Sound Set:

   • Dave rebuilt the sounds... again! Not just improved engines.

   • New recordings: Flight deck wired with mics capturing high-quality sounds (Packs, AEVC, ambiance).

   • Details like pack pitch/tonality tied to heat demand.

9. Dynamic Sound Occlusion (Breakthrough!):

   • Overcame MSFS engine limitations.

   • Single seamless sound set dynamically adjusts based on your position relative to open doors/windows.

   • Hear outside sounds (APU, brake fans) bleed into the cabin realistically. Requires adjustment of 3000+ samples.

10. Display Color Accuracy Rework:

    • Based on calibrated color sampling from recent reference trips.

    • Matched tonality for both older CEO LCDs and newer NEO 725 displays.

    • Accounts for real-world color variability between displays.

11. Hundreds of Bug Fixes & Changes: Beyond these major items.

MSFS 2024 Exclusive Features

1. Native 2024 Modular Sim Object Package:

   • A foundational rebuild "tantamount to building a whole new aircraft".

   • Unlocks future potential and full utilization of 2024's capabilities.

2. Massive LOD (Level of Detail) Overhaul:

   • Model pulled apart and rebuilt with extensive LODs (4-5 variations per item).

   • Drastically improves performance by reducing detail when objects are distant or small on screen.

   • Allows more detail where it counts by suppressing it elsewhere strategically.

3. Deep Walkaround Mode Integration:

   • Stand Up & Explore: Walk inside and outside the entire aircraft.

   • Interactive Doors: Operate cockpit and passenger doors from inside and out with realistic physics and sounds (including gust lock).

   • Maintenance Bus: Found in the forward galley ceiling. Powers essential ground items (cargo doors, lights, yellow hyd pump, nav lights, ground call) without full cockpit power-up. Requires Ground Power.

   • Cargo Doors: Fully operational with yellow hydraulics. Complex mechanics modeled (doors sag when unpowered, require full lock).

   • Refueling Panel: Fully functional! Perform refueling, defueling, transfers. Valve logic, electrical dependencies, and quirks modeled. Affects all refueling methods (manual, EFB, GSX).

   • Gear Detail & Hydraulic Access: Open panels, gravity-drop doors, close them using hydraulics. Showcases insane gear bay detail.

   • External Power Panel: Fully functional socket, lights, switches, APU cutoff, cockpit call.

   • Fan Blade Spinning: Manually spin and inspect engine fan blades (yes, really!). Modeled blade clearance clatter.

   • Seamless Audio: Dynamic sound changes as you move in/out of the aircraft, including weather-dependent footsteps.

4. Completely Rebuilt Flight Deck for 2024 Lighting:

   • Reworked model and retextured specifically for 2024's engine and materials.

   • Physically Emulated 7-Segment Displays: Stunning depth and realism as light hits the FCU/radio panels (opt-in due to potential ghosting on some setups).

5. EFB Enhancements:

   • Navigraph Charts integration (day/night modes).

   • Use the EFB within MSFS's native EFB app during walkaround.

6. Livery Conversion: All 750+ liveries (+50 new ones) converted for the native 2024 model.

Deep Dive: The Art & Tech Behind the Update

• Flight Deck Rework: 2024's different lighting required starting from scratch. New scans and calibrated color data from a recent CEO reference trip were crucial.

• Display Realism Challenge: Overcoming the MSFS engine's LCD-like behavior for front-lit 7-segment displays required physically modeling layers and light propagation. Results are stunning but complex.

• Walkaround Ambition: The team had planned internal interactions long before 2024's walkaround mode. They engineered creative solutions to enable a seamless inside/out experience despite engine limitations, including custom sound occlusion and door physics.

• Refueling System Foundation: The complex new refueling logic powers all refueling methods (EFB, GSX) in both sims. 2020 users get the system upgrade, just not the interactive panel (yet).

A Commitment to Excellence & The Future

The Phoenix Update represents an enormous investment in the existing Fenix A320 product line. Key takeaways:

• Foundation for Future: Much of the work (native 2024 build, systems groundwork) paves the way for upcoming features and the Fenix Neo.

• CEO Owners Supported: Fenix explicitly states that CEO owners will continue to receive relevant updates and fixes alongside Neo development.

• Community Gratitude: The team deeply thanks the community for their support over the past 3+ years, enabling this level of continued investment.

• Not Just Marketing: Features weren't held back for the Neo; the Phoenix Update aims to make the CEO product the best it can be.

In Summary: The Fenix Phoenix Update is monumental. Expect transformed flight dynamics, groundbreaking sound, stunning visual improvements (especially in 2024), deep systems enhancements, and an incredibly immersive walkaround experience in MSFS 2024. It demonstrates Fenix's unwavering commitment to their products and community. Get ready to experience your Fenix Airbus like never before!

(And yes, the change log is extensive... but you'll find it all upon release!)

Follow @rowsfire for more updates! 🚀