Development Update 03/15/2026
Landing gear complete with real physics, smarter LNAV, and a fully built-out forward overhead panel.
Spring is around the corner and so is another progress update. The last month has been a productive one for both of us - lots of work across the exterior model, navigation, the overhead panel, and cockpit displays. Let's get into it.
Airfoillabs Team
Landing Gear: Complete with Full Animations and Real Physics
The biggest milestone this month: the landing gear is done. This was a substantial piece of work covering the full 3D model, animations, mesh corrections, texture refinements, and the underlying physics - all brought together into a finished package.
Both the main gear and nose gear are now fully animated with deployment sequences, strut compression, tire rotation, and nose wheel steering - each behaving independently. We moved away from abstract values to real-world strut travel distances, which gives you realistic compression on touchdown, proper aircraft settling during taxi, and gear that responds to weight and loads the way you'd expect.
With the landing gear wrapped up, all major exterior components are now complete - fuselage, wings, empennage, engines, and gear. Every part of the exterior is animated. We're not saying the exterior is fully finished - there are still smaller details and polish to do - but all the big pieces are modeled, textured, and moving the way they should. That's a significant milestone for the project.
We've also added vibration effects to the engine nacelles, giving the CFM LEAP-1B powerplants a sense of life and mechanical presence, especially visible during startup and at idle on the ground.
Smarter Lateral Navigation
Our LNAV system got a thorough round of improvements that will matter during every flight:
Wind is now factored into heading leg geometry, so the aircraft tracks the correct ground path instead of just pointing at a heading and hoping for the best.
When a terminal procedure specifies a turn direction, the system now respects it - no more creative interpretation of SIDs and STARs.
Turn anticipation now uses predicted speed rather than current speed. This makes a real difference during climbs and descents where speed is changing - the turns will start at the right moment, not too early or too late.
Fly-over waypoint transitions are smoother and more accurate.
These are the kinds of improvements that add up. When you eventually load up a flight plan and engage LNAV, the aircraft will track the magenta line the way it should - not "close enough," but the way the real thing does it.
FMC Progress Page
We've started building the CDU Progress page - the one you'll be glancing at throughout every flight for distance remaining, ETA, and fuel predictions. It's still a work-in-progress, but the foundation is in place and data is flowing.
Forward Overhead Panel: Fully Built Out
This was another big one. The forward overhead panel went from a handful of placeholder switches to a complete layout of the real 737 MAX overhead. Every switch is modeled, 75% animated, and clickable with the correct behavior - guarded, momentary, spring-loaded, or rotary, just like the real flight deck.
Here's what's now in place:
Electrical: battery, generator drive disconnect, standby power, bus transfer, generator and APU generator controls, ground power, cabin/utility and IFE toggles, DC/AC meter selectors
Fuel: all six boost pumps and crossfeed valve
APU & Engine Start: APU start switch with proper 3-position spring-loaded return, ignition selector, engine start rotaries
Hydraulic: engine-driven and electric pumps for systems A and B
Bleed Air: engine bleeds, APU bleed, isolation valve, trim air, recirculation fans, pack switches
Pressurization: mode selector, flight/landing altitude knobs, outflow valve control
Anti-Ice & Heat: engine cowl anti-ice, wing anti-ice, four window heat switches, probe heat for both systems
Cabin: fasten belts, no smoking signs, emergency exit lights with guarded auto-arm
To be clear - at this stage, these are animations and manipulators. The underlying aircraft systems that these switches will control are still being developed. But the physical panel is now complete, every switch feels right, and when the systems come online they'll plug right in. Think of it as the cockpit hardware being ready, waiting for the wiring to be connected.
Display Engine & Font Improvements - WIP
We modernized the math library behind all our cockpit displays, which improves how everything is drawn and rendered under the hood. You won't see a visual difference right away, but it sets us up for better performance and future display features.
What you will notice: the CDU now uses a dedicated custom font that matches the character style of the real MCDU unit. Crisp, authentic, and readable at every zoom level and in VR.
Coming Up
Finishing manipulators for the remaining switches on the forward overhead panel.
Wiring up the overhead switches to the actual aircraft systems (so they do more than just click and animate).
3D performance optimization, low-poly cockpit, and hiding of parts of the exterior model are in the works, which means the sim won't be rendering the full detailed exterior while you're sitting in the cockpit. Frame rates will thank you.
More FMC pages.
As always, thank you for following along and for your patience. Your enthusiasm keeps us going.
Clear skies,
Juraj, Airfoillabs
AFL 737 MAX is an independently developed add-on for X-Plane, not affiliated with or endorsed by any aircraft manufacturer. Full disclaimer
