14 Years of Embraers... And We're Just Getting Started!
It’s about time we shared a proper development update on what we’re working on at X-Crafts. And there is A LOT to share, including some big announcements!
I haven’t shared many updates lately because I’ve been putting all of my energy into making sure the next generation of our E-Jets is a huge step forward in all aspects.
We’ve been working on Embraer aircraft for 14 years now. With every new detail we’ve learned about these magnificent airliners, we’ve also discovered new things to add and new ways to get closer to the real aircraft.
When you’ve worked on something for this long, it’s natural to keep building on your existing product. Just like car manufacturers don’t replace every single part between generations.
But for the next generation of E-Jets, I wanted to go further. The list of things we wanted to add had grown so much that some of them were practically impossible to build into the existing codebase. So I made the challenging decision to start redeveloping our aircraft systems from scratch.
Introducing X-Crafts Systems
The idea was to take everything we’ve learned over 14 years, including the positive and negative feedback you’ve given us, and build a cleaner foundation that would let us work more efficiently as a team and keep improving our aircraft for years to come.
And I'm happy to say that we now have this new codebase in place, and we are actively developing in it! We call it X-Crafts Systems.
This also opens the door to features that were previously much harder or nearly impossible to implement. One of the things we now want to introduce is aircraft state saving and loading, so that you could save your aircraft in a particular situation, then load it again later with the systems, flight plan, and FMS already configured. It may come after the initial release, but it’s now something we want to bring to the E-Jets.
Originally, only a few of the new systems were going into the upcoming release. But as has happened many times around here, things snowballed.
Bad news, and VERY good news
The bad news is that the next generation of E-Jets won’t be released this year, which I really hoped would be the case before all of this.
But that’s the end of the bad news!
The good news is that we’ve decided to bring the whole systems overhaul to the next generation from the start and expand it massively. That includes a completely new dual custom FMS, autopilot, autothrottle, and Thrust Rating System, alongside newly developed electrical, ATTCS, fuel, hydraulic, pneumatic, bleed air, anti-ice, rain protection, EICAS and many other systems.
Many of these systems are already working in X-Crafts Systems, and I can see how much deeper we’re able to go into the interactions a real pilot would have with the aircraft. We’re focusing on normal operations first. Further down the line, I’d love to tackle abnormal operations and custom failures too, as well as aircraft state saving and loading.
We've also already implemented our signature AirComms™ guidance and tutorials into the E-Jets, which will make it even easier to fly them like a pro! Here’s a quick preview of AirComms walking you through the fire test and APU start, which are part of a normal power-up:
And our EFB already has a custom SimBrief Dispatch system, so you can generate and review your flight plan right there, then load it into the FMS with the performance data in one click.
Making the next generation worth the wait
As I’ve shared before, this will be a paid upgrade, with a special upgrade discount for existing E-Jets 2.0 customers.
It’s important to me that everyone who’s supported us over the years gets real value from that upgrade. I want you to get into the cockpit, set up a flight and feel how much has changed. The aircraft should behave more like the real thing and be more enjoyable to fly. I really want you to feel that difference when you finally get your hands on them!
So what are we actually working on right now?
Todor, one of our core developers, is currently working on a completely custom autothrottle, and the results are already fantastic! At the same time, he's developing a new Thrust Rating System and reworking all the many systems involved in managing engine thrust from takeoff to landing.
Meanwhile, Abdullah, the second core developer, is working on the new FMS, testing complex SIDs and STARs with unusual turns, constraints, curved legs and DME arcs. We now have a standalone app where both FMS units and their navigation maps run independently outside X-Plane. Here are three particularly challenging routes I’ve been testing!
Our new VNAV is still very much a work in progress, so please disregard the VSD indications in these screenshots for now.
And what have I been working on?
I’ve spent the past few months reworking the cockpit and cabin textures, creating independent copilot PFD and MFD displays, and animating several hundred cockpit buttons. The cockpit is where we spend almost all our time when flying, and I really wanted to make it look and feel even better!
After 14 years of developing Embraers, it’s incredibly exciting to see us building something this ambitious. It really feels like we’re only just starting, and I can’t wait for you to fly them!
Marko Mamula | X-Crafts Founder