F/A18E Superbug

The Most Advanced Combat Aircraft Ever Designed For Microsoft Flight Simulator

The VRS F/A-18E Super Hornet, or "Superbug", is the first  true 3-axis fly-by-wire combat aircraft designed for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The flight model is not "fly-by-wire-like", it's a dynamic, fully control-law-dependent proportional control system driving a single (ordinance independent) neutrally-statically-stable base flight model. The FBW system extends to 100% custom autopilot functions.

Crafted by a small, dedicated team of developers who also happen to be engineers in real life, the VRS F/A-18E seeks to provide what we believe is by far the most comprehensive overall simulation of ANY combat aircraft ever created for the Flight Simulator franchise. VRS has created a truly remarkable and faithful reproduction of the U.S. Navy's newest strike fighter.

Systems ranging from tactical (functioning weapons and sensors) to dedicated, custom fuel, hydraulic and ECS simulation designed [strictly] based on the U.S. Navy's NATOPS flight manuals for this aircraft. Everything from the working and accurate radar, to the early warning and navigation systems are meticulously recreated in extreme detail and fidelity.

Extensively researched visuals include a fully functional (and we mean fully functional and flyable) Virtual Cockpit including 90% 3D switches, knobs, buttons, all with, hold on to your hat, a reason for being there! True HUD collimation provides accurate velocity vector/flight path and targeting indication under all flight conditions. Designed withTrackIR users in mind, you'll find no equal in terms of HUD performance and accuracy. An incredible set of high resolution 2D panels (not because you need them, but because we believe in going the extra mile), and a dozen sub-panels round out the "office" of the F/A-18E. Our "intelligent" highly optimized 3D external model responds to preferences, drawing only the weapons you select for load-out with the Aircraft Configuration Manager. Thousands of weapons combinations are possible, yet only one 3D model is required.

In addition, all weight, drag and asymmetry is accounted for no matter what you load on the aircraft. When a weapon is released, it is of course fully animated, but most importantly the weight, drag, and lateral moments are accounted for accurately. Drop or fire a weapon and watch the flight dynamics change. This is MUCH more than a pretty plane; the VRS F/A-18 is serious aircraft simulation in every respect.

Extensive feature list includes:

• Study-level simulation designed based on U.S. Navy NATOPS flight manuals.
• Unmatched accuracy and depth of simulation.
• The only true fly-by-wire control augmentation system (CAS) available for MSFS.
• A single, dynamic (changes in real-time based on current loadout) base flight model.
• Highly efficient and detailed external modeling recreating every nuance of the F/A-18E.
• Every weapon and store individually modeled with weight, asymmetry and drag characteristics which are shed after release.
• Dozens of custom keystroke commands which may all be mapped to gaming devices for "real as it gets" HOTAS setups.
• State of the art virtual cockpit (VC) :
  • High resolution textures with incredibly sharp panel text.
  • Unshaded (emissive) avionics and HUD.
  • HUD collimation for TrackIR.
  • Dynamic shadowing effects.
  • Transilluminated panel text with separate main and console circuitry.
  • Flood lighting.
  • NVG lighting.
  • Adjustable levels of detail (via ACM).
• 2D panels available in native resolutions up to 1920x1200. An easy-to-use “Panel Navigator” may be used to quickly bring up any of a dozen sub-panels.
• Multiple Panel configurations (via ACM)
  • 2D+VC.
  • VC-only.
  • 2D-only.  
• AN/APG-73 A/A Radar simulation.
  • True B-sweep design with adjustable scan volumes and doppler simulation.
  • Multi-sensor integration (cheat) mode.
  • Velocity Search (VS).
  • Range While Search (RWS).
  • Track While Scan (TWS).
  • Boresight (ACM).
  • Vertical Aquisition (VACQ).
  • Wide Aquisition (WACQ).
  • Auto Aquisition (AACQ).
  • RAID.
• Thousands of combinations of firing and droppable ordinance using a single procedurally animated “smart” model system. Any store on any allowable station. Stores include:
  • AIM-9X “Sidewinder”.
  • AIM-9M “Sidewinder”.
  • AIM-7 “Sparrow”.
  • AIM-120 AMRAAM.
  • AGM-65E “Laser Maverick”.
  • AGM-84D “Harpoon”.
  • AGM-84H SLAM-ER.
  • AGM-154A JTOW.
  • AGM-88C HARM.
  • GBU-10 “Paveway II”.
  • GBU-12 (singles or pairs).
  • GBU-31 JDAM.
  • FPU-11 480 USG external tanks.
  • ASQ-228 ATFLIR.
  • AA42R-1 “Buddy Tank”.
  • SUU-78A center pylon.
  • LAU-1126A cheek pylons.
  • SUU-79A main pylon.
  • SUU-80A outboard pylon.
  • LAU-127A tip launcher.
• Built-in carrier operations (catapult and arresting mechanisms only. No carrier included).
• Built-in aerial refueling using any AI aircraft. Receive (IFR) or deliver (buddy tank) fuel.
• Fully animated canopy and full NACES 0/0 ejection sequences.
• Procedural animation system including:
  • Missile launches (4 types).
  • AGM launches and glide (4 types).
  • Bomb release (5 types).
  • Jettison (emergency or selective).
  • Boarding ladder.
  • Port and starboard avionics bays.
  • ECS auxiliary duct doors.
  • Radar bay.
  • Full pilot articulation with autonomous movement and gesturing.
  • FCS-driven flight control surfaces.
  • Speedbrake function involving multiple surfaces.
  • Rudder toe-in and flare.
  • Asymmetrical trailing and leading edge flaps.
  • Wing fold.
  • Tailhook.
  • Launch bar.
  • Holdback bar.
  • Catapult shoe.
  • LEX and tip vapor effects.
  • ALE-50 (towed decoy) extention/retraction and jettison.
  • ALE-47 (chaff and flare) dispensing.
  • A/A42R-1 refueling tank hose extention and retraction.
• Over 70 22K 16-bit discrete cockpit sound samples.
• Engine Sounds licensed from Turbine Sound Studios.
• 3D landing lights licensed from A2A.
• 400 pages of documentation including a 100 page tutorial.
  • Getting Started guide.
  • Tutorial flight.
  • Aircraft Manager guide.
  • Aircraft guide.
  • Cockpit system guide.
  • Navigation & communications.
  • Paint kit.
  • Keyboard reference.
  • Checklists.
  • Glossary.
• Simulated combat capability:
  • "Hostility zone” modeling for Anti-Air-Warfare (SAM/AAA). Kill them or they kill you.
  • Accurate AN/APG-73 A/A radar simulation with multi-mode capability.
  • AI and multiplayer aircraft can be tracked and fired upon and will disappear from radar if hit.
  • 3 CCIP bombing modes.
  • 3 HARM release modes.
  • Laser Maverick simulation.
  • Discrete air-to-air missile modeling.
  • FLIR LST and LTD simulation (no IR imagery).
• 40 official liveries including all active F/A-18E USN squadrons, CF, Swiss, and RAAF models.
• Comprehensive failure and battle damage system.
• Multiple aspect ratio support (via ACM).
  • 4:3 (standard).
  • 16:10 (computer widescreen).
  • 16:9 (HD video).
• Sharp vector graphics and advanced lighting techniques (no more dark VC lights).
• Highly accurate, custom designed vector-based avionic displays.
• Custom auto throttle:
  • Cruise ATC maintains airspeed at the time of engagement.
  • Approach ATC continually adjusts speed to maintain approach AOA.
• Custom 12-mode autopilot which mimics the actual F/A-18E AFCS:
  • Barometric Altitude Hold (BALT).
  • Radar Altitude Hold (RALT).
  • Flight Path Angle Hold (FPAH)
  • Heading Hold (HHLD).
  • Heading Select (HSEL).
  • Ground Track Hold (GTRK).
  • Ground Track Select (GSEL).
  • Roll Hold (ROLL).
  • Coupled Waypoint (CPL WPT).
  • Coupled TACAN (CPL TCN).
  • Coupled Sequence (CPL SEQ).
• Fully collimated (TrackIR savvy) vector HUD.
• Professionally designed Aircraft Configuration Manager (ACM):
  • Livery import/export and browsing functions.
  • Custom weapons loading. Anything you want in any combination.
  • Fuel Loading.
  • Failures.
  • External model and VC preferences.
  • Operational preferences.
  • Reference Section.
  • Automatic Updates.
• Comprehensive, custom primary systems modeling:
  • Hydraulics.
  • Environmental Control (ECS).
  • Fuel.
  • Electrical.
• Custom navigation system:
  • Ground-based and air-to-air TACAN navigation.
  • Custom in-flight waypoint insertion/deletion.
  • GPS transfer function.
  • Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) with ellipsoid selection (read-only).
• World-class tech support via official support forums.

System Requirements

ATTENTION: This is the first and only full fly-by-wire aircraft available for MSFS. As such it requires approximately 10 minutes of setup configuring your controllers for the FBW system. BE PREPARED TO READ THE "01-GETTING STARTED" DOCUMENT.