Traditionally, flight simulators emulate the real-world performance of an aircraft by using empirical data in predefined lookup tables to determine aerodynamic forces such as lift or drag, which vary with differing flight conditions. X-Plane differentiates itself from other simulators by implementing an aerodynamic model called blade element theory.
Although initially available for free, only five initial locations are available without the purchase of a monthly subscription.įlight model Screenshot of X-Plane 12.00: Van's RV-10 at Appleton International Airport out of the box On December 9, 2019, X-Plane Mobile Global, a major update for the mobile port, was released. In the same announcement, they also shared that the version numbering would change from a one-point system to a two-point system starting from version 12.0.8 to allow for more versions to be released faster. In October 2023, Laminar Research announced the price for X-Plane 12 would be raised from 59.99 USD to 79.99 USD on the 31st. New aircraft such as the Airbus A330, Cessna Citation X, F-14, PA-18 SuperCub, and the Cirrus SR22 were added to the default fleet of X-Plane. It also features an updated flight model, an entirely new ATC system, and new Primus avionics. It brings a new photometric lighting engine, volumetric clouds, 3-D water, windscreen rain effects, and moving jetways. X-Plane 12 was officially launched on December 17, 2022. On September 5, 2022, Laminar Research launched their latest version, X-Plane 12, as early access. Laminar Research also maintains a Scenery Gateway, which allows users to submit and refine airports for inclusion in the default global scenery. There are numerous forums where users share their creations for X-Plane, some freeware and some payware. X-Plane's architecture allows users to create their own add-ons such as aircraft, scenery, or plugins to extend functionality. X-Plane is pre-packaged with various aircraft and global scenery, which covers most of the Earth. A mobile version has been available for Android, iOS, and webOS since 2009 as well. In addition, Laminar Research also distributes FAA-certified versions for professional use. Commercial desktop versions are sold for macOS, Windows, and Linux. X-Plane is a flight simulation software initially launched by Laminar Research in 1995.