Darkstar from Top Gun Maverick or Equivalent

Official Microsoft Flight Simulator Wishlist
,
1

Recently learned that Darkstar from Top Gun Maverick will no longer be available for download and is not planned to be offered in FS2024.

This is quite disappointing. While this is a fictitious aircraft, this was A LOT of fun to fly, allowed transcontinental flight over relatively short times for those of us with busy schedules, and was the closest to flying to space, at the sim altitude ceiling of 275,000 ft at Mach 10. It was a TON OF FUN.

My recommendation for wishlist in FS2020 and FS2024 includes one or more of the following:

  1. Retaining Darkstar (understand this may be challenging with current DLC)

  2. Retaining Darkstar with current functionality, but offerring it as optional payware with updated DLC.

  3. MS/Asobo Developing an alternative aircraft that is not Darkstar but still offers the ability to fly Mach 10 and up to sim altitude ceiling to see “near space”.

  4. MS/Asobo opening up the capability of Mach 10 and flying to sim ceiling of 275000 ft (+in FS2024?) to third party developers.

2 Likes
2

If you previously downloaded it, you will still be able to get it. just newcomers wont be able to get it. so get it now.

3

I’ve had it for years. But eventually will need a new computer and have to reinstall the sim. Or what about MSFS2024? The Darkstar is amazing for those of us who “love” space, especially pseudo “low earth orbit”. Ok its not exactly that, but it is the closest I’ll ever get to what its like to looking down from the ISS.

I LOVE this thing, so have offered multiple options to MS/Asobo to retain capability, especially in MSFS 2024, either as Payware (I’d be willing to pay for this in MSFS 2024 if its a money thing), an alternative non Darstar aircraft that has the same capability, and/or allow third party developers the ability to offer aircraft with those capabilities.

1 Like
4

I love the Darkstar and I totally echo all the points made here. Although its fictitious I think we can be all but certain the US air force has had at various times super experimental hypersonic manned aircraft being flown and tested out of Groomlake in Nevada.
Over the years I’ve loved reading the semi mythical ‘Aurora’ test plane many people claimed to know something about and I’ve loved the fascination people have Area 51 and what may or may not go on there.

Flying the Darkstar is just such enormous fun, pretending to be a test pilot. I do like a bit of escapism in the sim. Its especially crazy in VR. It does give you a little glimpse of how terrifying being a test pilot of something like that would be in real life.

So yeah it’ll be a real shame if they can’t bring it to FS2024 somehow. I’m not bothered about the rest of the Top Gun stuff but I’ll definitely miss that plane in the new version of the sim when it comes out.

1 Like
5

it doesnt care what computer. it goes by your Microsoft Account. thats why I was able to also reinstall the Otter. Even though its gone for everyone else. Also, they also explained keeping it isnt up to Microsoft. its licensed. if Paramount says no, its no. The darkstar doesnt belong to Microsoft.

6

I don’t think there is anything stopping third party developers creating this type of aircraft - either payware (if a big enough market existed) or freeware. One plus is that being partly or totally fictitious, the developer can make the flight dynamics anything they wish - no need to spend months trying to tweak settings to get the aircraft to match a real-life prototype. For example, there have been many hypersonic aircraft proposals, some of which are being worked on today, e.g. Hermeus, Boeing, NASA’s X-43A Hyper-X and Stargazer.

1 Like
7

Just a few clarifications;

  1. If you already “own” it, then you will not loose it

  2. If you move to a new system (PC, Console, etc…) as long as you had previously downloaded it and are connecting using the same account, you will be able to download it again

  3. The license was just renewed and the new removal (download before date) is now towards the end of July

2 Likes
8

Jorg said two more months in the Dev stream, so I believe they meant the content would be around until 7/25/2024, not July 2025. They are also going to see if they can extend it for longer.

The content released on May 25, 2022, so that would make sense is it was a two year contract and they extended it for two months.

9

I am curious how it will work with MSFS24, if at all, since it’s a “new” game. I know the darkstar isn’t up everyone’s alley but I do enjoy it from the to time.

10

Yes you are correct! I misread the 7/25!

1 Like