Aircraft used: default 781, LVFR 320, AT7
Live weather: on
DETAIL
I can’t speak about v1 of this airport (it was only ever available for PC) but v2 has for me established MK-Studios as one of the top 10 devs for MSFS. The detail on offer here is superb and it’s for the moment got to be their flagship product.
The terminal areas are very well done and two piers feature internal modelling — which has unfortunately been toned down a little from the PC original — however I do mean ‘toned down’ rather than ‘stripped’. It all still looks very good, especially from a pilot’s vantage point, but there are no passengers. The custom Aer Lingus jetways look amazing, I have to say. What could be more Irish than adding as much green paint to the terminal as you can?! What’s great to see is some very decent landside modelling, including roads (with accurate markings), car-parks, the bus station, hotels, a petrol station, a McDonald’s restaurant, plus more. The church — a prominent and unusual feature of EIDW’s central area — has been modelled, complete with detailed clock tower.
Moving airside, the clutter is plentiful — much of it custom — but the ground textures don’t quite live up to the standard of the terminals. They’re far from bad; just not what I expected. Maybe it’s the way the real place is? Thankfully the apron, taxiway and runway markings are all very good. The new runway looks pristine but that’s to be expected, given its age. The glass panels round by the commuter ramp have been done, although they look a bit strange from a distance. The red/white blast screen adjacent to the Aer Lingus long-haul pier is included too.
MK have given the perimeter some attention, including a few warehouses on the southern perimeter road, plus some bits and pieces to the east of the terminals, near the motorway.
PERFORMANCE
Not bad; probably the good side of average for an airport of this size and complexity. I’ve managed many successful flights with various aircraft, using both the drone and exterior cams, but you need to be a bit careful. The drone seems to trouble it more than exterior viewing but both will eventually cause black screens (which sometimes return). CTDs are somewhat rarer but do occur. I’ve encountered very little stuttering; it runs smoothly.
I prefer to use EIDW with live weather off, to try and conserve valuable memory.
VERDICT
I had to have EIDW for my UK/Ireland ATR ops but it’s an airport I can recommend to those with nothing more than a casual interest in the place. The detail is very good and stability is about what I expected (perhaps a little better). There are many quite unique routes one can fly out of EIDW since it’s one of Europe’s westernmost hubs (along with LIS and KEF).
I got it at a discount on release but it’s not bad value at £15-£16. For an immersion boost, I recommend adding Orbx’s Dublin City pack, since the airport is quite close to the city centre. Runway 34 is only really used when there’s a strong northerly crosswind blowing across the two parallels but it does allow for scenic approaches over the city and port.
IMAGES
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Not sure what the significance of this little fella is?
