The Christen Eagle II, which later became the Aviat Eagle II in the mid-1990s, is an aerobatic sporting biplane that has been produced in the United States since February 1977.  It was designed in 1976 by the P-51 Mustang pilot and aerobatic competitor Frank Christensen.  You’ll find that the Eagle is hard to beat in terms of flying excitement and adventure, and yet the ease of control allows even average pilots to feel like masters of aerobatics.

What started as a technology test-bed for propeller aircraft and multiple cockpit codebase, turned in the end into a full fledged aerobatics aircraft simulator. Our primary goal with the Eagle was to create a groundbreaking prop-engine flight model to be used for our WW2 aircraft.

We’re extremely excited to announce the introduction of the Christen Eagle II into DCS World.

Development of this unusual and beautiful aircraft was recently approved by Eagle Dynamics SA and The Fighter Collection, as we were granted development license for this module, which is already in mature development phase.  Today we present you the aircraft, while expecting it to be submitted to internal ED testing very soon, hopefully enabling you to enjoy it early next year.

As the development continues, today we are thrilled to be able to tell you a little bit more about this unique aircraft.

Since our module has a fully developed dual cockpit, you shouldn’t be surprised that there is room for two pilots.  One of the particularities of the plane is that there’s only one instrument panel in the front cockpit, where everything is in focus and all instruments are well grouped so they are visible from the rear with a trainee in the front seat.  Both pilots have primary controls, including throttle quadrants and brakes but only the rear-seater has secondary controls, like engine & electric switches, the propeller RPM control and the mixture lever.

You will also quickly notice that cockpit is fairly roomy and you can move around with ease. A long, distortion-free canopy is side-hinged on the right, firmly framed and damped by a slim hydraulic strut. It locks very securely both open and closed, and you can taxi with the canopy wide open at low powers, enabling you to maintain good all around view.

Dare to fly like a true eagle, whether you are learning to fly, or you are an experienced pilot.  Inside this this powerful aerobatic beauty you can enjoy solo aerobatics, formation flying, sightseeing, speed racing down the track or teaching other people to fly.  The smoke system allows you to visualize your stunts and other viewers.  To extend the Eagle’s prowess in DCS, we implemented internal and external light systems which will keep you safe day and night, and a simple autopilot which will allow you to grab your favorite drink while your aircraft safely levels and awaits for your return.

• Highly detailed and functional dual cockpit with fully animated gauges
• Highly detailed external model with fully animated control surfaces and other systems
• State-of the art internal and external textures
• Set of external liveries
• The advanced flight model based on a technical documentation and a real flying Christen Eagle II experiences
• Complete aircraft system and subsystem modeling, which includes Lycoming AEIO-360 engine, electrical, fuel and flight control systems
• Fully functional KY-197 Radio
• Authentic sounds sets (canopy, cockpit items, engine)
• A number of instant missions and tutorials, including video tutorials to get you started
• Cooperative multiplayer – fly with a friend in the same aircraft, either as an instructor, student or passenger
• Complete aircraft flight manual, and more only awaiting to be revealed!

With this module, we wish to introduce a new, thrilling and captivating experience of beauty of flight that allows you to feel like a bird or an acrobatic aviator worthy of airshows and air races.

Whether you are a newcomer to the flight simulation world, an advanced or experienced pilot, this bird will be “a must have” in your hangar.  We hope the aircraft will be available early next year.

In the meantime we will keep you informed about the progress with more screenshots, videos and development/testing updates.