Black Square Starship changelog - v1.1 released (updated 25/06/25)

[Mark]

v1.1 - Hotfix for Flight Plan Deletion CTD & Other Early Bugs

New Features:

• Completely new autopilot controller and improved flight planner created to eliminate a crash-to-desktop (CTD) for some users. Rather than continue to fight with long-standing bugs and poorly implemented functions in MSFS 2020, and an increasing number of autopilot and flight planning bugs in MSFS 2024, this custom autopilot controller is more robust, and will allow for more features in the future. The modified flight planner is also more robust, with better waypoint sequencing, and therefore more consistent editing behavior. This is another step closer to implementing true position uncertainty for use with Starship’s original navigation system.
• Complete overhaul of Direct-To behavior. Direct-To Index selection will no longer delete the intermediate waypoints, but will now just insert a PPOS waypoint, and make the selected waypoint active. Direct-To Waypoint selection will now add the selected waypoint after the end of the flight plan if the final waypoint has been passed, and before the first waypoint if the aircraft is not on the flight plan yet. Direct-To Waypoint selection will also act like Direct-To Index selection if a flight plan waypoint is entered on the CDU, or selected with the cursor on the MFD.
• ND and PFD reversionary waypoint FMS identifiers will now display only the runway identifier without the associated airport identifier. Using the full identifier exceeds the maximum character length of the native GPS WP NEXT ID variable, and truncated identifiers were misleading. The full waypoint identifier can still be seen on all relevant MFD and CDU screens. Also, this is now done with an internal data bus to bypass the non-settable native variable in MSFS 2024.
• Rebooting the avionics system from the “FMSSFP” debugging screen will now clear the flight plan and clear all checklists on the MFD. This can be useful for flights with multiple legs after a complete shutdown. Also fixed too fast self test after reboot.
• Added internal calculation for when the aircraft has passed the final waypoint, which now correctly triggers the appropriate messages on the CDU and MFD.
• Adjustable headphone noise cancellation now works with “Legacy” cockpit interaction mode. Moving the cursor to either side of the headphone clickspot will reveal arrow cursors and allow mouse clicks to increase or decrease noise cancellation.
• The autopilot pitch knob will now begin a climb or descent by adjusting the knob, but a new target altitude must be selected first.
• Mirrored the exhaust stacks on the engine visualizers to better represent Starship’s configuration.
• Added rudimentary cross-side CDU control for both navigation displays.
• Added “cancel” option to the New Flight Plan page. If an unknown waypoint identifier has been entered accidentally, the user no longer has to press the FLT PLN button to enter another identifier.
• Floppy disks can now be removed from the drive after ejecting.
• Generator bus-ties switch will now move when its respective L:Vars are set externally.
• Added shadow occluder to baggage area to reduce light bleed.
• ND and PFD reversionary waypoint distances over 1,000 NM will now round to the nearest mile and display up to 99,999 NM.
• Main Flight Plan screen and Direct-To screen scroll positions will now synchronize with the active waypoint when accessed directly through the CDU keyboard.
• Stopped GNS 430 CDI button from causing VLOC mode to momentarily activate and added “USE CDU NAV SRC” tooltip to reduce confusion.
• Ground FOD amount has been reduced to reflect the above-wing position of Starship’s induction air inlets.

Bug Fixes:

• Removed waypoint symbol text label hiding from MFD map screens. This was a potential cause of performance degradation on long flights. Ironically, I discovered when visiting the real aircraft, that it did not have the power for this feature in 1987 either; thereby making its absence more realistic. When maps are cluttered, use the options on the map menu screen to hide types of facilities.
• Fixed an issue in the native map drawing library that would result in a tiny extra leg being drawn at the end of a two waypoint flight plan. This also prevented offset waypoint legs from being properly drawn in a two waypoint flight plan.
• The ITT pointer position was incorrect when exceeding the readline. The red triangle pointer will now properly reflect the starting temperature limit of 1,000°C.
• Flight plans with some waypoints types would fail to save to the route library. This was most commonly encountered while trying to save flight plans with approaches.
• The MFD Plan Map will now center on the waypoint being replaced if the replace waypoint option is selected from the CDU Change Type screen.
• FMS bearing pointers on the SDU and ND will now point directly to the waypoint, rather than along the desired path.
• Autopilot would remain active after loss of power to both generator buses if it had already been engaged when there was normal power distribution.
• The first waypoint in a flight plan will no longer flicker magenta on the map screens when attempting to retreat through the flight plan in manual sequencing mode.
• The yaw damper will now disconnect in various situations, such as column shaker activation, and autopilot disconnect.
• The yaw damper disconnect indicator on the PFD has been restored.
• Under some circumstances, the CDU would display a “NO DIR WPT IN APPR” error message when the currently active waypoint was not actually within an approach.
• Removed Add Offset option from Change Type screen when viewing a Direct-To “PPOS” waypoint, as this would result in a failed offset CDU error message.
• The “generic avionics circuit” would not be enabled by the integrated avionics switches when the aircraft was loaded from cold/dark, preventing some radio receivers and 3rd party avionics from working.
• Removed Direct-To “PPOS” waypoint from the Direct-To Index menu. Selecting it had no effect, but removing it reduced clutter.
• Restored missing rounding to nearest tens place on EICAS propeller RPM text.
• Frequencies on the CDU Waypoint Information screen were mistakenly truncated.
• Fixed tooltips for blower fan speed and temperature control knobs.
• DME holding “H” annunciator on ND and PFD reversionary display would fail to update under some circumstances.
• Animation names for FirewallValveCover_L and ExtinguisherCover_L were accidentally reversed in the model.
• Corrected some typos in the checklists and leftover text in the manual from the Dukes.