Individual flare physics in a flight simulator is not something you hear about every day. AzurPoly’s latest development update on the Dassault Rafale introduces exactly that, alongside wingtip smoke pods and a progress report on the custom fly-by-wire system that has been one of the trickier engineering challenges of this project.
This is a project we have been following this one since its announcement in April 2025, through the Paris Air Show trailer, exterior completion, cockpit reveal, and most recently the weapons system announcement last month. Each update has added something new to the picture, and this one is no different.
So what’s new in this latest update from Azurpoly? Wingtip smoke pods have been added with a fully custom 3D effect that the team says produces dense and persistent trails. It is a feature you would expect on any serious Rafale Solo Display simulation, and the screenshots accompanying the announcement show it looks the part.
The flares system is perhaps the more technically interesting addition. Rather than using a simple visual effect, AzurPoly says each flare is simulated as an individual object with its own physics and lifecycle. The team also notes that the approach makes it straightforward to create different deployment scenarios by adjusting flare count and release timing.
The fly-by-wire challenge
Beyond the visual additions, AzurPoly has shared an update on the fly-by-wire system, which the team says is one of the most demanding aspects of the project. Working within MSFS’s constraints around fly-by-wire implementation apparently confirmed early on that a fully custom WASM-based flight control system was the right approach. The team says that system is now nearing completion, with real pilot input being used to fine-tune behaviour across all flight domains, speeds, and altitudes.
There is also the challenge of ensuring consistent behaviour across PC and Xbox, with the wide variety of input devices simmers use. That is not a trivial problem for a fly-by-wire fighter, and it is good to hear the team is actively working through it.
AzurPoly also mentions that work on the avionics continues steadily, with more detail to be revealed soon. Given how much was revealed in the weapons system update last month, that is worth keeping an eye on.
The screenshots in this update two of the additional liveries among the many being prepared for the product, and they look great! The Rafale remains one of the most anticipated military projects in MSFS right now, and updates like this one are a good reminder of why. Sadly, no release date has been announced yet.
