What You Need to Know: The Rockwell B-1B Lancer, nearing retirement by 2036 as the B-21 Raider enters service, has now made its virtual debut in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Indie developer KwikFlight’s new B-1B add-on offers a high-fidelity simulation, bringing detailed liveries and functional systems to virtual pilots.

-Unlike the 1980 game B-1 Nuclear Bomber, which centered around bomb-dropping missions, this add-on emphasizes the flying experience alone.

-Following their recent B-2 Spirit add-ons, developers continue to interpret classified details with impressive realism, and early user feedback indicates KwikFlight’s B-1B may be one of the most authentic experiences for aviation enthusiasts.

Fly the B-1B Lancer Virtually with Microsoft Flight Simulator’s New Add-On

There are currently just 45 Rockwell B-1B Lancers now in service, and while the Cold War-era strategic bomber is scheduled to be retired as the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider enters service, with the U.S. Air Force starting to begin replacing the aging Lancers beginning in 2026. However, the last of the old BONEs won't be retired until at least 2036, meaning there will still be quite a few pilots trained to fly the aircraft.

In addition, even those who haven't gone through actual flight training will get a chance to take the controls of the B-1 – at least virtually. Indie game development studio KwikFlight, which creates add-on content for the popular Microsoft Flight Simulator, announced this week that its B-1B download is now available.

According to MSFS Addons, "KwikFlight has paid close attention to detail with the Bone, equipping it with high-resolution real and fictional liveries and a design that prioritizes realism. The aircraft comes with an interesting selection of functional systems, which aim to give simmers the closest experience to piloting this supersonic bomber."

A Past B-1 Video Game Failed to deliver

It should also be noted that the very first video game to depict the Rockwell B-1 was released even before the aircraft officially entered service. B-1 Nuclear Bomber, which was developed by board game maker Avalon Hill and Microcomputer Games, was released in 1980 originally for the Apple II before later appearing on the Atari 8-bit, PET, Vic-20, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, TRS-80 and even the T-99.

The single-player game wasn't a particularly graphic-heavy experience, and instead just saw players attempt to "fly" to a Soviet city and drop a nuclear bomb. Even in an era of text-heavy simulations, the fun wore off fast, as this writer can attest to as having played it back in the day.

By contrast, the new B-1B add-on is all about the flying experience, and there is no option to drop a bomb on a Russia city or any other urban center. Nuclear war isn't part of Microsoft Flight Simulator, instead, this franchise has always been about the joy of flying.

The game publisher had previously released a Northrop B-2 Spirit add-on in August 2023. Interestingly, another game developer, Top Mach Studio, also released a virtual B-2 expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator this past summer. Based on comments from the MSFS community, both versions have their merits – and each has managed to use a fair amount of guesswork on details that remain classified.

The B-1B add-on from KwikFlight is the first and reported only virtual Lancer now available for the popular video game – which has been flying high for decades.

"The aircraft comes with an interesting selection of functional systems, which aim to give simmers the closest experience to piloting this supersonic bomber," added MSFS Addons. The developers also attempted to mimic the performance of the B-1, including its swept-wing design.

Whether they nailed every detail is something only a real BONE pilot can confirm, but based on the early response from the gaming community KwikFlight went above and beyond – so much so that we shouldn't be surprised if this add-on for the flight simulator has already been downloaded in Moscow and Beijing.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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