FSX United Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (old livery)

This add-on offers a meticulous adaptation of United Airlines’ heritage paintwork for the default FSX AI McDonnell Douglas MD-83. Although the real airline never operated this specific variant, the depicted color palette captures the classic vibe introduced during the 1980s. The texture set, conceived by Victor Vu, includes a dedicated splash screen and is fully compatible with the MD-83 Flyable pack by Braden Peters (MD-83BP.ZIP), which must be obtained separately to enable all functionality. Users who own prevailing United textures for the MD-83 can keep their existing files if they wish to enjoy multiple liveries under the same virtual airline theme.

Focusing on an Iconic Color Scheme

The 1980s saw United Airlines introduce a distinctive design, featuring bold stripes and a recognizable logo placement. This fictional remake translates those legacy markings onto an MD-83, which was part of the extended-range branch of the MD-80 lineup. In the real world, the airline concentrated on different aircraft families during that era, so this repaint offers an imaginative interpretation of how an MD-83 would have looked if it had officially joined United’s fleet.

Technical Nuances of the MD-83

The MD-83 belongs to McDonnell Douglas’ popular mid-range jet family, known for robust JT8D engines and extended fuel capacities. It was introduced to enhance range, enabling carriers to fly longer sectors without compromising performance. Even though United Airlines did not operate this type, these textures enable simmers to experience a faithful approximation of the animated lighting, wing outlines, and fuselage contours in FSX when using the default AI model matched with Braden Peters' flyable pack.

Installation Details

• Acquire the MD-83 Flyable pack (MD-83BP.ZIP) from Braden Peters in the Fly Away Simulation mod library.
• Place the repaint files into the correct texture folder as instructed by the included readme documentation.
• Retain any existing United textures if you wish to build a broader compilation of airline liveries.
• Launch FSX and select this United repaint under the MD-83 aircraft options to begin flying with the heritage design.

Credit to the Creators

This reworked paint scheme is developed by Victor Vu and configured to function seamlessly with Braden Peters’ base package. Both creators have collaborated—through their separate projects—to capture a well-rounded visual style for simulator pilots interested in United Airlines’ older branding conventions.

Splash screen is also included with this repaint to complement the vintage look.