How do I add afterburner effects to FS2004 aircraft?

To add afterburner effects to an FS2004 aircraft, place the package’s .fx files in the simulator’s Effects folder, then merge its supplied aircraft.cfg or panel entries and gauge files exactly. Back up each file first. The trigger may be the smoke key, lights key or throttle position, depending on how the add-on was built.

Which afterburner method should I use?

Use a smoke-system entry for the simplest manual retrofit, and use the aircraft’s supplied XML controller when the flame must follow throttle position automatically.

An .fx file does not decide for itself when to appear. For example, this complete XML-controlled F/A-18 package uses supporting logic for afterburner, flame, smoke, vapour and vortex effects; omitting the controller breaks that behaviour.

How do I install the afterburner files?

Install the afterburner using the method documented for that aircraft rather than mixing configuration lines from unrelated models.

1. Back up the configuration. Make safe copies of aircraft.cfg and panel.cfg. Do not replace an established aircraft’s entire configuration with one taken from a different model.
2. Identify the control method. Look for supplied [smokesystem] or [lights] lines, panel gauge entries, XML files or instructions naming a particular command.
3. Copy the effect assets. Put the supplied .fx files directly in the Effects folder beside the FS2004 installation. Place accompanying effect textures in Effects\texture when the package provides them; they do not belong in the aircraft’s normal Texture folder. Our guide to placing FS2004 add-on files covers the wider folder structure, while this documented custom-afterburner example shows the same Effects-folder arrangement in practice.
4. Merge the configuration entries. In [smokesystem], use the next unused smoke.n number rather than overwriting an existing smoke or contrail entry. The format is smoke.n = longitudinal, lateral, vertical, effect_name. Configuration references normally use the effect’s base name without .fx. For a light-controlled effect, retain the supplied light type and use an unused light.n index.
5. Install any controller gauge. Copy its files to the location stated by the package and merge the supplied gauge line into the correct WindowXX or VcockpitXX section of panel.cfg. Gauge numbers must be unique within that section, including for invisible controller gauges.
6. Reload and test. Select another aircraft and return to the modified one, or restart FS2004. Use the smoke command for [smokesystem], the documented light command for [lights], or advance the throttle when an automatic controller is fitted.

How do I position the flames behind the engines?

FS2004 effect coordinates are measured in feet from the model’s reference datum, not from the visible exhaust nozzle.

• The first value is longitudinal: positive moves forward and negative moves aft.
• The second is lateral: negative moves left and positive moves right.
• The third is vertical: positive moves up and negative moves down.

Adjust one axis at a time in small increments, then reload the aircraft. A twin-engine jet needs two separately numbered entries, normally sharing the same longitudinal and vertical positions but using different lateral values.

Coordinates only move the attachment point. If the flame is the wrong size, points in the wrong direction or was designed for a different nozzle arrangement, use an effect made for that aircraft rather than trying to correct it with position values.

Does the visual afterburner also increase thrust?

Visible afterburner flame and simulated reheat thrust are separate systems in FS2004.

A jet designed for reheat may contain afterburner_available = 1 under [TurbineEngineData], but that flight-model setting does not create a flame. Likewise, a smoke- or light-controlled flame does not increase thrust or fuel consumption. Do not copy static-thrust and fuel-flow values from another aircraft, as they can seriously distort the flight model.

Some add-ons deliberately use different controls for power and visuals. This F-15 configuration with a throttle detent and L-key flame control is a useful example of that separation.

Why does the FS2004 afterburner effect not appear?

A missing flame usually means the effect file, trigger entry or controller component is absent or installed in the wrong location.

• Nothing appears: confirm the .fx file is directly inside Effects, not a nested Effects\Effects folder. Check that the configuration name matches the file’s base name and that you are using the correct trigger.
• The configuration change has no effect: verify that Windows saved the edited file in the live FS2004 installation. Protected installations can deny or redirect changes.
• A black or white square appears: an effect texture is probably missing from Effects\texture.
• The flame appears at the aircraft centre: the attachment coordinates are wrong for that model or their order has been reversed.
• Only one nozzle lights: add a second uniquely numbered smoke or light entry at the other engine’s lateral position.
• The flame stays on at idle: a manual smoke or light trigger has been used. Throttle-linked operation requires the controller designed for the effect.
• Existing smoke or contrails disappear: a duplicate smoke.n index has overwritten the earlier entry.