Which Boeing 747 is best for MSFS 2024 and MSFS 2020?
Best Boeing 747 for MSFS 2024 and MSFS 2020: compare the stock 747-8, mSparks 747-400, compatibility, dependencies and installation.
For most simmers, the best Boeing 747 in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and MSFS 2020 is the updated built-in 747-8 Intercontinental. It has the strongest combination of avionics, autoflight and compatibility. The mSparks 747-400 is a variant-specific PC community conversion, not a deeper native replacement for the stock aircraft.
That distinction matters when searching for an MSFS 747-400. Choose the mSparks conversion when the older -400 shape matters most and you accept stock-derived systems. Choose the built-in 747-8 for dependable passenger operations, functional LNAV and VNAV, and the widest support across PC and console.
Which Boeing 747 is best in MSFS 2024 and MSFS 2020?
The updated stock 747-8I is our best overall choice in both simulator generations.
In MSFS 2020, Aircraft and Avionics Update 2 substantially rebuilt the aircraft around Working Title avionics. The resulting FMS, route management, LNAV, VNAV and approach capability are considerably more useful than the original release, although failures and some secondary systems remain simplified. MSFS 2024 carries the updated built-in aircraft forward as the reliable baseline.
| 747 option | Supported simulator and platform | Installation status | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in Boeing 747-8I | MSFS 2020 on PC and Xbox; MSFS 2024 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro | Included simulator content; no Community package required | Best overall for systems, passenger flying and compatibility |
| mSparks 747-400 | Published as an MSFS 2020 PC community conversion; do not assume MSFS 2024 support unless its release notes explicitly declare it | Manual Community-folder installation and stock 747 content required | Useful for the -400 appearance, but not a native -400 simulation |
| 747-8F community conversions | Package-specific and normally PC-only when supplied as Community add-ons | Manual installation; exact base-aircraft dependency varies | Consider only when the package declares support for your exact simulator generation |
| Salty 747-8 Improvement Mod | Legacy MSFS 2020 PC package from before the official avionics overhaul | Obsolete Community override on an updated installation | Not recommended for a fresh or fully updated simulator |
If you are learning the included aircraft, use our operating guides for the 747-8 in MSFS 2024 or the 747-8 in MSFS 2020 rather than adding a conversion before the base aircraft works correctly.
Boeing 747-400 options for MSFS 2024 and MSFS 2020
The mSparks 747-400 is the established freeware option for simmers who specifically want a Boeing 747-400 in MSFS 2020 on PC.
mSparks 747-400 freeware conversion
mSparks changes the aircraft into the recognisable 747-400 form while drawing on the default 747 package and its underlying cockpit technology. That makes it a visual and functional conversion, not a separately engineered aircraft with a complete -400 flight deck, engine simulation, performance model and systems architecture.
Use the package only with the simulator generation named in its official release notes. The established MSFS 2020 build belongs in that simulator's PC Community folder. A package appearing in the MSFS 2024 aircraft selector does not prove that its model behaviours, avionics, animations or configuration files are compatible.
Is there a native 747-400 for MSFS 2024?
We do not recommend another released freeware or payware 747-400 as a verified native choice spanning MSFS 2024 and MSFS 2020.
Files described as a 747-400 may instead be liveries, exterior model merges, old simulator ports or stock-cockpit conversions. A genuine native package should identify its own -400 cockpit, engine variant, flight model, weights, fuel system and autoflight implementation. Announcements and products that merely load in the simulator do not meet that standard.
Marketplace products should be assessed individually because availability and approval differ by simulator and console. Buy only when the listing explicitly names your simulator generation and platform. A repaint is not an aircraft; for that separate requirement, see our guide to installing compatible 747 liveries in MSFS 2024.
747-400 versus the default 747-8 in MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024
The 747-400 is the better choice only when its classic generation or freighter role matters more than the stock 747-8's systems depth and platform support.
| Area | Boeing 747-400 conversion | Default Boeing 747-8I |
|---|---|---|
| Cockpit generation | Should have the older six-screen flight deck, period controls and -400 FMS behaviour; many conversions retain -8-derived systems | Modern 747-8 flight deck with officially updated avionics |
| Engines | Real -400 aircraft used several General Electric, Pratt and Whitney, or Rolls-Royce engine families; a credible add-on must model its selected type | Represents the 747-8's GEnx engine installation |
| Performance | Needs -400-specific thrust, fuel burn, climb, weight and landing data | Stock performance is designed around the larger and newer -8 |
| Freighter suitability | A proper 747-400F should have freighter geometry, loading stations, operating weights and centre-of-gravity behaviour | The included aircraft is the passenger 747-8I; cargo paint alone does not make it a 747-8F |
| Avionics and systems | Varies by project; stock-derived conversions usually behave more like a -8 than a native -400 | Best supported FMS, LNAV, VNAV and approach capability among the included and community choices discussed here |
| Platform compatibility | mSparks is a PC Community option associated with MSFS 2020; MSFS 2024 requires explicit developer support | Included across supported PC and console versions of MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 |
- Passenger flying: Choose the built-in 747-8I.
- Cargo flying: Choose a declared-compatible 747-400F or 747-8F package only if it models loading, weights and balance rather than adding cargo doors and paint.
- Classic 747 flying: Choose mSparks in MSFS 2020 on PC when the -400 appearance is the priority, or compare the limitations of other eras in our guide to 747-100 and 747-200 options for MSFS 2020.
How to download and install a 747-400
A 747-400 should be downloaded from the developer's official distribution page and installed only in the Community folder belonging to the simulator version named in its release notes.
PC MSFS 2020 installation
- Confirm the release: Obtain the package from its official distribution page and verify that the version notes name MSFS 2020. Read the dependency and removal instructions before extracting anything.
- Update the base aircraft: Make sure the official 747-8 content and simulator updates have finished installing. Remove or disable obsolete Salty-era packages and other 747 cockpit overrides.
- Test the default 747 first: Start a new flight with the stock 747-8 and a default livery. Confirm that the displays, FMS and flight controls work, then close the simulator.
- Find the active Community folder: Use the Packages location configured for MSFS 2020, especially if you selected a custom installation path. Do not use a Community folder belonging to MSFS 2024.
- Extract only the package folders: Unpack the archive to a temporary location. Copy the required top-level folder or folders into
Community. Each actual MSFS package should contain files such asmanifest.jsonandlayout.jsondirectly inside it, not behind an unnecessary wrapper folder. - Test in a new flight: Relaunch MSFS 2020, select the 747-400 and use a simple airport stand with a default weather preset. Do not begin with a saved flight or a large collection of extra liveries.
PC MSFS 2024 installation
- Require an explicit MSFS 2024 release: Download only a package whose official version notes name MSFS 2024. Do not copy an MSFS 2020 build across merely to see whether it loads.
- Check the package type: Establish whether it is native to MSFS 2024, officially compatible, or a legacy conversion. Check its required base aircraft and any stated limitations.
- Verify the stock aircraft: Launch a new flight in the default 747-8 before adding the modification. This separates base-aircraft faults from add-on faults.
- Use the MSFS 2024 Community folder: Close the simulator and copy only the extracted aircraft package folders into the active MSFS 2024
Communitydirectory. Keep the MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 package sets separate. - Start clean: Relaunch the simulator and test the add-on in a new flight with no cockpit override, duplicate aircraft package or old Salty component active.
Can Xbox and PlayStation users install a community 747-400?
No. Xbox and PlayStation users cannot install PC Community-folder aircraft in the same way.
- Xbox Series X|S: Use the included 747 or a product explicitly offered as compatible through the in-simulator Marketplace.
- PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro: Use the built-in MSFS 2024 aircraft or a Marketplace product approved for PlayStation. MSFS 2020 was never released on PlayStation.
747 compatibility and dependencies checklist
Check every item below before treating a 747 package as compatible.
- Required base content: Keep the official 747-8 package enabled and updated when a conversion uses its cockpit, systems, sounds or model assets.
- Declared simulator generation: The release notes must explicitly name MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024. Compatibility with one does not establish compatibility with the other.
- Correct installation channel: PC Community packages are installed manually. Marketplace aircraft are installed and managed through the simulator and should not be copied into
Community. - No obsolete overrides: Remove legacy Salty packages, old cockpit replacements, duplicate aircraft folders and incompatible avionics modifications unless the developer specifically requires them.
- Separate package sets: Never share one Community folder between MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024. Keep separate copies even when a developer supplies similarly named packages.
- Correct folder depth: An aircraft will often disappear from the selector when the real package is trapped inside an extra archive or wrapper directory.
- Matching liveries: A livery built for the stock 747-8, mSparks conversion or another model may not fit the others and can reference missing textures.
Why is the 747-400 missing or broken after installation?
Most failed 747 installations come from the wrong Community folder, an extra wrapper directory, a missing stock-aircraft dependency or a conflicting legacy modification.
- Aircraft absent from the selector: Check the folder depth and confirm that the package is in the active Community folder for the simulator you launched.
- Blank cockpit displays or broken FMC pages: Remove Salty-era files, cockpit overrides and duplicate 747 packages, then retest the default aircraft.
- Pink, chequered or missing textures: Restore the required base content and remove incompatible liveries. This usually indicates missing or incorrectly referenced assets.
- Long loading or simulator crashes: Test with only the aircraft and its declared dependencies installed. Add other modifications back one at a time.
- The -400 has a 747-8-style cockpit: That is a limitation of a visual conversion, not necessarily an installation fault.
- Autopilot behaviour changes in a saved flight: Start a new flight. Saved aircraft states can preserve data from an older package or simulator build.
Should you still install the Salty 747 mod?
No, not on a fully updated MSFS 2020 installation or as an assumed dependency for MSFS 2024.
The Salty improvement mod was valuable before Microsoft and Working Title overhauled the stock 747-8. Its legacy avionics and cockpit overrides can now cause blank displays, incorrect FMC pages, route-loading faults and erratic autopilot behaviour. Install it only if a specific older package explicitly requires a matching version and you understand that dependency.