Find the best Boeing 787 add-on for MSFS 2024, comparing Horizon and Kuro, required base aircraft, console limits and common fixes.
For most PC simmers, the Horizon Simulations Boeing 787-9 is the best free 787 expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, provided its build is confirmed compatible and you own the required Microsoft 787-10. For maximum reliability, console access and the least troubleshooting, the supplied 787-10 is the better choice.
The distinction matters because the popular Horizon 787-9 and Kuro 787-8 are derivative aircraft, not completely independent simulations. They provide different Dreamliner variants while reusing much of Microsoft’s underlying 787 flight deck and systems.
Which Boeing 787 should you choose in MSFS 2024?
Choose Horizon’s 787-9 for the best freeware expansion, Kuro’s 787-8 when you specifically want the shorter variant, or Microsoft’s 787-10 when stability and native compatibility matter most.
| 787 option | Best for | Dependency | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 787-10 | Reliable long-haul flying and native avionics | An edition or account entitlement containing the aircraft | It is the supplied baseline rather than a separate add-on |
| Horizon 787-9 | The best free alternative 787 variant | Microsoft 787-10 and a compatible PC build | Older MSFS 2020 releases must not be assumed to work unchanged |
| Kuro 787-8 | Simmers who specifically want the 787-8 | Microsoft 787-10 and a compatible PC build | It inherits much of the base aircraft’s systems behaviour |
Our overall pick is therefore Horizon’s 787-9, but only for a PC installation on which the base 787-10 already works. It offers a more widely used airline variant without pretending to be an entirely separate study-level flight deck.
When comparing any paid alternative, look past exterior modelling and cabin detail. The deciding points are working LNAV and VNAV, route editing, fuel prediction, autopilot behaviour, EFB functions, performance data and continued simulator-update support. Our checklist for judging MSFS add-on quality explains why price and visual detail alone are poor measures of an airliner.
Does the Horizon 787-9 require the default 787-10?
Yes. The Horizon 787-9 depends on files and systems supplied with Microsoft’s 787-10, as does the Kuro 787-8.
The 787-10 originated as a Premium Deluxe aircraft in MSFS 2020. In MSFS 2024, check the aircraft granted by your edition and account entitlements rather than assuming the freeware package includes everything. Our comparison of MSFS 2024 aircraft and edition entitlements helps establish which base aircraft should be available.
Load the Microsoft 787-10 before installing a derivative. If it is missing from the aircraft selector or cannot complete a flight, adding the Horizon or Kuro package will not solve the underlying entitlement or installation problem.
A livery is also not a complete aircraft. For example, this United Airlines repaint made for the 787-10 changes the appearance of that model; it neither supplies the base aircraft nor automatically fits the 787-8 or 787-9.
How do you install a 787 add-on in MSFS 2024?
On PC, install a compatible 787 package in the MSFS 2024 Community folder after confirming that the default 787-10 loads correctly.
- Test the base aircraft. Start a flight in Microsoft’s 787-10 and confirm that the cockpit, displays and controls load.
- Check the simulator version. Use a release explicitly identified as compatible with MSFS 2024; an MSFS 2020 label by itself is not confirmation.
- Remove older copies. Delete or move the previous version instead of merging new files over it. Duplicate packages often cause missing aircraft and broken cockpit assets.
- Extract at the correct folder level. The add-on’s package folder should sit directly in
Community, with itsmanifest.jsoninside that folder rather than buried under another duplicate directory. - Restart and test cleanly. Load the aircraft at a default airport before adding liveries, sound packs or other modifications.
Our MSFS aircraft and mod library can be used to find related Dreamliner files, but always read the dependency and simulator-compatibility notes for the individual download.
Common 787 installation faults
- Aircraft absent from the selector: check for an extra nested folder, duplicate package or an incompatible release.
- Exterior loads but the cockpit is missing: verify access to the Microsoft 787-10 and remove conflicting legacy 787 packages.
- Displays remain blank: first confirm the aircraft is powered correctly. If the screens stay dead with electrical power established, test with every other Community add-on temporarily removed.
- Pink or chequered textures: reinstall the package and remove liveries made for a different 787 variant.
- Crash or endless loading: test the base 787-10 alone, then add only the derivative aircraft. Reintroduce other packages one at a time.
Can you install the Horizon or Kuro 787 on Xbox or PS5?
No, not from an external download. Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 versions of MSFS 2024 do not provide the user-accessible Community folder needed for ordinary PC freeware installations.
Console users must obtain aircraft through the in-simulator Marketplace, and availability can differ by platform. Unless a compatible 787-8 or 787-9 is offered there, Microsoft’s supplied 787-10 is the safest choice. PC users who own that base aircraft should choose Horizon for the 787-9 or Kuro when the 787-8 variant is the priority.