Compare the best helicopters for X-Plane 12, from the included R22 and freeware EC135 to turbine, twin-engine and heavy-lift add-ons.
The best helicopters for X-Plane 12 are the included Robinson R22 for training, the VSKYLABS Guimbal Cabri G2 for a modern piston trainer, CowanSim H125 for utility flying, X-Trident Bell 412 for twin-engine systems, X-Trident CH-47D for heavy lift, and Rotorsim EC135 for freeware. Choose by mission, controls and systems depth.
Which X-Plane 12 helicopter should you choose?
There is no single winner because a good primary trainer, an IFR-capable twin and a tandem-rotor transport serve very different purposes. This is our practical shortlist:
| Category | Helicopter | Why choose it | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Included trainer | Robinson R22 | Direct, demanding piston-helicopter handling without buying an add-on | Low rotor inertia and sensitive controls punish rough inputs |
| Included twin | Sikorsky S-76C | A no-extra-cost introduction to a larger twin-turbine helicopter with retractable gear | Less specialised system depth than the strongest payware choices |
| Modern piston trainer | VSKYLABS Guimbal Cabri G2 | A more approachable training platform with modern cockpit design | Still needs precise cyclic and pedal control |
| All-round utility helicopter | CowanSim H125 | Well suited to visual utility, mountain and general-purpose operations | Not the right purchase if deep multi-engine cockpit management is the priority |
| Agile light turbine | CowanSim 500E | Compact, responsive and entertaining for close visual flying | Its quick response can overwhelm a pilot using coarse desktop controls |
| Medium twin and systems | X-Trident Bell 412 | Combines utility flying with twin-engine procedures and automatic flight-control work | More switches, procedures and plugin dependencies than a simple trainer |
| Heavy lift | X-Trident CH-47D Chinook | Distinctive tandem-rotor handling and a specialised transport mission | A poor first helicopter and more demanding to learn properly |
| Freeware | Rotorsim EC135 | A capable twin-engine option with more assistance and systems than the stock R22 | Stability systems can conceal basic pedal and cyclic mistakes |
If we had to choose one paid helicopter for general visual flying, it would be the CowanSim H125. Choose the Bell 412 instead when cockpit procedures, twin-engine management and automatic flight controls matter more than agility. The CH-47D makes sense only when tandem-rotor and heavy-transport operations are the attraction.
What is the best X-Plane 12 helicopter for beginners?
The included Robinson R22 is the best no-cost starting point for learning raw helicopter coordination, but it is not the easiest aircraft to keep under control. Its sensitivity exposes over-controlling, poor pedal coordination and late collective corrections very quickly.
The Cabri G2 is a friendlier paid trainer. An EC135 or S-76C can feel steadier, but assistance systems make them less suitable for discovering whether the pilot is coordinating cyclic, collective and pedals correctly. Our guide to matching an aircraft to a helicopter-training goal explains when each type makes sense.
Begin in calm weather with a helicopter-specific control profile. Do not start with the CH-47D simply because its tandem rotors look more stable; its size, systems and different control response add workload before the basic hover has been mastered.
What is the best free helicopter for X-Plane 12?
The Rotorsim EC135 is our strongest all-round freeware choice for pilots wanting a twin-engine helicopter, while an R44 is better for practising conventional piston-helicopter handling. Free Bell 429 and Alouette III packages cover modern twin and vintage operations respectively.
Compatibility and installation requirements differ between releases, so use a package explicitly prepared for X-Plane 12. We maintain a fuller comparison of the strongest freeware rotorcraft, including what each model does well and where compromises appear.
What controls do these helicopters need?
A conventional joystick, throttle lever and rudder pedals can operate these helicopters; dedicated cyclic and collective hardware is helpful but not compulsory. Pedals usually make the largest improvement because a twist grip encourages unwanted cyclic movement during yaw corrections.
- Collective: Assign one analogue axis and verify that raising the physical lever increases collective pitch. Reverse the axis if it works backwards.
- Pedals: Remove duplicate yaw assignments, particularly when both pedals and a joystick twist axis are connected.
- Cyclic: Use only enough dead zone to suppress hardware noise. A large centre dead zone delays small corrections and often produces pilot-induced oscillation.
- Stability augmentation: Use a modest amount with short, spring-centred controls if necessary, but reduce it for realistic training.
- Aircraft profiles: Keep helicopter assignments separate from fixed-wing profiles so throttle, collective and yaw bindings are not silently reused.
Once the controls respond in the correct direction, follow our control-setup and hover practice sequence rather than trying to fly a circuit immediately.
Will X-Plane 11 helicopters work in X-Plane 12?
X-Plane 11 helicopters should not be assumed to work correctly in X-Plane 12 merely because they load. Changes to the flight model, lighting, avionics and plugin environment can affect rotor behaviour, stability systems, displays and sounds.
- Confirm explicit X-Plane 12 support. Use the simulator-specific build rather than copying an older package and hoping it converts automatically.
- Check plugin compatibility. Custom avionics, governors and flight controls may rely on binaries built for particular operating systems or processor architectures.
- Keep versions separate. Install the X-Plane 12 package in its own folder under
X-Plane 12/Aircraft; do not overwrite a working X-Plane 11 copy. - Test critical functions. Check rotor RPM, collective direction, anti-torque response, trim, stability augmentation, autopilot functions and cockpit displays before beginning a flight.
An older helicopter that produces no loading error can still have incorrect handling or non-functional systems. Native X-Plane 12 support is therefore a stronger buying criterion than cockpit appearance or the length of its feature list.