Where can I download FSX mods and freeware aircraft?

For Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) and FSX: Steam Edition, download freeware aircraft and mods from our organised FSX library, which covers complete aircraft, repaints, scenery, utilities and AI traffic. Before downloading, confirm that the file is made for FSX and check whether it includes the base model or requires a separate package.

Choosing the right FSX download section

Choose the category that matches the type of add-on you want rather than treating every FSX modification as an aircraft package.

Airliners, business aircraft and historic passenger types are grouped in our dedicated FSX civil-aircraft listings. If you would rather begin with proven suggestions than browse the full archive, use our curated shortlist of recommended freeware aircraft and scenery.

How can I tell if an FSX aircraft download is complete?

Treat the description, stated dependencies and included README as part of the download; the ZIP filename alone rarely tells you enough.

• Look for “complete aircraft”. A self-contained FSX aircraft normally has an aircraft.cfg file, an aircraft model, textures and the files needed for its flight model. Some complete packages deliberately alias a default FSX panel or sound set, so an alias is not automatically evidence of missing content.
• Distinguish repaints from aircraft. A repaint or livery usually contains one or more texture folders and configuration entries, but not the underlying model. It must be installed into the precise base aircraft named by the author. A similarly named Boeing or Airbus model is not necessarily interchangeable.
• Confirm the simulator generation. FS2004, Prepar3D and Microsoft Flight Simulator packages are not native FSX add-ons. Some older aircraft have been converted for FSX, but use them only when the description expressly states FSX compatibility.
• Read the requirements. An upload may depend on FSX Acceleration content, another freeware model, separate gauges, an effects package or a scenery library. Missing dependencies commonly produce blank instruments, absent effects or incomplete scenery rather than a clear error message.
• Inspect the archive before copying it. Check whether it contains a ready-made SimObjects structure or only the individual aircraft folder. Copying both levels blindly is how duplicate nested folders are created.
• Be cautious with old automatic installers. An executable is not inherently unsafe, but an older installer may search only for boxed FSX or retain an obsolete path. A manual archive is easier to inspect, back up and direct to the correct installation.

Are FSX and FSX: Steam Edition add-ons the same?

Most manually installed, FSX-native freeware works in both boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, but old installers and compiled gauges can cause exceptions.

Both editions use familiar simulator folders such as SimObjects\Airplanes, Effects and Gauges, but the root installation path and saved configuration location can differ. If an installer allows you to browse, select the actual FSX root folder rather than accepting a path left behind by another edition. Never let an add-on overwrite default files unless its documentation specifically requires it and you have made a backup.

What should I download first if I am new to FSX?

Start with one complete, self-contained aircraft and verify that it works before installing more aircraft, scenery or utilities.

1. Choose a complete package. Avoid repaint-only files and aircraft with several external dependencies for your first installation.
2. Extract it to a temporary folder. Do not open and drag files directly from the compressed archive, as that makes its structure harder to inspect.
3. Read the included instructions. Effects, gauges and sounds may need to be copied separately even when the main aircraft folder belongs under SimObjects\Airplanes.
4. Test one change at a time. Load a simple daytime flight and check the external model, virtual cockpit, instruments, sounds, lights and control surfaces before adding another package.

Our step-by-step FSX aircraft installation guide explains the folder structure and manual installation process in more detail.

Why does an FSX download fail after installation?

An aircraft that is absent, white, silent or incomplete is usually installed at the wrong folder level, missing a dependency or paired with the wrong base model.

• The aircraft does not appear: the folder containing aircraft.cfg should normally sit directly inside SimObjects\Airplanes. For example, SimObjects\Airplanes\AircraftName\aircraft.cfg is valid; an extra duplicated AircraftName folder usually is not.
• Only some liveries appear: enable Show all variations in the FSX aircraft selector and check that every repaint has a valid entry in aircraft.cfg.
• The aircraft is completely white: FSX cannot find the expected texture folder, the repaint configuration does not match its folder name, or the required base model is absent.
• The panel is blank or the aircraft is silent: required gauges were not installed, or a panel or sound alias points to an aircraft that is not present.
• Lights, smoke or other effects are missing: the package's effect files may not have been copied into the main Effects folder.
• Scenery does not appear: many scenery packages must be added and enabled through the FSX Scenery Library after their files have been copied. Preserve any supplied scenery and texture subfolders.
• An installer cannot find FSX: point it to the simulator's root folder, not directly to SimObjects\Airplanes, unless its documentation says otherwise. If the installer cannot be redirected, use manual installation only when the archive or documentation provides the necessary files and layout.