Which aircraft are included in Microsoft Flight Simulator X?
Complete FSX aircraft list for Standard, Deluxe, Acceleration, Gold and Steam Edition, with stock plane totals and fixes for missing aircraft.
Microsoft Flight Simulator X Standard includes 18 flyable aircraft types. Deluxe adds the DHC-2 Beaver, Grumman Goose and Robinson R22, plus three G1000 cockpit variants. Acceleration adds the F/A-18A Hornet, P-51D Mustang and EH101 helicopter. FSX Gold and FSX: Steam Edition combine the Deluxe and Acceleration fleets.
This list covers Microsoft Flight Simulator X and FSX: Steam Edition, not Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024. It counts the stock aircraft intended for player control, rather than AI traffic, mission objects, repaints or downloaded add-ons.
FSX aircraft list by edition
The stock fleet depends on which FSX edition and expansion are installed.
| FSX edition | Included aircraft package | Package count |
|---|---|---|
| Boxed Standard | The 18 core aircraft types listed below | 18 |
| Boxed Deluxe | Standard fleet, three additional airframes and three G1000 variants | 24 |
| Acceleration expansion | Adds the F/A-18A, P-51D and EH101 to the installed boxed edition | 3 additional aircraft |
| Boxed Gold | Deluxe and Acceleration content together | 27 |
| FSX: Steam Edition | Deluxe and Acceleration aircraft in one installation | 27 |
The figures use the package-counting method under which the three G1000 cockpit configurations are separate entries. Repaints, the Maule undercarriage options and other variations can produce more rows in the aircraft-selection window without adding another aircraft type.
Our explanation of how the different FSX editions and expansions fit together covers the packaging distinctions in more detail.
Which aircraft are included in FSX Standard?
The boxed FSX Standard edition supplies 18 flyable aircraft types covering airliners, general aviation, helicopters, gliders and an ultralight.
- Airliners: Airbus A321, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 747-400 and Bombardier CRJ700
- Business and utility aircraft: Beechcraft King Air 350, Bombardier Learjet 45 and Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
- General aviation and aerobatic aircraft: Beechcraft Baron 58, Cessna 172SP Skyhawk, Extra 300S, Maule M7-260C Orion, Mooney M20M Bravo and Piper J-3 Cub
- Helicopter: Bell 206B JetRanger
- Historic aircraft: Douglas DC-3
- Gliders and ultralight: AirCreation 582SL Trike Ultralight, DG Flugzeugbau DG-808S and Schweizer SGS 2-32
The Maule appears in wheeled and ski-equipped configurations. Those are alternate versions of the same M7-260C airframe, although some Flight Simulator X aircraft lists count them separately.
What aircraft does FSX Deluxe add?
FSX Deluxe adds three distinct airframes and three glass-cockpit versions of Standard aircraft.
- de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver: a utility aircraft equipped for water-capable flying
- Grumman G-21A Goose: an amphibious twin-engine aircraft
- Robinson R22 Beta II: a light piston helicopter
- Beechcraft Baron 58 G1000: a glass-cockpit Baron configuration
- Cessna 172SP Skyhawk G1000: a glass-cockpit Cessna configuration
- Mooney Bravo G1000: a glass-cockpit Mooney configuration
This is why Deluxe is described as having 24 aircraft even though only three completely new airframes are added. The G1000 versions have substantially different instrument panels, but they remain variants of aircraft already found in Standard.
Which aircraft does FSX Acceleration add?
The Acceleration expansion adds three aircraft to whichever compatible boxed edition is already installed.
- Boeing F/A-18A Hornet: a fast military jet used with the expansion’s carrier and mission features
- North American P-51D Mustang: a historic piston aircraft featured in racing content
- AgustaWestland EH101: a large multi-engine helicopter used in expansion missions
The Hornet and Mustang are flyable FSX aircraft, not part of a complete combat simulation; the stock models do not provide a functional weapons system. Installing Acceleration over Standard adds these three aircraft but does not also supply the Deluxe-only Beaver, Goose, R22 or G1000 variants.
Which FSX edition includes every default aircraft?
FSX Gold and FSX: Steam Edition include the fullest stock fleet, with 27 package-counted aircraft and cockpit configurations.
A boxed Deluxe installation reaches the same fleet after Acceleration is installed separately. Standard plus Acceleration does not, because Acceleration adds its own three aircraft without converting Standard into Deluxe.
The most common edition mix-up we see concerns the Steam release: it already contains the expansion fleet. Our separate explanation confirms which Acceleration aircraft and features are included with FSX: Steam Edition.
Why do FSX aircraft lists show different totals?
Different FSX aircraft lists may count airframes, cockpit configurations, undercarriage options and paint variations in different ways.
Each [fltsim.x] section in an aircraft’s aircraft.cfg normally defines a selectable variation. Several sections can use the same model and flight dynamics while presenting different liveries in the menu. Enabling Show all variations therefore increases the visible menu entries without adding new aircraft types.
- Standard has 18 core aircraft types.
- Deluxe reaches 24 by counting its three new airframes and three G1000 variants.
- Gold and Steam reach 27 after the three Acceleration aircraft are added.
- The Maule’s wheels and skis, stock liveries and downloaded repaints may be counted as additional variations.
- AI traffic, boats, ground vehicles and mission-specific objects are not part of the flyable default aircraft list.
Why are some default FSX aircraft missing?
When a default FSX aircraft is missing, an edition mismatch or aircraft-selection filter is more likely than deletion.
- Identify the missing group. If only the Hornet, Mustang and EH101 are absent, Acceleration is probably not installed. If the Beaver, Goose, R22 and G1000 variants are also absent, the installation may be Standard rather than Deluxe.
- Clear the selection filters. In the aircraft-selection window, choose all manufacturers and aircraft categories, then enable Show all variations. A hidden repaint or configuration can otherwise look as though it has been removed.
- Check the stock folders. Fixed-wing aircraft normally reside under
SimObjects\Airplanes; helicopters useSimObjects\Rotorcraft. The installation root differs between boxed and Steam copies, but these relative folder names remain the same. - Inspect configuration changes. If the folder exists but the aircraft does not appear, a modified or malformed
aircraft.cfgmay be responsible. Each visible variation needs a valid[fltsim.x]entry and a uniquetitle=value. Restore a backup rather than guessing at stock entries. - Repair the installation. Steam users can run the client’s file-verification function. Boxed users can run the original installer and use its repair option where offered, or reinstall the affected expansion. Back up modified stock aircraft and third-party files first because a repair can replace altered files.
Where can I find an FSX freeware aircraft list?
FSX supports thousands of freeware aircraft, but these are optional downloads rather than part of Microsoft’s default fleet.
Our FSX freeware library for aircraft and other add-ons provides the broader downloadable catalogue. Before installing a package, check three details:
- Complete aircraft or repaint: a complete model includes the aircraft itself, while a texture-only repaint requires the exact base aircraft named by its author.
- Simulator compatibility: use a package explicitly intended for FSX or FSX: Steam Edition. Aircraft made only for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020/2024, X-Plane or another simulator cannot simply be placed in an FSX folder.
- Installation structure: complete aeroplanes usually belong under
SimObjects\Airplanes, while helicopters normally useSimObjects\Rotorcraft. Some packages also contain gauges, effects or sounds, so follow the included instructions rather than copying the entire archive into one folder.