Install add-on aircraft in FlightGear, set the correct search path, and fix missing, nested or disabled aircraft entries.
To install an add-on aircraft in FlightGear, fully extract its archive into a dedicated aircraft library, then add that library to FlightGear’s additional aircraft search path. Restart the launcher and select the aircraft. If it is missing, check for a nested folder, an absent *-set.xml file, or an incompatible or incomplete package.
FlightGear does not use one universal add-on installer. A package offered through the launcher’s aircraft catalogue may install automatically, but an aircraft supplied as a ZIP, 7z or similar archive needs the manual method below. If you still need the simulator, see our FlightGear package and base-install notes.
Where should FlightGear add-on aircraft be installed?
Keep manually installed aircraft in a separate library outside FlightGear’s main program directory. This avoids permission problems, protects add-ons from upgrades or repairs, and makes a faulty aircraft easy to remove.
| Location | Use it? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| FlightGear’s built-in installation folders | Usually no | Stock and add-on files become mixed, while updates may replace or disturb them |
A custom folder such as Documents/FlightGear Add-ons/Aircraft | Yes | Easy to manage, back up and add to the aircraft search path |
| Several custom aircraft libraries | Yes, when useful | Lets you separate stable, test and older aircraft packages |
Older instructions sometimes say to copy everything into FlightGear’s stock Aircraft directory. That can work, but a custom path is safer unless the package documentation explicitly requires a different arrangement. Never overwrite stock files merely to make an aircraft appear.
How to install an add-on aircraft in FlightGear
The essential rule is to preserve the complete package while pointing FlightGear at the folder that contains the individual aircraft directories.
Read the included instructions. Check for a README or installation document before moving files. Some aircraft include variants, shared assets or a base aircraft that must be installed with them.
Create a parent aircraft folder. For example, create
FlightGear Add-ons/Aircraft. This will hold one or more separate aircraft directories.Extract the archive completely. FlightGear cannot load an aircraft that remains inside a ZIP or 7z file. Do not copy only selected folders such as
Models,SoundsorTextures. Our practical guide to extracting simulator add-ons without breaking their folder structure covers the common archive mistakes.Find the real aircraft directory. Open the extracted folders until you reach the one containing one or more files whose names end in
-set.xml. These aircraft definition files are what FlightGear uses to identify selectable aircraft and variants.Preserve folder names and companion directories. Do not rename the aircraft folder unless its instructions permit it. Internal references may use the original name, and spelling or capitalisation errors matter on case-sensitive file systems.
Add the parent folder to FlightGear. In the launcher, open the area for add-ons, additional aircraft locations or aircraft search paths—the wording varies between builds—and add the folder immediately above the individual aircraft directories.
Restart the launcher. Search the aircraft list again and select the newly installed aircraft. A restart forces the launcher to rebuild its view of the available packages when an automatic refresh has not occurred.
What should the folder structure look like?
The aircraft folder containing *-set.xml must sit directly inside the location added to FlightGear. An unnecessary wrapper directory is one of the most frequent causes of a missing aircraft.
Correct: FlightGear Add-ons/Aircraft/AircraftName/AircraftName-set.xml
Wrong: FlightGear Add-ons/Aircraft/Downloaded Release/AircraftName/AircraftName-set.xml
If the archive already contains an outer folder named Aircraft, either add that folder as the search location or move its individual aircraft directories into your existing library. Do not point FlightGear at the download archive itself.
It doesn’t work: why is the aircraft not showing up?
An aircraft missing from FlightGear’s list is usually an extraction or folder-level problem. Check the package on disk before downloading it again.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The aircraft is absent from the list | The archive was not extracted | Extract every file to a normal folder, then restart the launcher |
| FlightGear accepts the path but finds no aircraft | The wrong folder level was added | Add the directory directly containing the individual aircraft folders |
The *-set.xml files are another level down | The archive created an extra wrapper folder | Remove the wrapper or point FlightGear at the correct inner parent folder |
| An old version appears, or the aircraft is listed twice | Duplicate copies exist in different search paths | Keep one intended copy and remove the duplicate path or package |
| The download has textures but no aircraft definition | It is probably a livery rather than a complete aircraft | Install it into the exact base aircraft specified by its instructions |
| The aircraft appears but fails while loading | A dependency is missing or the aircraft is incompatible | Restore all companion folders and check the package’s stated FlightGear requirements |
If *-set.xml is not there either
If you have checked every extracted subfolder and the answer is «там тоже нету» (“it is not there either”), the download is probably not a complete standalone FlightGear aircraft. It may be a livery, an update, a variant requiring a base package, or an incomplete archive.
Do not invent or rename an unrelated XML file to match the pattern. Recheck the package description and README, confirm the download completed successfully, and identify any required base aircraft.
Why is the aircraft still disabled in the launcher?
A greyed or disabled entry usually means the launcher has not found a usable local aircraft package. Copying the same files into FlightGear’s program directory will not fix an invalid definition, missing dependency or unfinished catalogue download.
Catalogue entry only: the launcher may be displaying an aircraft that is available to download but not yet installed. Check its installation status rather than assuming the local folder was detected.
Variant without its base aircraft: some downloads add only another model or configuration. Install the required base package alongside it.
No valid aircraft definition: confirm that the aircraft directory contains an intact
*-set.xmlfile and has not been nested too deeply.Launch control disabled: if the aircraft itself is selectable but the Fly or Start control is unavailable, finish any pending installation and ensure a usable aircraft and departure location are selected.
Launcher wording and presentation differ between FlightGear builds, so read any status message shown beside the disabled control. If the package is recognised but FlightGear itself will not start, consult our FlightGear-specific troubleshooting answers.
The aircraft loads, but the cockpit or textures are broken
If FlightGear can select and load the aircraft, basic discovery succeeded. Missing gauges, blank textures, dead switches, absent sounds or script errors usually point to missing package files, dependencies or version incompatibility.
Restore any companion directories supplied beside the main aircraft folder.
Check whether the download is a variant that requires another aircraft package.
Preserve names and capitalisation exactly;
Texturesandtexturescan be different paths on a case-sensitive system.Look for missing paths in FlightGear’s log or console. References to absent
Aircraft,Models,Sounds,Texturesor script files usually reveal what was omitted or renamed.Check the package instructions for supported FlightGear releases. An aircraft written for a substantially older release may appear in the list yet have systems or cockpit code that no longer works correctly.
Reinstalling the same files does not solve genuine incompatibility. Confirm the package is complete first; if it is, use a compatible aircraft version rather than modifying stock FlightGear files.
How do I remove a FlightGear add-on aircraft?
A manually installed FlightGear aircraft normally has no uninstaller. Close FlightGear, delete its own directory from your custom library, and restart the launcher.
Leave the aircraft search path configured if the parent folder still contains other add-ons. If several related aircraft share a support directory, do not delete that shared folder until you have confirmed that none of the remaining aircraft needs it.