Install AI Carriers and the RFN gauge in FSX or Steam Edition, then spawn a carrier, tune TACAN, and fix missing menus, gauges or arresting gear.
Install AI Carriers as a separate utility, place the carrier model under FSX’s SimObjects\Boats folder, and copy the RFN files into the supplied FSX folders. Add the package’s RFN window block to the aircraft’s panel.cfg, spawn the carrier from Add-ons, then tune the frequency assigned in the RFN carrier configuration.
What do AI Carriers and the RFN gauge each do?
AI Carriers and RFN perform separate jobs, so installing one does not install or configure the other.
- AI Carriers places a boat SimObject or carrier formation near the aircraft and controls its position, course and speed.
- The RFN gauge sits in the aircraft panel. Depending on the RFN release and panel setup, it provides carrier identification, TACAN-style navigation, approach information and launch or recovery functions.
- The carrier model supplies the visible ship, flight deck and any model-specific catapult or arresting features.
For boxed FSX, we recommend Acceleration for carrier launch and recovery operations. FSX: Steam Edition includes the relevant Acceleration functionality. A basic boxed installation may display AI ships while still lacking the carrier features required for a working catapult or arresting wire.
How do I install AI Carriers and the RFN gauge?
- Find the active FSX folder and make backups. Steam installations are commonly under the Steam library’s
steamapps\common\FSXfolder; boxed FSX uses the location selected during setup. Back up the aircraft’spanel.cfg, the AI Carriers configuration and any existing RFN carrier configuration before changing them. - Install the carrier SimObject first. Put each carrier folder in
<FSX>\SimObjects\Boats, then copy supplied effects or sounds to their matching FSX folders. The boat folder should contain itssim.cfgand model folders directly rather than being buried inside an extra copy of the package directory. If you need a suitable model, use a moving Nimitz carrier group prepared for FSX. - Install the AI Carriers utility. Use the AI Carriers package and its included installation files. The classic utility requires the runtime named in its documentation and normally registers a launcher in the active FSX
exe.xml. Do not create a second start-up entry if the installer has already made one. - Add the carrier formation. Place the supplied formation configuration in the AI Carriers configuration directory. Every referenced ship title must match the
title=entry in that boat’ssim.cfgexactly; folder names are not substitutes for the simulator title. - Copy the RFN files without flattening the package. Gauge files normally belong in
<FSX>\Gauges, while supporting sounds, effects or configuration files must go to the destinations specified by that RFN release. Keep a CAB gauge packaged unless its instructions explicitly say to extract it. Our panel.cfg and gauge-file installation notes explain the general FSX gauge rules. - Add RFN to the aircraft panel. In the aircraft’s
panel.cfg, add the supplied RFN entry under[Window Titles]and paste its complete[WindowNN]block below the existing windows. ReplaceNNwith the next unused number and keep the number identical in both places. Use the RFN sample for your release rather than guessing gauge names, dimensions or identifiers. - Register the carrier with RFN. Merge the carrier’s supplied RFN entry into the existing carrier configuration. Its simulator title must match
sim.cfg, and its frequency or channel must be unique. Do not overwrite the whole RFN carrier database with a one-carrier configuration fragment. - Start FSX and approve the module if prompted. Open the RFN panel window in the aircraft and confirm that the AI Carriers entry appears under Add-ons. Steam users with no menu entry should follow our Steam Edition menu and start-up troubleshooting, especially when boxed FSX and Steam Edition share the same computer.
How do I spawn a carrier and use RFN TACAN?
Start over open water, spawn the configured formation nearby, and tune the exact RFN frequency or channel assigned to that carrier.
- Load a flight near the operating area. Use a carrier-capable aircraft and begin close enough to see or acquire the ship during the first test.
- Open the Add-ons menu. Select the AI Carriers or AI Ships entry, depending on the installed build, choose the formation and place it at a known bearing and distance from the aircraft.
- Set the ship’s movement. Select the required course and speed through the utility. For landing practice, turn the carrier so its angled deck produces a useful wind over the deck rather than simply pointing the ship towards your aircraft.
- Tune the RFN assignment. Enter the carrier’s configured frequency on the NAV receiver expected by that RFN gauge version, then open the RFN panel. A default FSX scenery carrier does not automatically transmit an RFN signal.
- Confirm acquisition before flying the approach. The gauge should identify the configured carrier and show the navigation or approach indications supplied by that release. If it locks on to another ship, check for duplicate frequencies in the RFN configuration.
- Use a compatible hook or launch system. Lower and arm the aircraft’s hook for recovery, or follow the aircraft and RFN package instructions for attaching to the catapult. AI Carriers only positions the ship; it cannot add missing tailhook, launch-bar or deck geometry to an incompatible aircraft or model.
AI-spawned formations usually need to be created again after loading a new session or saved flight. Test with one carrier at close range before adding several formations or duplicated RFN frequencies.
Why is the AI Carriers menu, ship or RFN gauge missing?
Most failures come from an incorrect folder level, a broken start-up entry or a mismatch between the carrier title and its configuration.
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| No AI Carriers entry under Add-ons | The launcher did not start. Check the active profile’s exe.xml, remove duplicate entries and confirm the required runtime is installed. Steam may use a different profile folder when boxed FSX is also present. |
| Formation is listed but no ship appears | Check for an extra nested folder under SimObjects\Boats. Then compare every formation title with the exact title= value in the boat’s sim.cfg. |
| RFN window is absent or blank | Check the [Window Titles] entry, window numbering and supplied gauge dependencies. Restore the original panel.cfg if FSX stops loading the panel. |
| RFN reports no carrier | The ship may not be registered, the simulator title may differ by one character, or the wrong receiver or frequency is selected. Spawn the carrier close by and verify the RFN configuration entry. |
| The deck is visible but traps or launches fail | Confirm Acceleration functionality, a carrier-capable aircraft and a model with the necessary deck, catapult and arresting definitions. A visual ship model alone is insufficient. |
Can AI Carriers and RFN work with any FSX carrier?
No. The ship must first be a valid boat SimObject for AI Carriers, then have suitable deck and carrier-operation features, and finally be identified correctly in the RFN configuration.
A static carrier built into airport scenery cannot normally be spawned or steered by AI Carriers. Likewise, an AI carrier can appear and move correctly while remaining invisible to RFN because its title= value, frequency assignment or RFN entry does not match. Treat visibility, AI movement and RFN operation as three separate checks.