Install aircraft, scenery, gauges and other add-ons in FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, with the right folders and fixes when they do not appear.
To install aircraft and other add-ons in Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) or FSX: Steam Edition, extract the package, identify its type, and place each component in the matching active FSX folder. Aircraft belong in SimObjects, scenery needs Scenery Library activation, and complex commercial add-ons should use their supplied installer.
Where is the FSX add-ons folder?
FSX has no single add-ons folder: aircraft, scenery, gauges, effects and missions each have their own destination beneath the simulator’s installation root.
A typical boxed FSX installation is under C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X. The usual Steam location is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX, although another Steam library may place it on a different drive.
Do not rely on the default path. Find the folder containing fsx.exe, SimObjects, Gauges, Effects and Scenery. The Documents\Flight Simulator X Files folder contains saved flights and flight plans, not installed aircraft.
It’s the Steam version — does the installation method change?
FSX: Steam Edition uses the same basic aircraft, gauge, effect and scenery folders, but installers must be pointed at the Steam installation rather than an unused boxed-FSX path.
In Steam, open FSX’s Properties, select Installed Files and use Browse to reveal the active folder. This is safer than guessing the drive. Older installers sometimes report success after creating a second Microsoft Flight Simulator X directory that the Steam version never reads.
Simple aircraft and scenery usually install in the same way in both editions. Executable modules, commercial products and packages that alter configuration files need explicit Steam Edition support; our Steam-specific guide explains how each add-on type is installed and activated.
How do I install an aircraft manually in FSX?
A manual aircraft installation is correct when the folder containing aircraft.cfg sits directly beneath SimObjects\Airplanes, with any supplied gauges, effects or other supporting files in their documented locations.
- Close FSX. The simulator scans its aircraft and configuration files during startup, so it will not reliably detect changes made while running.
- Extract the entire download. Unzip it into a temporary folder first. Do not copy the ZIP, RAR or other archive into FSX.
- Read the package instructions. Check that it names FSX or FSX: Steam Edition and look for required base aircraft, shared gauges, service updates or installation order.
- Find the actual aircraft folder. It should contain
aircraft.cfg, usually an.airfile, and folders such asmodel,panel,soundandtexture. - Copy that complete folder. Place aeroplanes in
FSX\SimObjects\Airplanes. Helicopters normally go inFSX\SimObjects\Rotorcraft. - Install the supporting components. If the extracted package has top-level folders named
Effects,GaugesorSimObjects, merge their contents with the matching folders beneath the FSX root. Do not move the package’s enclosing download folder into FSX. - Start FSX and inspect the aircraft selector. Clear manufacturer, publisher and aircraft-type filters if the new aircraft is not immediately visible.
The finished path should resemble FSX\SimObjects\Airplanes\AircraftName\aircraft.cfg. The mistake we see most often is an extra level such as AircraftName\AircraftName\aircraft.cfg; FSX does not search deeply enough to find it there.
Repaints, unusual package layouts and aircraft with missing dependencies need extra care. Our closer walkthrough covers complete aircraft, liveries, installers and folder-structure errors.
Where do scenery, gauges, effects and other FSX add-ons go?
Each add-on component must be placed according to its function; copying every supplied file into the aircraft folder will leave scenery, effects or instruments missing.
| Add-on type | Usual destination | Required action |
|---|---|---|
| Complete aircraft | SimObjects\Airplanes | Copy the folder containing aircraft.cfg |
| Helicopter | SimObjects\Rotorcraft | Preserve its complete folder structure |
| Repaint or livery | The matching base aircraft’s folder | Copy the texture folder and add the documented [fltsim.x] entry |
| Scenery | A permanent folder, commonly beneath Addon Scenery | Add and enable it in the Scenery Library |
| Gauge | Gauges or the aircraft’s panel folder | Follow the package instructions; do not automatically unpack gauge CAB files |
| Effect | Effects | Place accompanying effect textures where the package specifies |
| Mission | Missions plus any supplied support folders | Preserve the category and package structure |
| AI traffic | Several SimObjects and scenery locations | Use the supplied structure or installer |
| DLL or executable module | Varies by product | Use its installer because configuration entries may also be required |
Scenery is not normally active merely because its files were copied. When a package contains Scenery and Texture subfolders, follow the steps for placing it correctly and adding it to the FSX Scenery Library.
Gauge packages are easy to damage. A packaged .cab gauge may need to remain intact, while older binary gauges can depend on additional modules or runtime files. Put a gauge in the global Gauges folder only when the readme says to do so; some belong beside the aircraft’s panel.cfg.
Should I use the automatic installer or install manually?
Choose manual installation for a self-contained freeware aircraft or simple scenery package; use the supplied installer when an add-on includes modules, shared libraries, licensing components or files spread across several locations.
When an installer requests the FSX directory, select the folder containing fsx.exe. If it offers separate simulator editions, choose FSX or FSX: Steam Edition exactly as documented. A path selector does not make an add-on compatible with Steam if its executable modules were built only for another simulator.
If Windows blocks writing beneath Program Files, approve the copy operation or run a trusted installer with administrator rights. Do not disable security software or give elevated access to an unidentified executable. Running FSX permanently as administrator is not a general solution to a badly designed installer.
Can I install an A380 or a FeelThere aircraft the same way?
An A380 or FeelThere aircraft follows the same rules only when that exact package was made for FSX and you have identified whether it is a complete aircraft, a repaint or an installer-based product.
- Complete FSX A380: copy the folder containing
aircraft.cfgintoSimObjects\Airplanes, then install any included gauges and effects. - A380 repaint: install the exact base A380 model named by the author first. A texture folder alone is not a flyable aircraft, and a livery built for one A380 model will not normally fit another.
- FeelThere product with an installer: use that installer and its product manual. Commercial aircraft can include gauges, modules, shared data and configuration entries that cannot be installed by dragging one aircraft folder into
SimObjects. - Package made for another simulator: an A380 labelled for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024, X-Plane or a Prepar3D-only version cannot be installed in FSX by changing its destination folder.
Complex Steam products may store files outside the visible aircraft folder. Before moving or removing them manually, check our explanation of where FSX: Steam Edition payware can place aircraft, scenery, gauges and configuration files.
What should I do when FSX asks “Are you sure?”
Treat any Windows, installer or FSX trust prompt as a security decision rather than a routine button to dismiss.
The exact wording varies. FSX may ask whether to run a gauge or module on first use, Windows may challenge an executable, and File Explorer may ask whether to replace an existing file. Continue only when the file came from the add-on you intended to install and its name or publisher matches the package documentation.
If the file is unfamiliar, choose No or Cancel and inspect the extracted package first. If the question concerns replacing an existing FSX file, make a backup and proceed only when the readme explicitly requires that replacement. Shared gauges and simulator files may also be used by other add-ons.
インストール出来ない: why can’t I install the add-on?
If an FSX add-on will not install or does not appear, the usual causes are the wrong simulator folder, an extra directory level, an incompatible package, missing dependencies or an activation step that was skipped.
FSXにインストール出来ない場合は、実際に起動しているFSXのフォルダー、フォルダー階層、FSX対応の有無、必要なベース機体を確認してください。
- The installer will not start: extract the archive fully, confirm that the product supports your edition of FSX and inspect any Windows security message. Do not bypass a warning for an unknown file.
- The installer says it succeeded but nothing changed: check the destination recorded by the installer. It may have written to a boxed-FSX path or created a second FSX directory instead of using the active Steam folder.
- The aircraft is absent: confirm the direct path to
aircraft.cfg, remove unintended nesting and clear filters in the aircraft selector. Also check that the package is not an AI-only model. - Only a new texture folder was supplied: it is a repaint, not a complete aircraft. Install the required base model and add the provided
[fltsim.x]entry with a unique sequence number. - The aircraft appears but gauges are blank: reinstall the supplied gauge components, check panel aliases and required base aircraft, and restore any gauge CAB file that was incorrectly unpacked.
- Scenery is missing: add it to the Scenery Library and ensure the selected entry points to the folder that contains its
Scenerysubfolder. - Sounds, effects or textures are missing: return to the extracted package and look for top-level support folders that were not copied. Preserve exact file names and paths.
- FSX crashes after installation: remove the latest add-on or use its uninstaller, then restore backed-up configuration and simulator files. Modules compiled for another simulator cannot be fixed by copying them into FSX.
Necesito un vídeo: what should the finished aircraft folder look like?
The decisive visual check is that aircraft.cfg sits one folder below SimObjects\Airplanes, not inside the download archive or an extra nested directory.
En breve: descomprime el archivo, busca la carpeta que contiene aircraft.cfg, cópiala a FSX\SimObjects\Airplanes y reinicia FSX.
- Before installation: the downloaded archive is extracted to a temporary location.
- Inside the extracted package: you open folders until you can see
aircraft.cfg. - After installation: the result resembles
FSX\SimObjects\Airplanes\A380Name\aircraft.cfg.
That three-stage folder check is sufficient for a self-contained aircraft. If the package also supplies Effects, Gauges or other top-level folders, those components still need their matching destinations.
How do I remove an FSX add-on safely?
Remove only files known to belong to the add-on, because gauges, effects, libraries and modules may be shared by several aircraft.
For a self-contained aircraft, delete its folder from SimObjects\Airplanes. Remove or disable scenery in the Scenery Library before deleting its files. Use the product uninstaller for commercial or module-based add-ons, and restore backups rather than trying to reverse undocumented file replacements.
Steam’s file verification can repair missing or altered stock simulator files, but it is not an add-on uninstaller and may leave unrelated third-party files in place.