How do I install aircraft repaints in FS2004?

To install an aircraft repaint in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 (FS2004/FS9), install the exact base aircraft first, copy the supplied texture... folder into that aircraft’s folder, back up aircraft.cfg, add the supplied [fltsim.x] block, assign the next sequential number, and restart FS2004 to select the new variation.

Does an FS2004 repaint need the base aircraft?

Yes. A repaint normally supplies only the livery textures, not the model, flight dynamics, panel or sounds required to fly the aircraft.

The base aircraft must be the exact version named in the repaint’s documentation. Passenger, freighter, winglet and non-winglet variants may look similar but use different models or texture mapping. A repaint made for FSX, Prepar3D or another edition of the aircraft is not automatically compatible with FS2004.

How can I tell whether the download is only a repaint?

A texture-only package usually contains a folder such as texture.airline, a readme and a block beginning with [fltsim.x]. A complete aircraft normally also contains an .air file, model, panel and sound folders, and its own aircraft.cfg.

If you have a complete aircraft rather than a repaint, follow our FS2004 add-on folder and installation guidance instead of merging it as a texture set.

How do I install the repaint manually?

Manual installation is the safest method because you can verify the base model, destination folder and configuration changes before overwriting anything.

1. Read the supplied instructions. Confirm that the repaint is for FS2004 and identify the exact required aircraft and model variant. Some repaints depend on a separately downloaded base package.
2. Extract the archive outside FS2004. Use a temporary folder so you can inspect its contents. Do not drag the unopened archive straight into the simulator directory.
3. Find the active aircraft folder. Open the FS2004 installation containing FS9.exe, then open its Aircraft folder and the folder belonging to the required base aircraft. If you have multiple installations or a non-standard path, use our instructions for locating the active FS2004 Aircraft directory.
4. Copy the complete texture folder. Place texture.airline, or whatever name the author supplied, beside the aircraft’s existing model, panel, sound and other texture folders. The result must not be nested as texture.airline\texture.airline.
5. Back up aircraft.cfg. Copy the base aircraft’s existing aircraft.cfg to a safe location before editing it. Do not replace the whole file with one from a texture-only package.
6. Add the repaint entry. Open aircraft.cfg in a plain-text editor and paste the supplied [fltsim.x] block after the existing [fltsim] entries. If no block is supplied, duplicate the entry for the closest matching variant in that same aircraft and change only the fields required by the repaint documentation.
7. Renumber and check the entry. Replace x with the next number in an uninterrupted sequence. If the final existing section is [fltsim.4], use [fltsim.5]. Confirm that texture=, model= and sim= refer to resources that actually exist.
8. Save and restart FS2004. Make sure the editor did not append .txt to the filename. Start FS2004, open the aircraft-selection window and look under the manufacturer, type and variation defined by the entry’s ui_ fields.

Which aircraft.cfg settings control an FS2004 repaint?

The [fltsim.x] section connects a texture folder to the correct model and controls where the livery appears in FS2004’s aircraft selector.

Why does the repaint not appear in FS2004?

A missing livery usually means FS2004 cannot match the configuration entry to its texture folder, model or AIR file.

• Wrong aircraft folder: confirm that you edited the installation associated with the copy of FS9.exe you actually run.
• Missing base aircraft: a texture folder cannot create the required aircraft by itself.
• Extra folder level: the texture files should be inside texture.name, not a second identically named folder beneath it.
• Broken numbering: check for duplicate numbers, missing entries in the sequence or two pasted sections using the same heading.
• Mismatched texture suffix: the value after texture= must correspond to the folder name after texture..
• Incorrect model or AIR reference: verify that the folder named by model= and the file named by sim= exist in that aircraft.
• Duplicate title: change title= so it is unique across the installed aircraft variations.
• Unexpected menu category: inspect the ui_manufacturer, ui_type and ui_variation values rather than searching only under the airline name.
• Wrong filename: enable filename extensions in Windows and confirm the file is still aircraft.cfg, not aircraft.cfg.txt.

Windows may block or virtualise changes when FS2004 is installed in a protected folder. Edit a backed-up copy in a writable location, copy it back with the required permission, and verify that the actual aircraft.cfg beside the aircraft was updated.

If FS2004 closes or hangs after the change, restore your backup first. Then use our add-on aircraft crash checks for FS2004 to isolate a malformed configuration, missing dependency or incompatible model.

Why is the repainted aircraft white, black or incomplete?

White, black or unpainted surfaces usually indicate missing texture files, absent shared textures or a repaint made for a different model variant.

Some downloads include only the livery-specific files and expect the remaining textures to come from the base aircraft. Follow the readme: it may tell you to copy selected common files from an existing texture folder or may include a texture.cfg fallback arrangement. Do not copy files indiscriminately over the new livery, as that can replace its painted surfaces.

FS2004 aircraft commonly use simulator-compatible BMP texture formats, sometimes with alpha channels controlling reflections or transparency. A DDS-only repaint made for a later simulator is not a drop-in FS2004 livery. Distorted logos, misplaced doors or paint appearing on the wrong surfaces point to incompatible texture mapping and require the exact model named by the author.

Should I use an automatic repaint installer?

Use an automatic installer only when it clearly identifies the correct FS2004 aircraft and destination; choose manual installation when you want to verify every change.

If the installer requests the FS2004 directory, that normally means the folder containing FS9.exe, not an arbitrary texture or aircraft folder. Check its stated destination before proceeding and back up aircraft.cfg. Older installers may target a default path that does not match a custom or second FS2004 installation.

Where can I download or télécharger FS2004 repaints?

Download a repaint only when its listing identifies FS2004 and names the required base aircraft or default model.

You can search our freeware aircraft, repaint and add-on library for FS2004-compatible files. Please check both the download description and included readme before installing, because similarly named aircraft can use different models. If you searched for telecharger, the French spelling télécharger simply means “download”; it does not indicate a different file format or installation method.