Install Nimitz and Eisenhower carriers in FSX or Steam Edition, configure AI Carriers, spawn the fleet, and fix missing menus, ships and effects.
To install Nimitz and Eisenhower carriers in FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, extract the package, copy its boat SimObjects, effects and sounds into the matching simulator folders, install AI Carriers, and add the supplied formation configuration. Restart FSX, then use the Add-ons menu to spawn a carrier group during a flight.
What do I need for the Nimitz and Eisenhower carrier package?
The installation has two parts: the carrier models loaded by FSX as boat SimObjects, and a placement utility that creates the moving formation during a flight.
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Carrier package | Provides the Nimitz and Eisenhower models, textures, effects, sounds and formation definitions. |
| AI Carriers | Adds the in-flight command used to place carrier groups near your aircraft. |
| FSX Acceleration features | Provide native catapult and arrestor-cable functions. They are included with FSX: Steam Edition; boxed FSX requires Acceleration for these operations. |
Start with the matched Nimitz and Eisenhower carrier package and its included instructions. Keep the models and formation configuration from the same archive, because configuration entries identify specific boat SimObjects by name.
These carriers are boats, not scenery or airports. Do not add them through the FSX Scenery Library, and do not expect them to appear in the airport selection screen.
Install the Nimitz and Eisenhower carriers step by step
- Close FSX and AI Carriers. Both applications should be stopped before files or formation definitions are changed.
- Find the active FSX root folder. This is the directory containing
fsx.exe. A boxed installation is commonly underC:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X; Steam Edition is normally insideSteam\steamapps\common\FSX, although custom Steam libraries can place it elsewhere. - Extract the complete archive. Unpack it to a temporary folder rather than opening and copying individual files directly from the compressed archive. Read the included instructions before deciding that a model, effect or escort folder is optional.
- Copy the carrier assets into FSX. Merge the package's
SimObjects,EffectsandSoundfolders with the matching folders besidefsx.exe. Merge their contents only; never delete or replace the simulator's complete destination folders. Windows may request administrator permission if FSX is underProgram Files. - Check the resulting folder depth. Carrier model folders belong directly under
FSX\SimObjects\Boats. Each model folder should contain itssim.cfgand model or texture subfolders, rather than another copy ofSimObjects\Boats. - Install AI Carriers separately. Configure the utility for the same FSX edition you launch. The original utility is Java-based and requires a compatible Java installation; other builds may use a different runtime and installation method. Our Steam Edition AI Carriers setup and missing-menu fixes cover the utility installation without duplicating it here.
- Add the supplied formation file. Copy the package's formation
.cfgfile into the active AI Carriersconf.dfolder. If your build uses a master configuration file instead, add the supplied entries as directed by its documentation rather than overwriting existing formations. - Restart the utility and FSX. Boat definitions and formation files are loaded during start-up. If Windows security settings require elevated privileges, run FSX and the placement utility at the same privilege level.
A mistake we see constantly is copying the archive's wrapper directory into the simulator and creating a path such as FSX\SimObjects\Boats\SimObjects\Boats. FSX will not discover models buried at that depth.
How do I place the carrier in an FSX flight?
Start a flight over open water, open the Add-ons menu and select the AI Carriers or AI Ships command provided by your installed build.
- Open the formation list. Look for the supplied Nimitz or Eisenhower formation rather than an individual ship folder name.
- Select a position. Choose a bearing and distance relative to your aircraft. Use enough distance to avoid spawning the group across a coastline or harbour scenery.
- Create the formation. The carrier and any configured escort ships should appear as moving AI vessels near the selected position.
The carrier normally exists only as a dynamically generated formation for that simulator session. Installing the package does not create a permanent airport, scenery-library entry or selectable departure point.
What is different in FSX: Steam Edition?
FSX: Steam Edition uses the same SimObjects\Boats, Effects and Sound structure, and it already contains the Acceleration feature set needed for native carrier operations.
The main differences are the FSX installation path and the start-up profile used to launch AI Carriers. On a computer containing both boxed FSX and Steam Edition, the utility can be registered in one profile while the other simulator is running. Check the active FSX or FSX-SE profile under %APPDATA%\Microsoft if the models are installed but the Add-ons command appears only in one edition.
Why is the Nimitz or Eisenhower missing?
The symptom usually identifies whether the fault lies with AI Carriers, the formation configuration or the boat models themselves.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No AI Carriers command in Add-ons | The utility did not start, a required runtime is missing, its start-up entry targets another FSX profile, or it is running at a different privilege level | Repair the utility installation, confirm the correct simulator profile and run both programmes at the same privilege level. |
| AI Carriers opens, but no Nimitz or Eisenhower formation is listed | The supplied configuration is outside the active conf.d folder or was added to the wrong master configuration | Move or merge the formation entries into the configuration used by the running AI Carriers installation, then restart it. |
| The formation is listed, but no ships appear | The boat folders are absent, nested too deeply, or their title= identifiers do not match the formation file | Reinstall the models and configuration from the same package archive and verify the folders under SimObjects\Boats. |
| The ships spawn on land or cannot be found | The selected relative position crossed a coastline, or the formation was placed farther away than expected | Move over open water and create it again at a shorter, known bearing and distance. |
| The carrier appears without wakes, lighting or other effects | The package's effect files were not copied into the main FSX Effects folder | Re-copy the effects while preserving their original file names and restart FSX. |
| The deck is visible, but launch or arresting functions fail | Acceleration functionality is unavailable, or the aircraft lacks compatible launch-bar or tailhook configuration | Use boxed FSX with Acceleration or FSX: Steam Edition, then choose a carrier-capable aircraft. |
Can I use catapults, arrestor wires and carrier navigation?
Catapult launches and arrested landings require the Acceleration carrier system and an aircraft configured for those functions. In the FSX controls, check that the commands for the launch bar, take-off assistance and tailhook are assigned; custom control profiles sometimes leave them unbound.
AI Carriers places the ships but does not automatically add cockpit TACAN reception or carrier approach instruments to every aircraft. For those optional functions, use the separate carrier-navigation and RFN gauge setup guidance. The gauge is not required simply to display or place the Nimitz and Eisenhower formations.