Install Nimitz and Eisenhower carriers in FSX or Steam Edition correctly, configure AI Carriers, place the ships and fix missing menus or effects.
To install the Nimitz and Eisenhower carriers in FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, extract the package, copy its boat SimObjects, effects and sounds into the matching FSX folders, then install AI Carriers and add the supplied formation configuration. Restart FSX and use the Add-ons menu to place a carrier group near your aircraft.
What does the FSX carrier package require?
The installation has two separate parts: carrier assets loaded as boat SimObjects and AI Carriers, which creates the moving formation during a flight.
Download the Nimitz and Eisenhower carrier archive with its package-specific instructions. It contains the ship models, deck variants, effects, sounds and formation configuration. Preserve all included model folders unless the readme explicitly marks one as optional; a formation may reference several carriers or escort ships.
You also need the AI Carriers placement utility for FSX. Installing only the ship files will not create a permanent carrier or add one to the airport list.
These carriers are boat SimObjects, not scenery. Do not register them through the FSX Scenery Library.
Install Nimitz and Eisenhower carriers step by step
- Locate the real FSX root folder. This is the directory containing
fsx.exe. Boxed FSX commonly usesC:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X; Steam Edition normally sits underSteam\steamapps\common\FSX, although a custom Steam library can be elsewhere. - Extract the archive to a temporary folder. Do not work directly inside the compressed file. This makes the package's folder structure visible and prevents incomplete copies.
- Merge the carrier assets into FSX. If the archive contains top-level
SimObjects,EffectsandSoundfolders, copy those into the folder containingfsx.exeand allow Windows to merge the directories. Never delete or replace the complete destination folders. - Check the final boat paths. Loose carrier model folders belong under
FSX\SimObjects\Boats, effect files underFSX\Effects, and supplied sounds underFSX\Sound. A carrier folder should contain itssim.cfgand model or texture subfolders directly; an extra wrapper folder will stop FSX finding it. - Install AI Carriers. Register the utility with the same FSX edition you intend to run. The original AICarriers2 utility is Java-based, so confirm that its stated Java prerequisite is available if the utility does not start.
- Install the formation configuration. Copy the carrier package's supplied
.cfgfile into the active AI Carriersconf.dfolder. If your AI Carriers build uses one master configuration file instead, append the supplied formation entries as directed by its notes; do not overwrite existing formations. - Restart FSX. Both the boat definitions and AI Carriers configuration are read during start-up.
A mistake we see often is copying the archive's wrapper folder into FSX, producing paths such as SimObjects\Boats\SimObjects\Boats. Copy the folders inside that wrapper instead.
How do I place the carrier in an FSX flight?
Start a flight, preferably over open water, then open the Add-ons menu and select the AI Carriers command. Choose one of the supplied Nimitz or Eisenhower formations and a relative bearing and distance; the utility will create the moving carrier group near your aircraft.
The exact command label varies between AI Carriers builds. The carrier normally exists for that flight session rather than becoming permanent scenery, so it will not appear in the Scenery Library or airport selection screen.
What changes in FSX: Steam Edition?
FSX: Steam Edition uses the same SimObjects\Boats, Effects and Sound structure, and it includes the Acceleration feature set needed for native carrier operations.
On a computer with both boxed FSX and Steam Edition, each edition may use a different start-up profile. AI Carriers can therefore register with one installation while you launch the other. If the carrier files are present but the Add-ons command appears in only one edition, reinstall or configure the utility against the edition actually being used.
For boxed FSX, full catapult and arrestor-cable behaviour requires Acceleration and a suitably configured aircraft. A carrier may display in a more basic FSX installation without providing complete launch-and-recovery functions.
Why is the Nimitz or Eisenhower missing?
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No AI Carriers command in Add-ons | The utility did not start, its prerequisite is missing, or it registered with another FSX profile | Check the AI Carriers installation and prerequisite, confirm it targets the correct FSX edition, then restart FSX. |
| AI Carriers opens but no Nimitz or Eisenhower formation is listed | The supplied configuration is not in the active conf.d folder | Move the package's formation file to the configuration folder used by the running utility. |
| A formation is listed but no ships appear | The boat folders are missing, nested too deeply or from a different package release | Check SimObjects\Boats and reinstall the models and configuration from the same archive. |
| The ship appears without wakes, lighting or deck effects | The effect files were not copied to the FSX Effects folder | Merge the package's effect files into the main FSX effects directory. |
| The deck is visible but catapult or arresting operations fail | Acceleration functionality or compatible aircraft configuration is missing | Use FSX Acceleration or Steam Edition and an aircraft configured for carrier launches and traps. |
Keep the carrier models, effects and AI Carriers configuration from the same package release. Mixing an older formation file with newer or renamed boat SimObjects can leave the menu entry intact while preventing the vessels from spawning.