Learn how to install liveries in FlightGear, select paint schemes, preserve the right folder structure, and fix missing or broken textures.
To install a livery in FlightGear, extract it into the matching aircraft package, preserving the archive’s folder structure—usually under Models/Liveries. Start that exact aircraft, then choose the paint scheme from its livery selector, commonly found in the Aircraft menu. A livery made for another model or package revision may not work correctly.
Check that the livery matches your aircraft
FlightGear liveries are specific to an aircraft model and its texture mapping. Matching the real aircraft type is not enough: two FlightGear packages representing the same aeroplane may use different models, texture names and livery definitions.
Inspect the downloaded archive and any included instructions before copying it. A conventional livery package contains an XML definition plus one or more texture images, often arranged beneath Models/Liveries. Aircraft with a custom livery system may use another location, in which case its supplied folder structure takes priority.
If the archive contains an entire aircraft directory and a file ending in -set.xml, treat it as a complete aircraft or variant rather than a simple paint scheme. Follow our guidance for placing a downloaded aircraft in FlightGear’s aircraft search path instead.
How to install liveries in FlightGear
- Close FlightGear. Copying files while the aircraft is loaded can leave the old textures or livery list in memory.
- Find the active aircraft package. It is the aircraft folder containing that model’s
-set.xmlfile, usually inside a standard or user-configured aircraft path. If you cannot distinguish the simulator data folder from an add-on path, check the FlightGear package and installation guidance before modifying anything. - Back up files that will be replaced. A normal selectable livery should add files rather than overwrite the aircraft’s default textures. If the archive asks to replace existing model, material or texture files, keep copies of the originals.
- Inspect the top-level folder. If the archive already begins with the aircraft’s folder name, merge its contents into the existing matching aircraft folder. Do not accidentally create a doubled path such as
AircraftName/AircraftName/Models/Liveries. - Preserve the supplied structure. For a conventional package, the result will resemble
<aircraft-folder>/Models/Liveries/, with the livery XML and its textures in the locations expected by that XML. - Start the matching aircraft. Do not select another package or duplicate copy of the same aeroplane, because FlightGear will only see liveries installed in the aircraft package it actually loaded.
Do not place aircraft liveries in a scenery directory, the simulator’s general texture folder or an unrelated aircraft folder. FlightGear will not search those locations as substitutes for the aircraft’s own livery system.
How do I select a livery in FlightGear?
Load the aircraft and look for Select Livery in the Aircraft menu. The exact presentation depends on the aircraft and FlightGear interface: some provide a list before launch, while others add an aircraft-specific livery dialog after loading.
Select the desired paint scheme and allow the model to refresh. If the textures do not change, reload the aircraft or restart FlightGear. An aircraft without a livery selector may use fixed textures or its own custom controls, so adding files to Models/Liveries alone will not necessarily create a menu.
Why is my FlightGear livery not showing?
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Livery is absent from the list | Wrong aircraft copy, an extra nested folder or missing livery XML | Confirm which aircraft package FlightGear loaded and trace the archive’s original folder structure. |
| Aircraft appears white, black or partly unpainted | Missing textures or incorrect paths in the livery definition | Re-extract the complete archive and keep the XML and image files together as supplied. |
| Works on one system but not another | Filename capitalisation does not match | On Linux and other case-sensitive file systems, Tail.png and tail.png are different files. |
| Paint is stretched or misplaced | Livery was made for a different model or aircraft revision | Obtain a livery intended for the exact FlightGear aircraft package; folder changes cannot correct incompatible texture mapping. |
| Default paint returns after selection | The aircraft uses a custom livery system or rejects the definition | Follow that aircraft’s documentation and restore any original files that were overwritten. |
| FlightGear reports an XML error | A definition is malformed, incomplete or incompatible | Remove the new livery, restore the backup and verify that every referenced texture was included. |
Will FlightGear updates remove installed liveries?
An update can remove liveries placed inside a bundled or managed aircraft package. Keep the original livery archive and a record of the destination folder so compatible paints can be restored after the aircraft package changes.
For separately downloaded aircraft, keeping the aircraft and its liveries together in a writable add-on aircraft directory is easier to maintain. Avoid leaving multiple copies of the same package on FlightGear’s search paths: a common mistake we see is installing the livery into one copy while the simulator silently loads another.