Which MSFS aircraft have steam gauges or a six-pack?
Find MSFS aircraft with steam gauges, including true six-pack trainers, analogue alternatives, edition caveats and tips for avoiding glass variants.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the Cessna 152 and, where installed, the non-G1000 Cessna 172 are the best traditional six-pack aircraft. The Robin DR400, Savage Cub, Pitts Special and other vintage types also have classic analogue instruments, but not a textbook six-pack. The exact selection depends on simulator version, edition and installed content.
What is a steam gauge cockpit and a traditional six-pack?
A steam gauge cockpit uses separate round instruments instead of combining the primary flight information on a glass display such as a G1000 or G3000.
- Top row: airspeed indicator, attitude indicator and altimeter.
- Bottom row: turn coordinator, heading indicator or directional gyro, and vertical speed indicator.
- Hybrid panel: analogue primary instruments accompanied by a GPS, moving map or digital engine display.
The word “steam” is informal: these instruments are driven by pitot-static pressure, gyroscopic systems, electricity or vacuum, depending on the aircraft. The American spelling classic analog describes the same general cockpit style, but neither term guarantees that the instruments follow the standard six-pack arrangement.
A GPS in the radio stack does not stop a cockpit being classed as steam-gauge. What matters is how the primary flight instruments are displayed. Conversely, a few round engine gauges beside a glass primary flight display do not make an aircraft a steam-gauge type.
Which stock MSFS aircraft have classic analogue instruments?
The main built-in choices are the two Cessna trainers, followed by several analogue touring, bush and aerobatic aircraft with less conventional layouts.
| Aircraft | Panel type | True six-pack? | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 152 | Traditional analogue trainer panel | Yes | Circuits, basic instrument scanning and radio-navigation practice |
Cessna 172 Skyhawk, non-G1000 variant | Traditional analogue instruments with a classic radio/navigation stack | Yes | Longer general-aviation flights and six-pack practice in a four-seat trainer |
| Robin DR400 | Mainly analogue, sometimes with modern navigation equipment | Broadly, although the layout is less textbook | VFR touring and a European light-aircraft cockpit |
| Savage Cub | Sparse analogue panel | No | Visual bush flying with only the essential instruments |
| Pitts Special or Robin CAP 10 | Analogue aerobatic panel | No | Aerobatics rather than formal instrument-scan training |
| Vintage and special-content aircraft | Usually analogue or period-correct | Varies | Historic flying and unconventional old-aircraft procedures |
The Cessna 152 is the safest answer when you want a steam gauge cockpit without ambiguity. The non-G1000 Cessna 172 is equally suitable where that variant is included and installed, but selecting the glass-cockpit 172 by mistake is one of the most common errors we see.
The other aircraft are useful analogue alternatives rather than direct substitutes. A Savage Cub has round dials but too few of them for a full six-pack scan; an aerobatic or vintage panel may contain all the necessary information without arranging it in the familiar training pattern.
Which aircraft should I choose for six-pack training?
If you want steam gauges for flight simulator training, choose by instrument layout rather than the age or appearance of the aircraft.
- Choose the Cessna 152 for the simplest panel, low workload and a clear introduction to the six primary instruments.
- Choose the analogue Cessna 172 for the same basic scan in a more capable touring aircraft, particularly when practising navigation and longer flights.
- Choose the Robin DR400 when you want mostly analogue VFR flying but do not need a perfectly standardised trainer panel.
- Choose the Savage Cub for visual flying and minimal instrumentation, not six-pack instruction.
- Choose an aerobatic or vintage type for its handling and period character rather than instrument-layout consistency.
A six-pack alone does not make an aircraft properly equipped for instrument flight. Radios, navigation sources, lighting, de-icing equipment and the simulated aircraft’s wider systems still matter. For learning the basic scan, however, the Cessna 152 and analogue 172 are the clearest choices.
How do I identify the analogue variant in MSFS?
Check the exact aircraft variant and cockpit itself, because an exterior thumbnail or airframe name may not reveal which avionics package is fitted.
- Start with the airframe you want, such as the Cessna 152 or Cessna 172.
- Read the full variant name and avoid labels such as
G1000,G3000or other glass-avionics designations. - Inspect the cockpit preview, where one is available, rather than relying on the exterior image.
- Count the primary instruments. A textbook panel should place three round instruments across the top and three below them in front of the pilot.
- Load the aircraft if the preview is unclear. Some panels are analogue-primary hybrids with a GPS or small digital display that is difficult to see in the selection menu.
Do not use the livery as an avionics indicator. A repaint changes the aircraft’s appearance, not its instrument panel, unless its documentation explicitly says that it includes a separate cockpit or aircraft variant.
Does MSFS 2020 versus MSFS 2024 change the answer?
Yes. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 do not have identical aircraft catalogues, and the available analogue variants can also depend on edition, official content and what is installed locally.
- Simulator release: an aircraft available in one MSFS generation may be absent, revised or supplied differently in the other.
- Edition: the analogue Cessna 172 and some specialist aircraft may not be part of every package.
- Installed content: owning an aircraft does not always mean its package is installed after a reinstall or content change.
- Add-ons: third-party aircraft can greatly expand the choice of steam-gauge panels, but compatibility must be checked individually.
If edition choice is the source of the confusion, our comparison of MSFS 2024 editions and their included content explains why two users may see different aircraft lists.
Can I replace a glass cockpit with steam gauges?
There is no universal MSFS setting that converts a glass-cockpit aircraft into a six-pack version. The instrument panel is part of the aircraft model and systems package, so you need a separate official variant or an add-on specifically built with analogue avionics.
A livery alone will not perform that conversion. To find additional round-dial trainers and vintage aircraft, browse our MSFS aircraft and add-on library and confirm the cockpit type in each package description before installing it.
Packages created for MSFS 2020 should not automatically be assumed to work fully in MSFS 2024. Our guide to the compatibility limits between MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 add-ons covers the aircraft, avionics and package issues to check first.
Why do the analogue gauges look frozen or incorrect?
A zero airspeed indication and near-zero vertical speed while parked are normal; a dead attitude indicator or drifting heading indicator usually points to instrument power, gyro alignment, vacuum operation or a simulated failure.
- Start the engine and electrical systems: some gyroscopic instruments need electrical power, vacuum from the running engine or time to settle.
- Set the altimeter: an incorrect barometric setting produces an incorrect altitude indication rather than a broken gauge.
- Align the heading indicator: aircraft that simulate gyro drift require periodic comparison with the magnetic compass.
- Check pitot heat and covers: detailed aircraft may simulate pitot blockage, icing or removable covers that stop the airspeed indicator working correctly.
- Review active failures: a saved or randomly triggered instrument failure can make an otherwise correct steam-gauge panel appear defective.