FSX doesn't only allow users to fly fixed-wing aircraft; they can also download and install helicopter and rotorcraft expansions too. Most people buy Microsoft Flight Simulator X in order to pilot large, commercial aircraft and civil jets, however there is also a market and niche group for helicopter add-ons.
Image shows a Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft in FSX. While not technically a "helicopter", this does fall under the rotorcraft section.
In this section, there are many well known and popular helicopters from manufacturers such as Bell, Eurocopter, Hughes and Boeing. Featured in this section are a range of civilian passenger helicopters, as well as military and combat choppers such as the well known Apache attack helicopter which has been used in many desert combat operations around the world.
There are also many helicopter missions available to compliment the add-on packages, which are viewable here.
Installing these downloads is just as easy as any of the other aircraft or packages on the website and most of the files come with detailed installation instructions and "readme" documents inside. If you are having a hard time, there are many tutorials on our forum which will explain in detail the procedure - users can also create a new topic specific to their own problem.
Helicopters are much harder to fly in any flight simulator package, and in real life for that matter - there is a lot more going on in the cockpit of a helicopter compared to that of a fixed wing aircraft. As well as controlling pitch, rotor angle and engine speed - pilots also have to control many of the other systems that go with it.
Many users complain that "helicopters are impossible to fly in FSX", but they really haven't given them a chance. Users must be patient, persistent and once they get used to the different method of flying, they are usually very happy and include rotorcraft flight into their daily "flight simmin'" routine.
RepaintBy Jeff Smith, this black-and-gold finish for the Bell 206 JetRanger emphasizes metallic shading along the fuselage while preserving the core flight model, cockpit systems, and rotor animations. Ow…
RepaintA blue-and-black coloring by Jeff Smith updates the default Bell 206 Jetranger, featuring deep blue panels and black sections with subtle shading to reduce color banding around the engine cowling a…
Base ModelAerospatiale develops the AS.350 in the early 1970s, with an Avco Lycoming powered prototype achieving its first flight on 27 June 1974. A Turbomeca Arriel version follows on 14 February 1975, and …
Base ModelThe EC145 REGA variant features a 3D model, a virtual cockpit, and a flight model credited to Laurent Hadorn, with sound by Christian Spaltenstein and a 2D panel and instruments by Franz Haider. Th…
Base ModelOriginal by Alan Devins, this release updates an older iteration to a newer baseline, and adds a Virtual Cockpit along with a refreshed 2D panel. All sounds and gauges remain, and a file named Gmax…
Base ModelTwo U.S. Army CH-47D Chinooks bear markings of the 1st Cavalry Division, 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, while U.S. Marine Corps variants reflect details from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. …
Base ModelTwo named variants, Medivac and NY Police Dept., accompany multiple finishes. The cockpit features a Virtual Cockpit and a 2D panel, with external views included, and original contributors include …
Base ModelThe Hellenic Navy operates 11 Sea Hawks, known as Aegean Hawks, after ordering five S-70B-6 aircraft in July 1991 for the Idra Class frigates and adding three more in 2000 with advanced electronics…
RepaintA fictional color layout for the default Bell 206B JetRanger is provided, credited to Raul Abella. The format uses DXT5 DDS, and an image at /userimages/fsx206thndr750.JPG accompanies the entry, il…
RepaintBy Jamie Edmond, this Bell 206BIII Jetranger variant bears Elite Helicopters' G-HMPH fuselage markings and a blue with gold stripes finish, featuring full spectral reflections. It is released under…
Base ModelPiasecki H-21C, nicknamed Flying Banana, adds a virtual cockpit and custom gauges, plus new flight dynamics and audio, along with checklist procedures from pre-flight to shutdown, while introducing…
RepaintWithin a flight-simulation context, the Bell 206B JetRanger operated by Austria’s Bundesheer appears as a visual change for the default Bell 206 helicopter, aligning with the JetRanger variant used…
The club from Deer Valley presents a Bell 206B JetRanger III variant based on the default JetRanger, with artwork by Mike Lanza. An image file labeled b206dvfc.gif accompanies the depiction for arc…
RepaintAn orange-accent JetRanger variant replicates the Orange County Choppers helicopter seen on TLC, while Silver Cities Helicopters operates it in Las Vegas. Heath Phillips applies the finish using a …
Base ModelA Eurocopter EC-505 Tiger variant appears as a Demo Version, with credit to A. Meyer and a reference to www.afs-design.de. The accompanying image at /downloadimages/Image/demotigx.gif illustrates t…
RepaintTwo names appear in association with a JetRanger variant for a Bell-Textron rotorcraft, tied to the B206B3.ZIP file needed for operation. Owen Hewitt is listed as the primary designer and Patrick M…
RepaintRobinson R22, registration G-BYZP, is documented with a used yellow finish and is attributed to Steven Frost of the UkPilots Organisation. The note centers on the default helicopter variant, highli…
Base Model206 JetRanger rotorcraft, by David Grindele, emerges as a revised edition converted from a prior release, with thirty new color variants and numerous enhancements, showcasing a sustained effort to …
RepaintPatrick Machabert designs a JetRanger variant for the default B206 model. This attribution confirms the JetRanger designation and its applicability to the standard airframe, providing a clear marke…
Base ModelTiger HAP/HCP designation marks the French Army variant for close protection duties. Two MTR 390 engines power the model, which carries a 30-mm gun turret, 68-mm rockets, and air-to-air Mistral mis…