FSX China Eastern Airbus A330

This add-on provides repaints of China Eastern Airlines’ Airbus A330 fleet for Microsoft Flight Simulator X. It focuses on both A330-200 and A330-300 variants created by Thomas Ruth and repainted by He Lingyuan. By installing these texture files, you can fly with the distinctive livery of one of China’s largest air carriers, well-known for operating an extensive wide-body Airbus group across its regional and intercontinental routes.

Technical Background on the A330 & Airline

The Airbus A330 is a twin-engine, wide-body jetliner frequently deployed for medium to long-haul flights due to its efficient wing design and strong engine performance. Its spacious cabin and modern avionics make it popular among operators worldwide. China Eastern Airlines, based in Shanghai, has been a major Airbus A330 operator for years, employing this aircraft type on both domestic trunk routes and various international services.

Package Contents and Notes

Developers: Original airframes by Thomas Ruth (Germany), repaints by He Lingyuan (China).

This freeware download contains only the texture files you need to showcase China Eastern Airlines’ exterior and interior (where applicable) on the A330-200 and A330-300 models. You will need to separately acquire and install the free Thomas Ruth A330 base packages before applying these repaints. Like other Thomas Ruth aircraft, these models are built exclusively for FSX and require the presence of SP1 or SP2 to ensure correct visual rendering.

Acquiring the Base Model

The original aircrafts from Thomas Ruth are not included in this package. You can locate them in the Fly Away Simulation file library (search for TOMA332B.ZIP for the A330-200 and TOMA333B.ZIP for the A330-300), or find them on other well-known flight sim repositories. These base packages contain essential files and installation steps necessary for full functionality.

Detailed Installation Process

1. Base Package Installation
   Download and install the respective A330 base models from Thomas Ruth. Follow all instructions provided in those original packages to ensure that your A330-200 and A330-300 folders are set up correctly within the SimObjects directory of your FSX environment.
2. Applying the Repaint Textures
   • Locate the Texture.CES folder for the A330-200. Extract it to FSX\SimObjects\Tom_A330-200\.
   • Locate the Texture.CES folder for the A330-300. Extract it to FSX\SimObjects\Tom_A330-300\.
   You’ll find that each texture folder is purpose-built for its respective airframe variant.
3. Editing the Aircraft Configuration
   Use Windows Notepad (or any plain text editor) to modify each aircraft’s Aircraft.CFG file so the simulator recognizes this new China Eastern repaint. In each Aircraft.CFG, just above the [General] section, add the following block of text, changing [fltsim.X+1] to the next sequential entry in your configuration:

   -----Copy Below-----

   [fltsim.X+1] //X is the biggest number already in the Aircraft.CFG.
title=China Eastern A330-200
sim=TomA332
model=RR
panel=330
sound=
texture=CES
kb_checklists=
kb_reference=
atc_id=B-6099
atc_airline=China Eastern
atc_flight_number=
atc_heavy=1
ui_manufacturer=Airbus
ui_type="A330-200"
ui_variation="China Eastern"
ui_typerole="Commercial Airliner"
ui_createdby="Thomas Ruth"
description=Tom Airbus A330-200 China Eastern B-6099\n\nAircraft by Thomas Ruth,Germany\nChina Eastern Repaint by He Lingyuan,China

   -----Copy Above-----

   Perform the same step on the A330-300 configuration file in FSX\SimObjects\Tom_A330-300\Aircraft.CFG, inserting the following snippet (and again adjusting [fltsim.X+1] as appropriate):

   -----Copy Below-----

   [fltsim.X+1] //X is the biggest number already in the Aircraft.CFG.
title=China Eastern A330-300
sim=TomA333
model=RR
panel=330
sound=
texture=CES
kb_checklists=
kb_reference=
atc_id=B-6085
atc_airline=China Eastern
atc_flight_number=
atc_heavy=1
ui_manufacturer=Airbus
ui_type="A330-300"
ui_variation="China Eastern"
ui_typerole="Commercial Airliner"
ui_createdby="Thomas Ruth"
description=Tom Airbus A330-300 China Eastern B-6085\n\nAircraft by Thomas Ruth,Germany\nChina Eastern Repaint by He Lingyuan,China

   -----Copy Above-----

4. Verifying in the Simulator
   Once the repaint entries are inserted and saved, run FSX and select the China Eastern Airbus A330-200 or A330-300 from your aircraft list. You should see the airline livery in the preview window.

The above steps will integrate China Eastern’s livery into your Microsoft Flight Simulator X environment, allowing you to experience mid- and long-range flights in authentic carrier colors. To get the best view of these textures, ensure your graphic settings are optimal and your product has SP1 or SP2 installed. Thomas Ruth’s models feature a highly detailed external fuselage, so these liveries aim to accurately reflect the real-world design of China Eastern’s Airbus A330.