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.
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 ModelTolga Piskin creates the helicopter model, while Eric Buchmann provides adaptation, and the project centers on a Huey lineage design for reference. A bell_h1.gif image accompanies the work, offerin…
Base ModelGauge replacements populate the 2D and virtual cockpit panels with An-12Bk and An-26 gauges, and both panels are included. Two variants cover Russian AF (VVS, flight 22253) and Ukrainian AF (VPS, f…
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. …
North-Cal Prop Club handles the work for the Ecureuil variant helicopter, credited to Daniel McCarthy, with model work by Tamas Nemeth and Peter Nemeth and repaints by Batki Zoltan, plus a 2D panel…
Base ModelThe Bell 214, a medium-lift helicopter derived from the UH-1 Huey, appears with Iran Army markings. Developer Mohammad Faali delivers a complete model that includes the aircraft itself, aligning th…
Base ModelThe Bell 47 On Skids FBXXJ uses a Gmax-based visual model featuring an operable cockpit and gauges, refined by Danny Garnier, building on Mermaz’s original framework. The design omits autopilot to …
Base ModelAn MH-6 variant reengineered from Tim Conrad’s OH-6A, Mark Rooks presents a Night Stalkers tribute. It uses the built-in rotorcraft panel and includes six components—Model, Panel, Sound, Texture, A…
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 …
An AH-1S Cobra helicopter configuration includes a minigun effect and lacks a virtual cockpit. Wayne Farrell composes the work, updating Kim 'Zeki' BoHyun's original version, and cobra.gif is shown…
Nemeth Designs' EC120B features a cockpit revised by Danny Garnier, gauges by Peter Nemeth, and an Australian demo variant, delivering a compact, well-detailed model that reflects the Eurocopter li…
Payware RepaintSix numbered variants, 1093 through 1098, exist for a Coast Guard AW-109 project by Nemeth Designs & MILVIZ, with two files named aw109_3_T and aw109_4_T, and a bundle of five DDS files plus five s…
Base ModelAS350 rotorcraft, original by FSpainter and Florian Laroye, appears with a thumbnail by Danny Garnier and the image file name n350ba.gif, and it receives compatibility testing to verify operability…
Payware RepaintBy B. Lechner, the SAR 71 designation for Hamburg appears on the Bell UH-1H used by LTG 63 in Hohn, Germany, reflecting Hamburg-area SAR duties through 2006; it requires a Nemeth Designs payware UH…
Base ModelAS332L2 offers moving parts, a virtual cockpit, and new gauges. Rain and ice effects accompany realistic night lighting, and Dirk Fassbender and Hauke Keitel contribute the model that supports a va…
Base ModelTwo variants exist, German Rescue and Space Ship, for the EC-135. Heiko Richter provides the original model, while Samy Fay and Jason Sparkes handle surface work, reflecting collaboration among cre…
Base ModelAlan Devins crafts the A109A helicopter, shaping models, textures and flight dynamics, while Tonni Jorgensen handles panel views and Steve Hanley tunes engine gauges. Danny Garnier adds a thumbnail…
Over twelve Huey models and six finishes populate the lineup, derived from Jordan Moore's original model today. Wayne Farrell assembles them, aligning the designs with the source and preserving the…
RepaintNamed variant VH-71 pairs with the Agusta Westland EH-101, while Kaveh Payandeh creates the artwork. An accompanying image file VH71.gif anchors the presentation to a specific graphic asset, clarif…
Payware RepaintAlphaSim Ltd handles a HH-60G Pavehawk variant for USAF Keflavik, identified by atc_id UH-60 and carrying Island identity on an MH_clean model. prop_anim_ratio=-1.1, parking types align MIL_COMBAT,…