Expanding X-Plane

Installing add-ons - a hints and tips guide

There is a vast number of high-quality freeware aircraft available including this Boeing 737 800X by Zibo.

 Since its launch, X-Plane 11 has skyrocketed in popularity making it the simulator of choice for many of us. This has also resulted in a booming third-party industry, giving us a vast selection of high-quality payware and freeware add-ons. Due to the increased uptake of X-Plane and with many of us moving from FSX and Prepar3D, this seems like a good time to look at how to install and manage the third-party add-ons.

Unlike simulators based on the Microsoft ESP engine, there are hardly any automatic installers for X-Plane, so most third third-party expansion packages have to be set up manually. For flight simmers new to the platform, this may look daunting but the good news is that X-Plane is not only highly customisable but it is also structured very logically. So, once you understand the underlying file structure, installing add-ons is very straightforward.

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