Continuing the discussion from Your Current TOP 10 Aircraft (Part 1) - #10107 by Baracus250.
Previous discussions:
WELCOME TO PART TWO
I started this topic in March 2022 as a bit of fun, as I was interested in what peoples favourite aircraft to fly were. I suggested this need not necessarily be the ones you have spent the most time in, but ones that you really could not live without. Since then it has evolved into an ongoing “Top Aircraft Charts” and we have had a brilliant response with regular contributors here to discuss the merits of aircraft they love (as well as a bit of mildly off-topic fun), as we all discover new ideas, remind ourselves of planes we may already have bought but rarely fly, ask questions about any aircraft you’d like to know more about and to chat about upcoming and brand new releases. Please join in!
THE CONCEPT OF THIS TOPIC
Votes are not really meant to be about “what have you flown this Month”. The concept is more like:
- “what aircraft could you not be without if the rest had to be put in the digital dumpster”.
- “what aircraft do you highly recommend, to help other people make wise purchasing decisions”.
- “what in your opinion are the very best products out there”.
- or simply “what aircraft do you have the most fun in and keep going back to”.
List UP TO 10 of your favourite aircraft to count towards the Charts.
NOTE that a VOTE is PER PURCHASE. So (for example) with the PMDG 737’s, 777’s and Black Square Dukes, please write WHICH VARIANT your vote is for.
We would also REALLY appreciate a few words about your decision for each one (but it’s not necessary… it just adds nicely to the context to understand your reasoning, and that may help other users identify with their own thoughts to help them make a purchase decision).
The system is described in more detail below and you can scroll down to see the current latest Chart summary.
The latest full chart summary POST is a clickable link in the SOLTUTION at the end of this post
==== CURRENT FORMAT INFO ====
- You can submit UP TO 10 votes for your favourite individual aircraft (if you fly less, you don’t NEED to give 10).
- A vote is PER PURCHASE (so for example the PMDG 737’s, 777’s and Black Square Dukes must be listed per-variant. PLEASE WRITE WHICH VARIANT YOU ARE VOTING FOR!)
- In the case of a tie the YOUNGEST (newest released) aircraft goes above an older one. This will give a small boost to new releases to help them rise.
- I encourage re-voting each month, even if you just keep the same list. To make that fast you can just say “No change here” and I will reuse your previous list.
- The Monthly update will happen on the nearest Sunday to the end/start of the next month.
- The update posts will have the ALL TIME TOP 25 shown with the current uMONTHLY TOP 25 below that, so the focus is still really on the Annual Charts. The up / down arrows will compare positions to the previous month.
- Full details of all aircraft and all months will be available in a downloadable PDF each month.
- The same PDF file and link will be updated so we can also track how many total downloads it receives.
==== LATEST SNAPSHOT ====
2026’s Top 25 Aircraft
April Top 25 Aircraft
Want to see more awesome aircraft?
Visit https://msfs.b250.net to browse the full Charts, Filter & Search for the data you want to see and more!
The Monthly Top Aircraft can be found by clicking the Solution at the bottom of this post to jump to the latest Chart Update post.
==== HISTORICAL ARCHIVE ====
Part 1 of the topic thread: Your Current TOP 10 Aircraft (Part 1)
Final 2025 Charts - Backup PDF
This was the final PDF of 2025:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3uwfdcvy9q866o4q9700x/MSFS_Aircraft_Charts_2024.pdf?rlkey=rqfqqaq846xy1ceqtpcyv0849&dl=0
Final result table of 2025:
Final 2023 Charts - Backup PDF
This was the final PDF of 2023: Dropbox
Final 2022 Charts - Backup PDF
This was the final PDF of 2022: Dropbox
Original Post Archive (from March 2022)
Thought it would be a fun new topic if everyone wrote their TOP FIVE AIRCRAFT, with a short reason why. Number #1 being the BEST. I’ll award points based on the order and we’ll see what happens 
UPDATE: As this thread has turned into an ongoing Top 5 Charts, please can I request that if anyone wants to update their original choices in future, please mention that it’s not your first post here when you give an updated list. In those cases, I will unwind your original choices and scores, and put the new ones into the table. This will adjust the Snapshots to be dynamic and current, rather than inflating it with older Aircraft from the past! Thanks!
ALSO: please do try and rank the choice from 1-5 (1 as your best). I am assigning points from 5 to 1 in order of your choices to boost those that a lot of people put higher in their list. If you really can’t decide, then all choices will get 3pts each.
====== MY ORIGINAL POST ======
I wrote today on the Big Radials Goose thread that it has jumped to within my top 3 (such an awesome plane) but then I thought more about it and realised I have so many planes that are really brilliant that I started thinking deeper about my top 3 and whether I could even decide!!
Here goes my Top 5!!
#1 Just Flight Hawk T1 (awesome sounds and agility, challenging to fly hard, nice control on landings, can really feel “at one with the machine” easy to fly but hard to master. And of course because I’m British, the fact it is the iconic Red Arrows aircraft plays a role!)
#2 Flying Iron Spitfire (beautiful, graceful, amazing character and sounds!)
#3 Big Radials JRF Goose (brilliant feeling of weight, engine management important but not too “serious/study level” for me, water landings and take offs make it versatile - really well done water physics and animation, stunning sounds - actually the best sounds)
#4 Just Flight Piper Arrow Turbo (realistic feeling, “simple” yet complete. My favoured GA)
#5 India Foxt Echo F35 Lightning II (B variant mainly, does things no other aircraft can do due to VTOL capability. Fits any mood or purpose from low level fast flying to very slow - even hovering - for sightseeing the beautiful world. The plane that does it all!)
I could happily expand this to a Top 15 though. So hard to decide. Also love the DC Designs Stearman, Bell helicopter, GotFriends Optica, SWS Kodiak 100, Parallel 42 Freedom Fox, GotFriends Discus-2c Glider, AirCreation Trike Ultralight, PMDG DC6, GotGravel Monster NX Cub, Aerosoft Twin Otter (with sound mod for now).
Related to the paragraph above, please check out this complimentary thread run by @OneToBeamUp3871 and go list your Honourable Five there that don’t make your Top 5 here!
==== MY OTHER CHARTS ====
Also check out my other similar Charts for other Top Mods and Airports - please come add your favourites!
Click to see links to those topics
“World Enhancement Mods” - vote for your favourites here:
Your TOP 5 World Enhancement Mods
“Your Top Airports” - vote for your favourites here:
Epic Bush Strips: As I have been on a bit of STOL binge, I started to list out great bush strips. Feel free to add any you have discovered to this spreadsheet:
COFFEE AS FUEL: If you find this information useful and feel like supporting me, I would be very grateful for a coffee! Thank you 
https://buymeacoffee.com/baracus250
JUMP TO MOST RECENT CHART UPDATE
To jump to the latest Charts Update post, click the SOLUTION below:
15 Likes
I am not spending ÂŁ400 on a joystick
4 Likes
You thought you could hide, but I found you. 
1 Like
cows best.
4 Likes
Here’s to a New Year AND to a new Baracus thread!
2 Likes
This reminded me of a thread that I started a few days ago.
For others who also might not be quite as seemingly independently wealthy as other flight-simmers, here is a nice little “freebie” that I kind of stumbled upon some time ago.
1 Like
I’ll admit I tried to enjoy flying the a350 after reading the top 10’s, but I prefer smaller aircraft focused on medium haul and short haul which is why I think that the 757 (and even the 767) will do better than the a350 on the lists
1 Like
After the 2024 version released, TFDI MD-11 has finally entered the fray.
1 Like
Your idea of smaller aircraft and my idea of smaller aircraft are worlds apart mate!
1 Like
It’s only the middle of Jan but I haven’t posted a list in a while. In Nov I built a new system but started to step away from the sim. Recently have gotten back into 2020, only flying the 2 listed below. Yes, I could fly them in 24 but there is something nostalgic, romantic even about flying them in 20 for me. Anyways
-
Cows DA40 - The
. Love both variants! Just about 110 hours in the XLS and just crested 25 in the NG. Tommy and crew have created something that really ticks all the boxes. Love the flight model, sounds, the G1000. One of the best aircraft to trim out imo. I remember the first time I got the XLS started after so many flooded attempts, it was very rewarding. 90% of the time, it’s the only aircraft in my community folder. In fact, it’s 0110 and work in 9 hours, but time for a “quick” flight -
Cows DA42 - Can I just share my same sentiments from the 40? I have only flown the silver livery VI, about 135 hours. I’ve delivered it from LOAN to KFLY, flown it to PANC and back a few times. At one point I started a world tour, stopping at EKVG. Thought about picking it back up but might just start the tour over.
That’s it from me for this month. Thanks @Baracus250 !
5 Likes
Nice, thanks mate!
You are the first poster of 2026, so thank you!
I can now …. wait, no, I’m not mentioning it yet!! 
Totally agree on the sentiments of the Cowcrafts. Absolutely fantastic in every way.
I’ve also been taking an unforced break from so much flying but I did a flight the other day in the 40 and it’s so bloomin’ nice.
Not sure if you are missing out by flying them only in 2020 now (I finally uninstalled it!), but I don’t remember the wind sounds being quite so dynamic and diverse - and perfectly blending with my (over)speed the last time I flew it. Was that improved in the recent update @MrTommymxr? If so is that just in 2024?
Really congrats on this pair of beauties though, and for your well deserved results in the Awards. All your freeware is awesome too but you really threw all your skill into these 2 that Jacobes loves!
1 Like
No change for me this month. Happy new year!
1 Like
Happy New Year to you also!
Ah… problem. I can’t search post history from the Part 1 thread from this Part 2, so it’s really hard for me to find previous lists.
Can you edit your post with the actual aircraft please?
This is annoying! (…let’s see how many times I’m gonna have to say this lol)
Here it is:
1 A2A Piper Comanche 250
2 Flightsimware Cessna 414
3 JustFlight Fokker F28 Pro
4 Wing42 Boeing 247D
5 FlightFX Cessna Citation X
6 FBW A380
7 Beechcraft D18 (denarq mod)
8 BlackSquare Duke Piston
9 Inibuilds A350
10 FlyingFries Quasar
Part 1 to Part 2… the price of success!
1 Like
Have been flying the Diamonds a bit more myself, lately. Not near ready to post a “Top…” yet, but a comment/question.
I love the systems depth of the latest Bonanza BUT -
compared to the Diamonds it feels very heavy and kind of plodding, similar to the DC-3.
Having never actually flown anything in IRL, is this a somewhat realistic comparison?
It’s quite safe to assume that this won’t be the last, I think.
1 Like
Top 20 incoming
2 Likes
I can’t answer that as I’ve not got the new Bonanza to compare. I suppose it’s similar to the Arrows and yeah the DA’s are quite a bit more responsive. Is it because they are more modern and stick controlled? (irl)
I do love the DA42 - bought it the moment it was released - but I’m not a huge fan of the G1000 (on any plane).
1 Like