My new top 10
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DC-6 aka “Super Six Clipper”
The most involved plane from start-up to landing, nothing better in terms of an engaging plane to fly and learn. One of the only planes that will punish you for flying unrealistically. All realism on- keep those engines healthy! By far my favorite plane. -
PMDG 737-800
The best jet airliner. Great FPS/performance for me and lots of cool extra features like the runway alignment HUD, options for eyebrow windows, shades, etc. -
BAE-146 aka “Whisperjet”
Complex systems and an interesting autopilot system. If you find yourself a little bored flying a 737/a320, switch to the BAE and you’ll have plenty to keep you busy. A totally different style of flying an airliner.
4)AN-2 aka “Corncob”
This is an incredibly unique plane which I’ve been enjoying tremendously. For a single engine STOL you can really feel the mass of it when taxiing or trying to get it to slow down. You can fly incredibly slow in it and it’s got a great cockpit for sightseeing especially if you’ve got a head tracker or VR.
No autopilot has really improved my trimming skills.
5)DC-3 aka “Gooney Bird aka Dakota aka The Three” with Duckworks mod + Duckworks free castor tailwheel
The Duckworks mod fixed the flight model and other issues. It now has a more realistic startup and is great for landings. Separate Free castor tailwheel mod makes taxiing a real challenge that I’m still getting used to.
6)A320-Neo + FlyByWire Mod
It’s free and is a study level airliner. They’ve done a great job with it and new features and fixes are always on the way. This plane has a great community built around it as well, everyone should support this project!
7)A310
The best widebody jet in MSFS and it’s quite detailed. Near or at study level I believe, but i have less than 20~ flights in it. BEST external model I’ve seen in the game. Incredible lighting in the cockpit.
- CJ-4 “Citation” + Working Title mod
Working title fixed this plane. Their addons give it some extra flair. The safety announcement voice you can turn on always makes me feel like I’m about to take a real flight!
9)DHC-2 “Beaver”
Really enjoyable little plane. Must be the best free single engine plane in the game right?
10)747 “Queen of the Skies” + Salty Mod
The salty mod is an absolute requirement for this plane. Its flight model feels great and is challenging to land softly. The systems/cockpit aren’t perfect but the mod improves them.
Honorable mentions:
Fenix A320
The best modern airliner in the game but it doesn’t run well on my PC (FPS issues).
I also own the CRJ-550/700/900/1000. I don’t recommend buying the 900/1000 addon as it’s basically the same plane. If you just get the 550/700, you’ll get to enjoy the retro looking flightdeck with CRT screens.
If you’re on a budget I’d probably recommend buying the PMDG 737-600 if you want to fly a modern regional airliner with a fully working HUD. Otherwise, get the BAE because the CRJ needs some updates to the texturing and HUD system (cannot input runway data, for example).
The Kodiak is well done but there are other free single engine STOL planes that we have access to now for cheap and of course the free DHC2 so I wouldn’t recommend buying it unless you are a fan of the plane or really want a turboprop STOL for some reason.
I’ve just bought the ATR-42/72 but have only done 3-4 flights with it so far; not sure how I feel about it yet. I am optimistic!