Hello guys: I hope someone can help me fix this.I've lost the MD-83 from the A/C menu.The files seem to be alright,but the A/C just doesn't show up on the menu. When I searched Avsim and Google the standard answer was to re-install the A/C from the disk. Unfortunately my disks have lost themselves and my wife won't tell me where !!! So,am I SOL or is there a way hopefully to get me out of this mess? Any help is appreciated. Thanks,Skip DVista 64 Home;q6600;4gbRam;680gbHD;XFX7900;19"Dell;FSX;UTX;GEX;REX

Call the Microsoft Help line.

Isn't this because it's AI-only per default? :( AI-only aircraft do not have panel or sound folders, because they are not really programmed to be used as player aircraft.My solution would be to add panel and sound folders so that FSX will detect them as flyable aircraft and will allow them to appear on the aircraft selection menu, as well as several thumbnails that you could use. Make sure it's a panel that will work flawlessly, such as the default 737-800 panel. I strongly recommend that you use this default panel, for optimum performance. Dave.

From what I remember AI planes have a special flag set in the mdl file that identifies them as AI. Simply adding a panel and sound folder wouldn't make them flyable. The flag needs to be changed first. Besides, an MD-83 with a Boeing panel :(...There's a "light" variant of the MD-80 series available from CLS if you want a "realistic" but easy MD-80 :(...

There's an awesome payware MD82 from Leonardo as well, and a MD83 from Coolsky. There are also freeware MD82 panels out there.

After reading your post, I checked my FSX and although the files are there, it doesnt show up in the sim plane selection here either. Pretty weird considering I am positive it used to be there! Maybe it was just an AI plane and I am really losing it! lol

It is just an AI plane and it won't show up in the sim. The airfile has a parameter that sets it as an ai plane.You can change it by adding a panel and sound folder. Then, download AI Aircraft Editor (or similar) and change it from a AI aircraft to a normal aircraft.http://www.interkultur.de/gossmann/fsx/tools.php

Alejandro Roja Lucena is working on a freeware FSX MD-83 with VC and FMC. Screenshots and video by Daube available at Sim-OuthouseYou might want to have a look :(

aw-shucks...I didn't realize it was an AIBut thanks for all the info...Jean-Paul...that MD by Alejandro looks really interesting and I've added that site to my favs....thank you for the heads up !! Skip d

It is just an AI plane and it won't show up in the sim. The airfile has a parameter that sets it as an ai plane.You can change it by adding a panel and sound folder. Then, download AI Aircraft Editor (or similar) and change it from a AI aircraft to a normal aircraft.http://www.interkult...n/fsx/tools.php

I don't believe that is quite correct. In FS2004 line 105 in the air file determined if it would be seen in the Aircraft selection menu or not.However In FSX that determination is made by the presence or absence of a "valid" Panel folder.If the Panel folder is not present or the panel is aliased to a non-existant Panel (such as a FS2004 panel) then FSX assumes this is an AI only aircraft and will not include it in the Aircraft selection dialogue. There is no line 105 in a true FSX air file.

From what I remember AI planes have a special flag set in the mdl file that identifies them as AI. Simply adding a panel and sound folder wouldn't make them flyable. The flag needs to be changed first. Besides, an MD-83 with a Boeing panel :(...There's a "light" variant of the MD-80 series available from CLS if you want a "realistic" but easy MD-80 :(...

I must disagree.There is no "flag" which needs to needs to be changed to make the default MD-83 flyable - simply adding a valid panel and sound set will do the trick.The Flight Dynamics are set for use as AI so the performance may not be quite what one would wish for, but it is flyable nevertheless. I just took a "test" flight in it before posting this.

Thank you for the clarification, updated my knowledge :(

Well then---Opa your wealth of knowledge on FSX is inspiring and awesome!!Is it possible to find a panel that would be suitable for the MD...what I'd like to avoid is putting say a 737 panel in it...seems like I could just fly the 737 instead.If there is something like that available,could you explain how I would go about installing it?Never indulged in panel insertion before!!Thanks for the insight. Skip d

I havent personally tried it, but there's a super-80 panel in the avsim libraryhttp://library.avsim.net/search.php?SearchTerm=MD80&CatID=fsxac&Go=Search

Well then---Opa your wealth of knowledge on FSX is inspiring and awesome!!Is it possible to find a panel that would be suitable for the MD...what I'd like to avoid is putting say a 737 panel in it...seems like I could just fly the 737 instead.If there is something like that available,could you explain how I would go about installing it?Never indulged in panel insertion before!!Thanks for the insight. Skip d

Happy to try to oblige.In this case "adding" a panel is easier (less to do) than replacing an existing one.For my test I used the following panel - pan_three_eng_sedf_2_fixzip.zip - from the FSX/Panel library section here.If you decide to try it, here is what I did:1. Unzip it to a temporary folder (perhaps on your Desktop) first.When unzipped you will find a folder named FSX. Three Engine Turbo Panel.Inside of that folder will four subfolders - Dokument, Gauge, Panel and Screenshots.2. Open the Gauge folder and copy the entire contents (16 items) and Paste them into the Panel folder.The instructions say to place the contents into your default Gauges folder - but I prefer to place them in the Panel folder as that is where FS looks first for them. If you do not care for the panel, one delete will get it all with no stray gauges to hunt down elsewhere.3. Place a copy of the folder named Panel (which you just added the gauges to) in the aircraft folder of the default FSX MD_83.i.e. in your SimObjects\Airplanes\MD_83 folder.4. When you start FSX and select the MD83 (under McDonnell-Douglas/Boeing as the manufacturer) and go to "Fly Now" you will be asked to confirm that you want to run (trust) two or three gauges which FSX is not sure about. Answer yes.That is all there is to it.Hope that all makes sense and is easy to follow. If you need clarification, feel free to ask.