14 hours ago, UrgentSiesta said:

the PC-12 and King Air are frequently used to move people - which makes them de facto airliners 😎

im recommending the King Air (and PC-12) for exactly the reasons you state: more speed, more range, and more complexity. But not TOO much 😁

Exactly what I'm after 👍

7 hours ago, C2615 said:

As for king air, I'd recommend this freeware (update for default C90B)

Thanks, I'll take a look.

I fancy a four engine Douglas. They can be used on any length of trip you can desire. Imagine that in XPlane 12. Wow.🤩 

5 hours ago, Patco Lch said:

I fancy a four engine Douglas.

There are "What aircraft would you like to see in X-Plane" threads over at the "other" forum frequently. They usually devolve into a "who can find the most outlier aircraft that no one ever heard about and post it" fairly soon.

The bar for making an acceptable aircraft (3D, animations, system fidelity, avioncis,...) has risen dramatically over the years, and in XP10 times we had a million free downloads available because a dedicated user could hammer out something that was "acceptable" (i.e. generalized 2D cockpit, rough 3D, default systems,...) in a few months. 

This is different now - users want the whole 9 yards and this puts making aircraft into the realm of professional or extremely dedicated developers, better yet a team of those.

A complex 4-engine aircraft from a long-gone era does not hold the user interest to make it a viable commercial endeavor, PMDG tried it once when making the DC-6, but then concluded that the X-Plane market is not viable - there has been much debate about this, as several factors were at play, including some personal issue with Austin Meyer and Randazzo - but I personally believe that they made an aircraft that no one wants to fly bad enough to shelve out the asking price for it...

 

2 hours ago, Litjan said:

There are "What aircraft would you like to see in X-Plane" threads over at the "other" forum frequently. They usually devolve into a "who can find the most outlier aircraft that no one ever heard about and post it" fairly soon.

The bar for making an acceptable aircraft (3D, animations, system fidelity, avioncis,...) has risen dramatically over the years, and in XP10 times we had a million free downloads available because a dedicated user could hammer out something that was "acceptable" (i.e. generalized 2D cockpit, rough 3D, default systems,...) in a few months. 

This is different now - users want the whole 9 yards and this puts making aircraft into the realm of professional or extremely dedicated developers, better yet a team of those.

A complex 4-engine aircraft from a long-gone era does not hold the user interest to make it a viable commercial endeavor, PMDG tried it once when making the DC-6, but then concluded that the X-Plane market is not viable - there has been much debate about this, as several factors were at play, including some personal issue with Austin Meyer and Randazzo - but I personally believe that they made an aircraft that no one wants to fly bad enough to shelve out the asking price for it...

 

All reasonable points - but it also seems there is no shortage of weird and shall we say antique aircraft available to MS users from my casual perusal of what is on offer (Still does not tempt me to go that route of two sims). 

Another point is this era of aeroplane is difficult to operate, flying not so much but they were non automated hands on systems from radios and avionics, hydraulics, pressurisation etc not to mention the arcane art of engine control and management. so set and forget in this era, ergo systems complexity is equal to if not worse than modern tubes and it is striking that the in between era what Boeing called the Classics are also far and few between in XPlane as well. So apart from the DC-3 done by developers all the rest remain in the past that is before XPlane 12 and I note very few have been upgraded for XP12. There are exceptions like the Boeing 314 and the motivation for the developer to do that one and old beasty from the flying boat era is curious (But I for one am happy they did). The Sud Aviation Caravelle is one new attempt but still has a long way to go to being what shall we is finished and ready to rock n roll. As for other curios be they Douglas, Boeing or anything British - not a thing in sight. Plenty of ambitious projects offered but none about. So no Boeing Stratoliners, DC-4s, DC-6s, Constellations, DC-8s, DC-9, DC-10s, Convair 880 or 990s not to mention the piston Convairs or early curious like the De Havilland Comet 4, De Havilland Dove or Heron, BAC 111 the Trident, Vickers Vanguard, Bristol Britannia. When FSX was the only game in town these all arrived as FSX reached its end point and that is where most have stayed part of another sim era and system. 

As for PMDG well they have always been particularly hard nosed about sales and interest - never really worked out why they even did the DC-6 but they don't even offer it anymore on any platform so I can only conclude from that it was not a seller to the level they wanted but then again they were difficult to deal with at the best of times when I had other platforms and I only got the DC-6 working in P3D with a registry mod trick to fool it into working!

So lots of modern tube liners in XPlane, spoilt for choice really but as to the Classics and Pistons um - not all, and one does have to ask if there is really any interest from younger simmers or gamers for this stuff at all - I do not think so and so it will take a dedicated developer to do any of them if at all  that said there are few freeware exceptions about but not many. 

I gave a list of what I regard as reasonable XPlane airliners for MrBitsflyer when he first asked the question cannot add to that. 

As for the C90 King Air - not an airliner at all no knowledge of being used in that role, King Air 200 or 350 yes lots of places run them around as a 10-12 seaters. And  a small but no insignificant point for those interested you have minimum equipment levels and systems required by regulatory authorities all over the world for aircraft used in fare paying passenger operations operating to a schedule that is an airliner most if not all GA grade aeroplanes are not so equipped and so are not used. 

Edited October 2, 2025Oct 2 by coastaldriver

I'm waiting for the Torquesim VisionJet myself.

Also hoping they will do the new G7 as well.

Edited October 2, 2025Oct 2 by h2egc

Sorry guys, I knew piston liners were not probable, but with one week seniority in XPlane I had such a good time spending three hours yesterday getting my butt kicked all over the field trying to taxi and land my VSKYLABS C47 without ground looping. I “fancied” as the thread title says, of how much fun to have a heavy prop liner that requires more muscle flying than the glass jets I have so many hours in the other sims. Realistic muscle flying is why I came to Xplane and I’m a die hard prop head. I catch myself smiling a lot more flying a prop plane than when I’m programming an FMC in an NG. 
    I do remember judging by forum activity those were heady days when A2A announced the Stratocruiser then the Constellation and when PMDG announced the DC-6 in FSX, P3D then FS2020. I remember PMDG using the DC6 reception in 2020 as one reason for abandoning P3D so perhaps there is more prop aficionados then are recognized.

       I Keep FSX installed just for the Stratocruiser as well as AP3dv5 with an assortment of prop planes even though alas I have to fly them on rails.

 I was just “fancying” a DC-6 married to XPlane blade element flight physics but, not to be. Mean while, I am going to practice my C47 handling.

Good day.

Patco - yes heady days indeed so much creativity and development of the historical side of air transport in FSX and P3D. I made the move to XPlane simply for the fidelity and its future - not disappointed at all. There are 3 DC-3/C-47s - the AWX (a port rebuild of the Manfred Jahn C-47 and to my view the gold standard) the VSkylabs C-47 and the LES DC-3 so there is some interest or more lurking. Big pistons restricted to the Boeing 314 and if your into things that float there is also the PBY Catalina (Hydroz). Hangar 23 did the Bellanca Airbus or Aircruiser - again 10/10 for fidelity, modelling and texturing, but obviously not a seller and it is now available as freeware and worth a look at.

There is the Virtavia B-29 which has been modded and developed further and up and running in XP12 and is now freeware as released and very good as well if you want a big old round engine monster but not an airliner!

GA wise spoilt for choice really basically most of the props and pistons are there in fact quite a few that are not in the other sims such as the Beech Twin Bonanza BE50, the Beech TravelAir BE90, two excellent Aerostars. quite a few early Bellancas and I guess all the other Cessna's and Pipers as well (except the early taildraggers) GA wise spoilt for choice and quality in XPlane. 

That reminded me there is an airliner of sorts the venerable Cessna 404 or Titan from XHangar which was and is still used as an Airliner and it is pretty good as well and XHangar also have done the DHC4 Caribou all XP12 standard but payware. 

And last but not least I overlooked the venerable BN2 Islander - there are three, all payware and all excellent, the Thranda BN2A the Nimbus BN2B and the Torquesim BN2B (plus the turbine variety) a mini airliner if there ever was one and lots of fun in the sim in XPlane. 

One small XPlane bug to be ironed out the torque roll for twins with props - but just use more right rudder as the instructor would say!

Edited October 2, 2025Oct 2 by coastaldriver

I bought the Thranda Cessna Caravan last week and am totally impressed. Nice little ten passenger airliner used quite extensively today in both passenger and freight. Docile to fly and much fun. 

4 hours ago, Patco Lch said:

I “fancied” as the thread title says, of how much fun to have a heavy prop liner that requires more muscle flying than the glass jets I have so many hours in the other sims.

Well, if you want a lot of props on a heavy airframe to train some muscle...

https://forums.x-plane.org/files/file/92113-blackburn-beverly-cmk1/

https://forums.x-plane.org/files/file/86387-virtavia-b-29-superfortress-xp12/

https://forums.x-plane.org/files/file/92041-dh91-albatross_v2/

https://forums.x-plane.org/files/file/91105-breguet-763-xp12/

https://forums.x-plane.org/files/file/83110-avro-lancaster-b-mk3-dambuster-v12-update/

https://forums.x-plane.org/files/file/94990-olixsim-lockheed-l-18-lodestar/ (not heavy, still good though)

 

Early jets (pre-FMC) should also be your thing, unless you're also allergic to hydraulics.

On 10/1/2025 at 8:31 PM, Litjan said:

There are "What aircraft would you like to see in X-Plane" threads over at the "other" forum frequently. They usually devolve into a "who can find the most outlier aircraft that no one ever heard about and post it" fairly soon.

The bar for making an acceptable aircraft (3D, animations, system fidelity, avioncis,...) has risen dramatically over the years, and in XP10 times we had a million free downloads available because a dedicated user could hammer out something that was "acceptable" (i.e. generalized 2D cockpit, rough 3D, default systems,...) in a few months. 

This is different now - users want the whole 9 yards and this puts making aircraft into the realm of professional or extremely dedicated developers, better yet a team of those.

A complex 4-engine aircraft from a long-gone era does not hold the user interest to make it a viable commercial endeavor, PMDG tried it once when making the DC-6, but then concluded that the X-Plane market is not viable - there has been much debate about this, as several factors were at play, including some personal issue with Austin Meyer and Randazzo - but I personally believe that they made an aircraft that no one wants to fly bad enough to shelve out the asking price for it...

 

Mostly agreed. 👍 

I have the DC-6 in MSFS and it is a masterpiece!

But I’ve only flown it a handful of times. 

same thing with the A2A B-17.

Extremely intensive aircraft, and if I want to go deep on managing piston engines, etc, well, something like the A2A AeroStar or REP or TorqueSim is more what I’m after. 

MilViz had the same type of issues & outcomes with the X-Plane market. 

I don’t think the price is the issue as much as the Devs being willing to fork their skills to make it worth it for them. 

e.g., Carenado and Just Flight working with Thranda to bring their addons to XP. 
🤙

On 10/2/2025 at 8:08 AM, Patco Lch said:

Sorry guys, I knew piston liners were not probable, but with one week seniority in XPlane I had such a good time spending three hours yesterday getting my butt kicked all over the field trying to taxi and land my VSKYLABS C47 without ground looping. I “fancied” as the thread title says, of how much fun to have a heavy prop liner that requires more muscle flying than the glass jets I have so many hours in the other sims. Realistic muscle flying is why I came to Xplane and I’m a die hard prop head. I catch myself smiling a lot more flying a prop plane than when I’m programming an FMC in an NG. 
    I do remember judging by forum activity those were heady days when A2A announced the Stratocruiser then the Constellation and when PMDG announced the DC-6 in FSX, P3D then FS2020. I remember PMDG using the DC6 reception in 2020 as one reason for abandoning P3D so perhaps there is more prop aficionados then are recognized.

       I Keep FSX installed just for the Stratocruiser as well as AP3dv5 with an assortment of prop planes even though alas I have to fly them on rails.

 I was just “fancying” a DC-6 married to XPlane blade element flight physics but, not to be. Mean while, I am going to practice my C47 handling.

Good day.

the MSFS DC-6 was wildly popular because it was the first “study level” aircraft addon available for MSFS. That’s definitely the reason I bought it,( along with some nostalgia for the handful of IRL Piston Heavies I’ve had the privilege of riding  )

it was also a fairly low risk way for PMDG to test the development waters in MSFS vs P3D/FSX

i.e., bringing the NG as their first addon would’ve been jumping right into the deep end. Randazzo strikes me as a risk-averse guy (which ain’t a bad personality trait for airliner pilots! 😁).

Glad you’re enjoying the VSL Gooney Bird. They always make quite offbeat addons at a good level of fidelity - a refreshing change! 
They have a DC-3 triple turboprop in development. That should be a hoot to try if it ever releases 😎

 

On 9/28/2025 at 6:46 PM, JETPETER2 said:

I recommend this !!

Thanks for posting this! Haven't used XP for a good while now, but popped in to the forum to see what was happening and found this. Figured out what the aircraft was, bought it, and this has got me re-inspired to get my XP setup sorted out. Was a big fan and user of XP11, it was my prefered sim for a long while, but when MSFS came out I jumped into that big time. Still a major fan of both 2020 and 2024 but always did enjoy a lot of the XP flavour over MSFS anyway.

So now having great fun, edged with a bit of frustration, getting my XP12 world sorted and looking forward to cruising around in luxury style.