Boeing 747 family

747-200 Classic Passengers ↗X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12 · Aircraft · Released

747-200F Classic Cargo ↗X-Plane 12 · Aircraft · ReleasedStandalone freighter; an owner discount does not make it a base-aircraft expansion.

B 747-8 Intercontinental Prime Edition ↗X-Plane 12 · Aircraft · Released

747-400 ↗X-Plane 12 · Aircraft · Released

Passenger and freighter equipment are documented together

The MSFS 2024 guide explains an important fuel-system difference: the passenger 747-8i has a stabiliser tank, while the 8F does not. Its fuel feeds into the centre tank. The manual then follows the changing pump and crossfeed configuration as centre and main-tank fuel is consumed, making fuel management part of the documented long-haul workflow.

Acknowledging an autopilot disconnect

The guide recommends separate AUTOPILOT ON and AUTOPILOT OFF bindings. A further OFF command acknowledges the AUTOPILOT DISC warning; the master-warning control does not clear it. Using a toggle instead can engage the autopilot again. These are the manual’s simulator binding labels.

The firefighting 747 has a separate guide

The SuperTanker manual documents a liquid-drop interface with coverage level, a multiplier and a choice of left, right or both tanks. Flow calculations can use GPS groundspeed or a value entered by the user. These controls describe the simulated firefighting equipment and are separate from the ordinary airliner cockpit workflow.

Selecting a drop and reviewing its result

The interface provides timed, fractional-volume and pilot-controlled termination choices. Its tank-level display shows the remaining load, while the drop-statistics page reports the last quantity released and achieved coverage. The manual also describes automatic termination when the selected tanks empty.

The Dreamlifter differs behind the enlarged fuselage

The guide explains that the Dreamlifter has no APU because of its swing-tail arrangement. Ground preparation instead depends on external electrical power and an air-start cart. In this implementation, the cart is enabled through MENU → SETTINGS on the CDU, giving the specialised freighter a distinct departure workflow.

An illustrative flight for learning the cockpit

The tutorial uses Chicago O’Hare to Washington Dulles to introduce the aircraft. It separately describes the Dreamlifter’s industrial role carrying 787 components between production locations; the tutorial route is a practice scenario.

The AAU2 avionics and systems update

Microsoft’s MSFS 2020 release notes document a substantial 747-8i update: independent navigation and CDU displays, expanded flight-plan support including holds and missed approaches, and performance-based VNAV with wind forecasts and idle descent. The published changes also include autopilot landing modes, revised fuel and electrical logic, and functional GPS and inertial navigation. These changes belong to the June 2023 MSFS 2020 update.

The bundled 747 has separate documentation

The archived 747-400 guide describes independent captain and first-officer EFIS controls. The navigation display offers approach, VOR, map and flight-plan views, with separate selections for weather, navigation aids, waypoints and airports. This material belongs to the documented 747-400 panel and does not establish identical equipment in the separately listed 747-100.

Reading the guide’s simulation limits

The manual cautions that not every overhead-panel function is fully simulated. Its EFIS description also marks DATA, POS and TERR selections as unsupported. Those limitations apply to the version documented by the archived guide.

A classic three-crew 747 simulation

Felis's 747-200 documentation describes custom autopilot and autoland systems, a separate autothrottle and extensive aircraft systems. The classic cockpit's analogue instruments and navigation equipment provide a different experience from the later 747-8. Release notes identify handling changes separately for X-Plane 11 and 12.