Find aircraft background, systems descriptions and manuals for the aircraft you are researching. Each note keeps its source and version context close by.
Simulator manuals describe the developer’s implementation. Aircraft background is research-based; pilot accounts describe an individual’s experience. Coverage here is limited to the selected notes and linked resources, not the full contents of every manual.
Bell 47
The Bell 47 developed from Arthur Young's early rotorcraft work and received civil certification in 1946. A single piston engine and two-bladed rotor powered a compact aircraft that found training, observation and utility roles. Many versions and licensed developments followed.
The familiar 47G and enclosed-cabin 47J have visibly different configurations. Their seating and equipment should remain distinct. The simulator developer's model designation and documentation establish which member of this large historical family is represented.
Aircraft / family
Bell Helicopter 47J Ranger
The Ranger brought a different appearance to the Bell 47 lineage. Its enclosed cabin and covered tail boom distinguish it from the exposed structure associated with the familiar 47G. It retained a single piston engine and a conventional main-rotor and tail-rotor arrangement.
Its history includes presidential transport, but its scale remains that of a light helicopter. The MSFS manual also documents a simulator convenience governor; that feature needs to be understood as part of the add-on, rather than silently attributed to the original aircraft.
Aircraft / family
Bell UH-1 Huey
The UH-1 brought turbine power to US military helicopter service and became the foundation of a large Huey family. Its cabin, sliding side doors and utility layout supported troop transport, medical evacuation and many other roles.
The Iroquois name covers a development history with different engines, fuselage lengths and equipment. The simulator catalogue includes independently developed aircraft as well as a themed first-party package. A systems statement from one developer's manual cannot automatically describe the other product.
Aircraft / family
Boeing 307 Stratoliner
The Stratoliner drew on Boeing's B-17 engineering while using a broad circular fuselage for passengers. Four radial engines powered the low-wing, tailwheel aircraft. It entered commercial service in 1940 and represented an early move toward flying above much of the weather.
Only a small number were built, and individual aircraft had eventful later histories. Its flight engineer station and period systems make it a different kind of cockpit from the later Boeing jets. The simulator manual describes how those crew responsibilities are represented.
Aircraft / family
Boeing 707-320C
The 707 developed from Boeing's 367-80 demonstrator and entered airline service in 1958. Its swept wing carried four podded engines, while the cabin used a six-abreast cross-section that influenced later Boeing narrow-bodies. Several fuselage, wing and engine developments followed.
The -320C in this catalogue is a convertible passenger-and-cargo version. Its flight deck includes a flight engineer position and systems from an earlier jet age. The Working Title manual identifies the specific simulated layout, including cargo configuration, navigation and flight-control details.
Aircraft / family
Boeing 727
Boeing developed the 727 after the 707, arranging three engines around the rear fuselage and a high T-tail. The first flight took place in 1963, with service following in 1964. Its elaborate high-lift wing supported the programme's airport-access ambitions.
The -100 and longer -200 have different proportions, while freighter conversions add another role. In the cockpit, a flight engineer and period autopilot installations create a very different workflow from a modern 737. The simulator developer documents which installation its aircraft represents.
Aircraft / family
Boeing 737 family
The first 737 flew in 1967. Boeing retained the six-abreast fuselage width familiar from its earlier jets while placing two engines under the wing. The aircraft subsequently developed through the Original, Classic, Next Generation and MAX generations.
That long development makes the variant suffix especially valuable. An early 737-200, a 737-800 and a 737 MAX do not share identical engines, displays or systems. Simulator products add another layer of variation, from bundled aircraft to specialist implementations with their own failures, options and documentation.
Aircraft / family
Boeing 747 family
The 747 first flew in 1969 and entered airline service in 1970. Its broad main deck transformed the scale of passenger flying, while the elevated cockpit also suited a freighter with a nose-loading door. Passenger and cargo developments remained important throughout the programme.
The flight deck changed dramatically between classic three-crew 747s and later two-pilot aircraft. The 747-8 also brought a further wing and engine development. This page brings those generations together without treating the systems of a classic 747-200 as those of a modern 747-8.
Aircraft / family
757 family · FlightFactor · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12
Systems, loading and cockpit-building facilities
FlightFactor describes custom hydraulic and electrical systems, a three-channel autopilot with failure dependencies, and loading and fuel changes that affect centre of gravity. The product also provides cockpit-interaction and live-dataref facilities for builders. Passenger, cargo and engine choices belong to the selected package, so those options should be checked alongside the systems description.
757 v2; published XP11/XP12 support · Flight model; FMS/EFIS; custom systems; cockpit interaction
Boeing 757
The 757 first flew in 1982 and entered service in 1983. It paired a new wing and large underwing engines with a two-pilot electronic-instrument cockpit. The -200 became the main production version, joined later by the stretched -300 and dedicated freight developments.
Its cockpit shares substantial design thinking with the wider 767, but the airframes and systems remain distinct. FlightFactor's simulator products also offer specific engine, passenger and cargo configurations, so the package details are an important part of the reference.
Aircraft / family
Boeing 767
The 767 first flew in 1981 and entered service in 1982. Its twin-engine wide-body layout served routes between smaller narrow-bodies and the largest long-haul aircraft. Stretched, extended-range and freight versions broadened the programme.
The -200, -300 and -400 are different airframes, and the -400 also brought substantial cockpit changes. Simulator products may cover only part of that range. The implementation's exact variant and developer documentation keep the aircraft's identity clear.
Aircraft / family
777 family · PMDG · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
The 777's flight-control logic is modelled explicitly
PMDG describes custom C*U flight-control logic with normal and direct modes, path and speed management, and artificial-feel modelling. The reviewed 777-200ER product also offers different engine families with their own indications and thrust behaviour. These are properties of the documented PMDG aircraft, rather than a blanket description of every 777 add-on.
777-200ER MSFS2020/2024 published specification · Auto-flight System
