Recently, I installed the top-ranked free aircraft addon on x-plane.org, the Eclipse 550. After trying it out, I was quite impressed, so I wanted to recommend it here.

Installation is straightforward. Log in to x-plane.org, click the download link in the URL above to get the Eclipse 550-v1-1 zip file, and extract it to the X-Plane 11/Aircraft/General Aviation folder. Then, launch X-Plane and select the aircraft.

Exterior of the Eclipse 550:

Next came the test flight. I flew for half an hour using both the autopilot and manual controls. I found it very easy to get started with; there was no need to read any documentation or specifically bind any buttons. The keybindings are exactly the same as those for the small Cessna or Piper I usually fly, so there were absolutely no issues.

The aircraft is stable in flight, the cockpit instruments display comprehensive data, the display design is advanced, and the Autopilot MCP functions are intuitive. For a free Addon, the quality is truly admirable.

The screenshot below shows an ILS approach. I used NAV2 to tune the ILS signal at 121.07 MHz. Both GS (Glideslope) and LOC (Localizer) are centered. You can see various display information; it is really no different from a large airliner. Screenshot over the Runway during the flare before landing.

This little jet is really interesting. I haven’t flown many jets in the past, mainly because I felt that relying on various autopilot systems lacks the fun of manual flying. However, I tried flying the Eclipse 550 completely manually—from takeoff, Climb, and cruise to Descent and landing—and the experience was actually quite nice. I might consider using it more for long-distance flights in the future.

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