Android devices have become an integral part of modern-day aviation, serving as valuable resources for pilots and aviation enthusiasts alike. With the advent of X Plane 11, the demand for efficient and reliable Android apps has risen significantly. These apps aim to enhance the overall flight experience by providing users with real-time flight data, weather updates, navigation tools, and much more. This article highlights the best Android apps for X Plane 11, catering to the needs of pilots, flight simulators, and aviation enthusiasts.
We have compiled a list of 5 Best Android Apps For X Plane 11 for your consideration, which have undergone rigorous testing and evaluation by our team of experts.
Contents
5 Best Android Apps For X Plane 11
1. FltPlan Go
FltPlan Go is an application that complements the FltPlan website and provides essential features and tools for offline and in-flight use. Users can create and submit their flight plan on FltPlan.com, which will then synchronize to FltPlan Go for responsive editing on the map. NavLogs are automatically synced and downloaded for offline use. Alternatively, users can create and file their flight plan on FltPlan Go to sync to FltPlan.com.
The FltPlan Go app offers aviation information such as airport and FBO information with current fuel prices, geo-referenced approach plates and airport diagrams for U.S and Canada, weather reports such as METARs, TAFs, PIREPs, and MOS, and NOTAMs and remarks. The mapping features include sectionals, enroute charts, overlays of approach plates and procedures on the map, and layers including SUAs, TFRs, state outline, airports, fuel prices, CAP grid, stadiums, and customs. Users can also display METARs, winds, animated weather, MOS weather forecasts up to four days out, and search and rescue patterns.
FltPlan Go offers NavLogs that are automatically synced and downloaded for offline use. Users can email or print NavLogs from within the app.
2. X-Plane Flight Simulator
X-Plane is a flight simulator app that boasts a realistic flight model, interactive 3-D cockpits, and detailed terrain. With over 1 million downloads, the app is highly recommended by reviewers. The flight model, which is the same as the one used in the FAA-certified desktop simulator, models the flex in wings and tilt in landing gear. The app includes free regions, each with lifelike city buildings and 3-D airports with terminal buildings, jetways, and hangars. Additional global scenery with access to over 37,000 airports is available by subscription.
X-Plane offers 9 free tutorials and 2-player internet multiplayer via Game Center. The app features fully interactive cockpits on many aircraft, wired to real systems models, with working gauges, displays, buttons, and switches. Over 50 systems are modeled, and emergency scenarios and combat missions are also available. The app includes 2 aircraft and 5 scenery regions for free, with additional aircraft available as in-app purchases.
Scenery regions available for free are Oahu, Hawaii; Grand Canyon; Seattle/Tacoma, Washington; Juneau, Alaska; and Innsbruck, Austria. Global scenery is available by purchasing a monthly or yearly subscription. With a Professional subscription, early access to massive multiplayer is available.
3. AirMate
Airmate is a user-friendly application designed for pilots to assist with flight planning and navigation, with added social sharing features. Utilizing Airmate’s flight planning tools, pilots can access airport data and aviation maps worldwide, as well as up-to-date weather and NOTAMs. IFR and VFR airport plates are freely available in over 200 countries and can be georeferenced and overlaid onto aviation charts. The Plate Manager feature enables easy downloading and printing of airport plates.
During flights, the moving map displays the aircraft’s location along the route, airport information, and aeronautical data details. A profile view is also available to display terrain elevation across the route. Airmate offers a worldwide aeronautical database updated free of charge with airports, navigation beacons, waypoints, airways, regulated and restricted areas. Topographic maps and elevation data for most countries are available for download, as well as additional aviation map overlays such as US Sectionals. Airmate can record flights and replay them later or export the flight path in gpx format.
A Satellite map display mode is available in flight planning or replay mode for pilots to familiarize themselves with significant landmarks. Airmate saves planned and flown flights, user waypoints, and user aircraft in the cloud, allowing for syncing between devices.
Airmate offers social features to the community, enabling pilots to leave ratings, tips, and comments to share their experiences with fellow pilots.
4. XPlaneMonitor
XPlaneMonitor is a mobile application that displays flight information such as brake, flap, landing gear, reverse thrust, G-forces, time, and distance to NAV1, without the need to look around the cockpit. The app also includes buttons to turn on/off all lights and adjust EFIS map display settings. It is compatible with most X-Plane 11 aircraft, including default 737/747, Zibo’s 738, SSG’s 747, and more. XPlaneMonitor permits protocol conversion, enabling the use of Flight Factor 767 with XHSI displays, which is usually not supported.
The app features a moving map that shows the current location of the aircraft. XPlaneMonitor can automatically detect the X-Plane instance, provided multicast is working. In case the router does not support multicast properly, users can manually configure the X-Plane hostname or IP address by tapping on the Auto BECN button.
To use the XPlaneMonitor app, the ExtPlane v2 plugin must be installed in X-Plane 11 Resources/plugins directory. The plugin utilizes port 51000 to provide external control capabilities, and Windows firewall must not block it. Users must download the plugin binaries from http://waynepiekarski.net/extplane because the original ExtPlane v1 plugin has issues with string datarefs.
The app’s source code is written in Kotlin and built with Android Studio, available under GPLv3 at https://github.
5. XPlaneCDU
XPlaneCDU is a remote control interface designed to allow users to control the Control Display Unit (CDU) of X-Plane 11 using an Android tablet or phone. It should be noted that the app does not provide an FMS and only serves as a tool for controlling the existing CDU. As of now, it is compatible with the Zibo Boeing 737 and SSG 747 aircraft.
To use XPlaneCDU, the user must have the following:
– X-Plane 11
– The ExtPlane v2 plugin downloaded from http://waynepiekarski.net/extplane and unzipped, with the extracted directory copied into the Resources/Plugins directory
– The Zibo Boeing 738 or SSG Boeing 748
– TCP port 51000 open in Windows firewall for ExtPlane
– Multicast support on the network for auto-detection
XPlaneCDU will automatically detect the X-Plane instance provided that multicast is functional. However, if multicast is not working, the user can manually configure the X-Plane hostname or IP address.
It is essential to have the ExtPlane v2 plugin installed in the X-Plane 11 Resources/plugins directory to use XPlaneCDU. The port 51000 is used by the plugin to enable external control capabilities, and the user must ensure that the Windows firewall does not block it. The binaries for the plugin can be downloaded from http://waynepiekarski.