In recent years, FlightFX has built a reputation for bringing business aviation to life in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Now, the developer is taking an ambitious step forward with their most complex project yet: the Hawker 800XP. To top things off, they’ve pulled off an almost unheard-of move in the flight sim community by keeping the jet fully under wraps until it was on the verge of release. FSElite was granted early access to see whether the product, which aims to deliver a true-to-life simulation of one of corporate aviation’s most iconic midsize jets, quirks and all, lives up to the hype.
A Corporate Classic: Reborn
The Hawker 800XP comes from a bloodline that needs no introduction in the charter and corporate aviation world. Built from a rugged British Aerospace heritage, the 800XP is the most produced version of an airframe that traces its lineage back to 1962 and the de Havilland DH.125 “Jet Dragon”. Over the decades, corporate acquisitions reshaped British Aerospace, and the platform evolved into the Hawker Siddeley HS.125 and British Aerospace BAe 125 series. Over those years, the airframe earned a reputation for its stand-up cabin, rugged construction, and excellent short-field capabilities.
When Raytheon acquired the BAe corporate jet line in 1993, the company officially adopted the “Hawker” name, releasing the upgraded Hawker 800XP in 1995 with more powerful Honeywell TFE731 geared turbofan engines, enhanced payload capacity, and improved avionics—making it one of the most commercially successful midsize business jets ever built. When Hawker Beechcraft faced financial restructuring in the early 2010s, production of the jet line ceased, and Textron Aviation acquired the brand’s assets in 2014. Today, Textron maintains engineering, parts, and maintenance support for the global legacy fleet, ensuring the half-century heritage of the Hawker lineage continues to fly for years to come.
FlightFX: Masters of Documentation
Faced with the cold and dark cockpit of a high-fidelity jet like the FlightFX Hawker 800XP, the best starting point for the uninitiated is a thorough PDF manual. In this department, FlightFX sets the bar for thoroughness with a 467-page PDF user manual. This extensive document covers the history of the jet, walkaround items, aircraft performance, FMS setup, cockpit layout, switch functionality, and much more—After reading it, you’ll definitely feel ready for your HS-125 type rating.
In addition to the written documentation, the 800XP leverages FlightFX’s VAMS (Virtual Aircraft Management System) 3.0 Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), which gives pilots a direct look into the aircraft’s internal mechanics. VAMS includes synoptic pages with live visualizations we’ve seen in other study-level add-ons, but rarely at this price point. According to Lead Developer Marwan Gharib, the VAMS screens are recreations of the actual engineering schematics from the real aircraft’s manuals. “We wanted to show that every underlying component is there and is functioning… bringing the manual to life,” he said.
A True-to-Life Visual Model
The 800XP’s interior and exterior models showcase the detail, realistic finishes and textures, and weathering that FlightFX has come to perfect over its product line. The cabin has several interactive clickspots to open compartments, drawers, and doors. Animated passengers are loaded into their seats via the EFB, and meals can be served up for them, all while “FlightFX Enroute“, the 800XP’s real-time cabin display, keeps them informed of the flight’s progress.
Moving forward from the main passenger door, the cockpit detail continues the realistic look and feel with nearly every switch, knob, and instrument functioning as it does in the real airplane. Instrument panel pushbutton switches show grime and wear, and the backlighting looks in-line with the aircraft’s age.
With the Hawker 800XP’s avionics, FlightFX built upon and enhanced Working Title’s Collins Pro Line 21 suite, tailoring the underlying code specifically for the airframe by incorporating custom side-selection-key control logic, custom FMC pages, and real-world takeoff, landing, and performance data. A functional weather radar is also integrated into the cockpit displays, along with checklists and charts via Navigraph or the LIDO chart service.
Stepping outside the aircraft, the external model features clickspots for accessing the compartments and panels needed for the preflight inspection. The cabin door, radome, fuel panel, and GPU receptacle can be opened during the walkaround and are extremely well-detailed. Landing gear pins, engine covers, and pitot covers, collectively the aircraft’s remove-before-flight “red gear”, can be selected during the interactive walkaround or toggled via the EFB. Ground support equipment, including a GPU, refueling truck, and wheel chocks, is also controlled via the corresponding clickspots and/or the EFB.
One unique feature that brings the aircraft’s visuals to life is the ability to toggle the amount of dirt and bug splatters on the aircraft via a slider in the EFB. All Hawker business jets are fully capable of operating from unpaved airstrips, and this option really leans into that storyline if you choose to operate your 800XP from unpaved surfaces (don’t worry, we won’t tell your insurance carrier). Of course, there’s also an option to wash your aircraft and start the dirt-accumulation process over again.
Another immersive touch is the visible flow of the anti-ice fluid aft along the wings when the icing protection system is active. Unlike many other jets in its class, the Hawker 800XP uses glycol-based anti-icing fluid instead of hot bleed air from the engines. When the anti-ice fluid is depleted, it can be refilled using the same quirky process real-world Hawker crews use via the filler port near the cabin entry door. With total state persistence tracking over 1,300 parameters per airframe (including TKS fluid level), you’ll have a realistic reason to verify fluid level before you dispatch the aircraft each time.
Flying the 800XP
From a pilot’s perspective, the Hawker 800XP handles exactly like what you would expect from a rugged 1960s airframe that was progressively modernized with more powerful engines and refined avionics over the decades. The flight controls are manually operated and connected to the dual ram’s-horn yokes via chains, cables, and interconnecting rods, giving the aircraft a solid feeling when hand-flying. If that’s not your thing, engage the autopilot and take full advantage of the Pro Line 21’s capabilities to get you to your destination. There’s even an optional aftermarket auto-throttle that can be selected via the EFB to help with speed management.
While the 800XP rewards hand-flying, it also demands your full attention; you will inevitably forget to set the pressurization controller once or twice and be reminded by a blaring warning horn, or have to master the nuances of feeding fuel from the ventral tank during a long leg. Landing on a shorter runway can bring its own unique thrill, as deploying the aircraft’s lift dump system moves the flaps into a 75-degree angle, simultaneously with full spoiler extension, to firmly plant the main gear and maximize braking. It is these kinds of operational quirks and complexities that make mastering the 800XP feel deeply rewarding.
But… Another Midsize Jet?
I know what you’re thinking at this point: “My MSFS hangar is already crowded with midsize corporate jets, so why do I need another one?” The answer is a bit more nuanced than arguing that the Hawker is great because “FlightFX made it really detailed”. Allow me to propose the following points in favor of making room in your virtual hangar for the 800XP:
- The system depth and fidelity developed by FlightFX mean the Hawker is much more than default code wrapped in modern glass avionics. While a casual simmer can hop in and fly A to B without any real issues, the Hawker almost demands more effort to learn the aircraft and its systems compared with more modern aircraft,
- In the real-world, the 800XP occupies a unique sweet spot in business aviation: it combines the rugged short-field performance and mechanical feel of an analog-era workhorse with the modern capability of a Pro Line 21 cockpit and luxury interior. In the sim, this aircraft is equally at home touching down on an unpaved, austere airstrip as it is on the FBO ramp at a major international airport, giving you the realistic operational flexibility to take it just about anywhere in the virtual world.
- The 800XP’s 3D model, soundscape created by Boris Audio Works, airframe persistence, customized avionics, failure modeling, and interactive EFB set a new standard for this price point. It’s tough to argue that you’re not getting your money’s worth for a biz jet that costs under $40.
If you’re the type of pilot who enjoys hands-on, occasionally workload-intensive flying, then you’ll love FlightFX’s Hawker 800XP. Is it deserving of the term “study-level”? Maybe. One thing is for sure: FlightFX has created an aircraft that rewards you for mastering its complex and often quirky systems, and where a well-flown flight gives you a sense of accomplishment that you just can’t get in a modern, more automated airplane.
Final Thoughts
For FlightFX, the Hawker 800XP marks a milestone in their ever-increasing capabilities, which is great for the flight sim community regardless of whether you buy their add-on or not. But those who take on the challenge of the jet will find that its deep systems, EFB functionality, realistic handling, and authentic avionics make the FlightFX Hawker 800XP feel alive and demanding in the best ways possible.
Availability
The FlightFX Hawker 800XP is scheduled for release on September 8th, 2026, and will be available directly through the MSFS 2024 Marketplace for $36.99.
