PX4-XPlane connects PX4 SITL to X-Plane. It sends PX4 actuator commands to writable X-Plane datarefs and returns simulated IMU, GPS, barometer, magnetometer, airspeed, and ground-truth data.
The current package is v4.0.6 with Windows, Linux, and macOS builds. It
includes tested examples for Cessna 172, TB2, Ehang 184, Alia 250, and
QuadTailsitter.
New v4 walkthrough videos are coming soon after the PX4 integration lands.
The current playlist is kept as a project-history archive and will also host
future videos.
PX4 integration is under review in
PX4-Autopilot PR #22493.
Until that merges, the setup helper temporarily uses the maintained
alireza787b/PX4-Autopilot-Me branch px4xplane-sitl-validation.
v4.0.6 includes the px4xplane-side fixes from the recent validation cycle:
sensor timing robustness, low-FPS/pause recovery, stale SITL parameter cleanup,
airframe config validation, camera presets, Alia elevator mapping, Cessna 172
runway steering recovery, and the accelerometer-bias/ground contact fixes that
affected earlier test packages. The launcher also asks whether to apply
temporary PX4 guard PRs while separate PX4 fixes are under review.
One PX4-side EKF edge case found during fast VTOL transition testing is tracked
separately in
PX4-Autopilot PR #27533.
A Standard VTOL front-transition setpoint handoff fix is tracked separately in
PX4-Autopilot PR #27601.
The Tailsitter fixed-wing attitude-frame fix and fixed-wing TECS altitude
reference reset are tracked in
PX4-Autopilot PR #27669 and
PX4-Autopilot PR #27670.
Those fixes are intentionally not bundled into this plugin repository. For
local validation while those PRs are pending, the launcher asks whether to use
the maintained validation branch, then asks whether to stack the pending EKF-GSF
and Standard VTOL guard PRs. The default answer is yes. The validation branch
also includes the accepted Tailsitter attitude-frame guard and the fixed-wing
TECS altitude-frame guard found during final Cessna 172/TB2 testing. Use
--exact-pr when you deliberately want the exact X-Plane branch without
temporary PX4 guards. Use --without-ekf-gsf-guard or
--without-vtol-handoff-guard only to selectively disable those two
cherry-picked guards.
- Download the package for your OS from Releases.
- Extract it and copy the
px4xplanefolder toX-Plane/Resources/plugins/. - Start X-Plane and load the matching aircraft.
- Start the temporary PX4 SITL helper:
tmp=$(mktemp) && curl -fsSL -o "$tmp" https://raw.githubusercontent.com/alireza787b/px4xplane/master/setup/setup_px4_sitl.sh && bash "$tmp"The helper installs the px4xplane launcher, syncs the PX4 SITL validation branch,
and opens the airframe menu. If you accept the command install prompt, future
sessions can be started by typing px4xplane from any terminal.
This helper is temporary while PX4-Autopilot PR #22493 is under review; after the PR merges, this section will switch to the official PX4 SITL commands.
For WSL2, Docker, remote machines, or firewall/IP setup, use the
network setup guide. If a wrong host
IP was saved, rerun the launcher with px4xplane --reset-ip.
For common setup or connection errors, see
Troubleshooting.
For final validation while the separate PX4 guard PRs are still under review,
use the validation shortcut. It selects px4xplane-sitl-validation, applies
the EKF-GSF and Standard VTOL guard PRs, and uses the Tailsitter and TECS
validation fixes already included in that branch:
px4xplane --validation --reset-configThe launcher keeps the selected PX4 checkout aligned with the validation branch
and stacks the pending PX4 guard commits locally. It does not change the
official X-Plane PR scope. For reviewer-scope checks of the exact X-Plane PR
without temporary guard PRs, run px4xplane --exact-pr --reset-config.
If you already have a PX4 checkout and do not want a second clone, pass it to the helper:
px4xplane --px4-path ~/PX4-Autopilot --sync --reset-configThe helper uses a separate px4xplane git remote inside that checkout and
leaves your origin remote unchanged. To put the selected checkout back on
official PX4 master, run:
px4xplane --px4-path ~/PX4-Autopilot --restore-official| I want to... | Start here |
|---|---|
| Install and fly an included airframe | Quick Start and the matching flight-test card |
| Run PX4 in WSL2, Docker, or another computer | Network setup |
| Fix setup or connection errors | Troubleshooting |
| Create or edit a custom airframe mapping | Custom airframe guide |
| Use the browser config editor | Config editor guide |
| Build the plugin from source | Build guide |
| Work on the project or release process | Developer guide |
| See all packaged docs | Documentation index |
The included examples are ready-to-test PX4 targets, not a hard vehicle-class limit. A new X-Plane model can be integrated when PX4 has a matching SITL-capable control path and px4xplane can map the needed actuator outputs to writable X-Plane datarefs.
Use the custom airframe guide for the config editor, schema, camera presets, actuator mappings, and validation workflow.
The launcher includes maintenance flags for syncing the PX4 fork branch, resetting saved IP/config choices, and repairing the setup. See the documentation index for the operator and developer workflows.
MIT. See LICENSE.