MSFS 2024 gets AAU 06: five German classics move to the native system

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 now has Aircraft & Avionics Update 06, known as AAU 06, and this time German aviation from another era takes center stage. The update focuses on five aircraft with a lot of history: the Junkers F 13 and Ju 52 and the Dornier Do X, Do J Wal and Do 31. According to Gamereactor Spain, which draws on Microsoft's release notes, anyone who already owns these models will get the improvements at no extra cost.

It may look like a minor patch, but there's more to it than the headline suggests. All five aircraft leave their legacy status behind and move to the native framework and modular aircraft system of the 2024 edition. In practice, this means they stop being half-adapted museum pieces and become truly integrated into the current simulator. For a community that lives and breathes accuracy, changes like this matter more than any flashy trailer.

What you need to know

• AAU 06 is now available for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
• It affects five aircraft: Junkers F 13, Junkers Ju 52, Dornier Do X, Dornier Do J Wal and Dornier Do 31.
• The update is free for anyone who already owns those models.
• If you don't own them, each aircraft costs $14.99 on the simulator's Marketplace.
• All of them move to the native modular system, with adjustments to the flight model, controls, ground handling and internal systems.

What changes on each aircraft

The core of AAU 06 is the migration to the native MSFS 2024 environment. That migration brings refinements to flight performance, control response and ground behavior. Microsoft also says engine, fuel, electrical and cockpit systems have been updated where needed. It's a measured approach: not every aircraft gets the same level of changes, just what each one needed.

The seaplanes get special treatment. The Do X and Do J Wal improve their handling on water, whether taxiing, taking off or landing. Anyone who has tried to control a large seaplane in a simulator knows that's usually where the most frustrating bugs show up. Finally, configurations that meet the requirements become compatible with activities in one of the simulator's modes. The original report cuts off right there, so we won't speculate on which one it is.

Why the modular system matters

The move to the modular system isn't just a change of label. It's the foundation Microsoft wants to build the 2024 experience on, and aircraft left outside it end up behaving inconsistently with the rest of the hangar. Migrating older content is unglamorous work, but it's what keeps a paid library from degrading over time. Delivering this update free of charge to owners is, quite simply, the right thing to do.

Our take

Here at Underworld Lordz, we value updates like this more than a lot of grandiose announcements. A simulator stands or falls on the consistency of its content, and seeing Microsoft keep polishing aircraft that aren't exactly the most popular in the catalog is a good sign. For anyone who practices routes, records flights or streams aviation content, an aircraft that responds better on the controls is the difference between believable content and something you'd be embarrassed to show.

That said, we also have to be critical. $14.99 per aircraft is still a hefty price for niche planes, especially if you want the full set of five. And the feeling that some of this work should have been there out of the box when 2024 launched doesn't go away. Moving to the native system is a positive step, but it also confirms that for a while these models weren't up to the standard of the simulator they were being sold in.

For content creators, the Do X and Do J Wal are the gems of this release. Historic seaplanes look great on screen, spark conversation and offer piloting challenges that audiences appreciate. If the water handling improvements live up to the promise, there's plenty of material for challenges, water landing races or historic flight series full of personality.

What do you think?

We'd love to know whether these updates make you want to jump back into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or whether the per-aircraft price holds you back. Would you pick up a Dornier Do X to make content, or do you prefer modern aircraft? Drop by the team chat or our Discord and tell us: is it worth paying for German classics in a simulator?