Hello MSFS Sim Pilots,
I am proud to announce the release of the latest LHC aircraft to the advanced sim world of MSFS Flight Simulator, the classic American Bellanca 17-300A Super Viking. These were sort of like the Muscle Cars of General Aviation, having a very high cruise speed for that era. This particular model, the 300-A was a twin turbo Edition with 300HP. This enabled the Super Viking to not only cruise at higher then normal speeds, but to have a ceiling of 25,000 feet (7,600 Meters). Cruise speed average was about 186 MPH at 75% power, and if you pushed it, you can top out on a good day at 226 MPH.
These had a tube steel fuselage with fabric skins, and the well known Bellanca style smooth finish wings done in wood skins with wood ribbings and spar. Bellanca were very well known for their strong and durable wooden wings having a good glue technology that could withstand the harsh elements.
In this sim model, you will find 8 different paint schemes which include 4 versions of instrument panel themes and multiple interior fabric colors/themes. Some features that make the Super Viking unique;
- Clickable Panel Placcards and a hidden Autopilot Placcard that pop’s up to readable scale.
- A very cool Century III Autopilot of that era. Please read up on it in the manual if you have never managed one of these before. Very cool system as it has a Orbit feature of auto-bank at 30 degrees.
- Opening pilot and rear cargo hatch
- I created the ability to do Emergency belly landings in the Super Viking that will not crash the flight. When you go to do a Emergency power out landing with gear up, and you find a smooth location to put down, you can gently land her and slide to a stop with gear up. The prop will need to be changed. We sell replacements at a good price if you should need more.
- The gear animation is very odd. They sort of move one at a time, so you will note one main raises, then the next, etc. The nose will drop fairly fast.
- I make the key starter to ‘start’ the engine after about 2 to 3 seconds. This means you must hold the key in the Start position till she starts, just like any other plane. Just clicking the key will not get your 300 HP twin turbo running.
- Multiple dimmers are on the panel for lights. The overhead switch on the dome light does not work as it was re-routed to the dimmer knob for dim-ability on the panel. There are two dimmers for the panel; hood style 3D top surface lighting (from exterior points over the instruments) and also ‘inner instrument illumination’ where it appears to glow, having lamps inside. This second mode of gauge lighting is awesome on night flights with a full moon using 4 clicks of dimmer.
Some tips on the Century III Autopilot:
- ROLL is your AP ON/OFF
- PITCH switches on Vertical Climb/Decent and must be on when clicking ALT.
- ALT is Altitude Hold
- HDG is your Heading Hold and is used with the HDG Bug in your HSI Instrument.
- The Round Mode Selector (above the rectangular Autopilot face) will set you with GPS, NAV, VOR, ILS and Back Course modes. When doing just a regular flight, no VOR to VOR, I will use HDG mode (straight up) and use the HSI bug to guide it, if I am using that.
Note that on this plane, now and then, the AP will act up, and might need to have VS mode turned off and back on. It isnt 100 percent perfect and now and then it will miss its command. Normally it will not, but if it does, just turn VS off and back on, same for ROLL to reboot the Century III if it doesnt do what it should. Its rare. It makes me think of my cars in real world when a switch (cruise control) doesnt always do what I want, and I have to reset it, etc.
I have sought to make this a very high detail plane (best of my abilities) but also ‘flyable’ for everyone. Its not a study plane by any means, but should be close. Her stall speed is off, but cruise speeds should be right on. She will get to 25 K feet and should get you to locations 700 NM away with full tanks. Her flaps are massive and have a very high angle, so over the runway she should show some strong ‘ground effect’. Use take-off trim when starting your take-off run. Your trim handle is located above you.
There is a manual for her in the Manual folder of her folder in the MSFS Folder System/lhc-aircraft-bellanca-super-viking. There are a ton of screenshots and diagrams and show you just about everything on the plane. Very easy to understand, not too technical. I ‘HIGHLY RECOMMEND’ glancing through it. It will save you some time. 
Happy flights! Do not get any speeding tickets… And if you need new propellers after practicing belly landings, just email our Bellanca Prop Department and we can set you up with replacements.
Bill Ortis
LHC
| Category |
Options |
| Cost |
‘payware $24.95 USD’ |
| Category |
‘aircraft’ |
| Creator |
Lionheart Creations |
Email for more information; help@lionheartcreations.com
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Some extra screenshots showing features in the new ‘300-A’ Super Viking…
This above shows the ‘above the instrument’ hood-style lighting which also illuminates area’s around the panel that do not feature glow/internal illumination.
This above shows the ‘inner illumiation mode’ for instruments at night.
Details galore. The clam shell main gear doors made of fiberglass.
The infamous ‘Belly Landing’ mode that should not crash the flight. Slide in smoothly. Find a flat, smooth area to put down in. This is ‘excellent practice’ by the way for real world pilots that sharpens your mind to find an emergency landing point below as fast and best as possible and set up your glide approach accordingly. Exciting… Just costly on paint and props. :S
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Some interior screenshots and also the Century III autopilot. Its ‘AP MODE SELECTOR’ is the round panel/knob above. The ‘AP SYSTEMS’ panel is the lower rectangular panel. ROLL is your on/off on the Century III. You will also have a red light turn on in front of you on the panel showing AP is active and running.
On the Century III autopilot, you have a rocker switch, far right. It will only accept ‘Mouse Wheel’ input for lowering your VS Rate. You can ‘Left Click’ it to increase your VS rate, but not reduce it. This is with Mouse Wheel only, and you can use Mouse Wheel for both up-VS and down-VS inputs.
This particular panel uses the 6-Pack of mini Engine/Fuel instruments. Bellanca also used tall vertical style gauges, but in this package, we selected this version of the two that were featured in Bellancas.
Overhead trim crank.
Click on the interior door handle to unlatch and open your door.
To open and close the rear cargo door, simply spin around and mouse click the door and it will open. Click it again through the plexi side window (from inside the plane) to close it.
Note to the new Viking pilots, there are 2 bugs presently on the first release;
- Bank indicator has glitches and will need code repair
- Toe brakes are also malfunctioning and will be going into the shop.
Someone complained that it climbed to fast. Note that if you are setup with half tanks and only 2 people on board, no luggage, you are lite and will have fast climb rates. That said, she might be higher then usual, my apologies. But…! She should all her proper speeds in cruise and max flight modes and remember, this is a high performance plane with 300 HP and 2 turbos. She will not climb like a Cessna 172.
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You can download a copy of the Super Viking manual here. This is in PDF format. You can upload this to your iPad or tablet and access it during flights to check things out while in the sim.
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Hello Viking Pilots.
Tonight, the update goes live for the Bellanca Super Viking. This will be Build 1.1.2
List of updates to the Bellanca Super Viking
- Malfunction of Turn Coordinator (Turn and Bank, Slip) repaired
- Stall performance improved
- Climb performance adjusted
- Landing gear accidental mirror mapping of brakes fixed
- Realistic Climbout speeds at full throttle
- Hole in left front of floor sealed for people who have VR
- UP/DN fonts on lightmap on Autopilot VS switch zone that were reversed is repaired
- Beacons flashing inside the plane fixed
- Colored Spinners added to paint schemes
- New Lite Green and Jade Green paint scheme with brown plaid interior added to fleet, 9 planes total
- Yokes rebuilt with scratches on surface material texture and…
- Yokes have new Bellanca emblem that is 3D and under an actual transparent reflective dome disc for extreme realism
- Yokes have 3D mapped leather now
- Fabrics and seats have reduced reflections. Shine adds to 3d effect, but it was tuned down for a better balance for realism
- Wind noise added to small vent window at pilots side, has slight ‘lag’ when closing, and increases in volume with speed, added
- Panel Swivel Vent at pilot station is clickable for small wind sound, added
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Hello Viking Pilots,
Some people have experienced issues with Flaps in MSFS on the Viking. We found the issue. If your MSFS / Flight Model / setting is at ‘Legacy’, switch it to Modern and your Viking will now fly properly when flaps are active.
Just a note, if you havent purchased the Super Viking and you have been waiting for a sale, its on sale now, $14.49. The sale ends on September 30th.
If you purchase one, be sure to paruse through the manual to see all it can do, and learn how the Century III autopilot functions. Note also to switch your MSFS / Options / Flight Model setting to ‘Modern’.
Happy flights!
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For People having issues with Flaps and take-offs, for those that are ‘new’ to the Super Viking, please note. You ‘MUST’ have MSFS ‘Flight Model’ setting in ‘Modern’ or your Super Viking will not be flyable with flaps active.
To set your sim to Modern mode, go to Options / Flight Model / and select ‘Modern’. Save and exit. Reboot MSFS and restart the sim. Your sim will now be fully in Modern mode and your Super Viking will now fly excellent with flaps active. If you do not restart the sim, it will still be in Legacy.
Happy flights!
I hope to have a update for the turn and bank indicator out soon.
Bill
Lionheart Creations
I would like to say that there has been a lot of negative reviews on the Super Viking. One video was quite harsh and said things that arent true.
- GPS Could have been updated to WT: No, I chose to use stock Asobo. In the past, there were issues and bugs.
- Gauges and panel are very low resolution. Wrong. I used high resolution textures and redid mesh for the panel, bringing it to Asobo quality levels which I feel are the highest. Asobo for instance use 100 to 120 sides on instrument bezels, so I use that as my standard also. That panel is high rez. Just check the closeup screenshots of the panel. Check the screenshots. They show you exactly what you would see if you have the plane.
- The flight issue with flaps is a system setting in MSFS, not the planes fault. MSFS must be in Modern mode.
- Some said she didnt stall right. False. She stalls fine. If you are in a ‘real’ Viking, with low fuel, 2 passengers, lite loadout, you cannot stall a Viking (in regular normal conditions, litely loaded). Instead, they mush down, like an Antonov 2. Fact. Load her up with high fuel level and 4 passengers and she will wing over well into a stall. Most all planes are calculated with stalls with full loadouts, not empty, not lite.
- Sound Files not original. Nope, these are not an actual Viking sounds package. Some people have sound equipment and a team of people and the technology of using / coding in WWISE formats. I do not. But the soundpacks by Team Asobo are absolutely amazing. Their little squeak sounds and effects, their engine sounds and all are award winning. I used the SR22 Asobo soundpack for the Super Viking feeling that was a powerful, brilliant representation of a 6 cylinder high performance soundpack, a composite fuselage similar to the Viking. I cannot make a better one then this. And this is through permission of Team Asobo.
One fellow who seems so knowledgeable on FS planes said I launched it way to early. False. I had at least 5 cancellations of the launch because I found a bug and fixed it and resubmitted to Microsoft Store. Each reset of the launch takes at least 2 weeks to cycle, sometimes 3. So for 2 to 3 months the Viking release was cancelled because of bugs. I wanted a bug free launch, but we need to remember, there will always be bugs. We can only do our best to fix things before release, no matter how careful we are. Bugs happen and the public are actually best at finding bugs, sadly.
I love my planes. They are like my kids. I put tons of work into them. I want them to do well. I do not make cheap releases. They have heart and soul in them. I work hard at what I do. I want to be the best. When people run my planes down, it will tend to hurt my feelings, but they just do not know how much REALLY went into these creations. These are not easy to make.
So when you hear someone running down a Lionheart Creations plane, you might just be hearing a hater and not a person who has really dived into the plane or checked its data. Yep, it might have a release bug. My bank indicator has a bug in it. But that will be fixed.
No… My planes arent perfect. You can nitpick a plane to the crazy level; such as one fellow said; Oh the fabric looks like plastic! (without that shine, you have zero 3D effect of Normal mapping, check Asobo planes. Normal mapping realities). Some people only look for faults and so all they will see if faults. Some look for the innovations and details, the features, the technical things that we worked on to put into the plane. And to some, they do not see that. They cant. The cool innovations and hard work is invisible to them.
Fact check. Dont go by bad reviews. Study the screenshots. When you see a review video, try watching it without the sound on so you see the plane without all the grumbling and negativity. See the plane itself.
Bill Ortis
Lionheart Creations
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