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Microsoft Flight Simulator is excited to announce the release of the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing, a celebrated classic of the Golden Era of Aviation that is in a class of its own. With its bold and elegant design, this biplane has earned praise through the decades as one of the most beautiful and prestigious aircraft ever created. Meticulously recreated by Carenado for Microsoft Flight Simulator, the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing is the first aircraft in our new series called “Famous Flyers,” a line that commemorates aviation history’s most notable and iconic aircraft.

The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing is available now for $14.99 in the Microsoft Flight Simulator Marketplace - the sky is calling!

One question (before I hit the Buy button): Does the Staggerwing use the new prop code?

Interesting that they're using the same old paint jobs as FSX (maybe even FS9 days hehe)....  splash some new paint on there Carenado!

I'll probably buy it again even though I abhor the Marketplace.

Stunning airframe.   I'd buy it just for the Pratt & Whitney logo on the cowling alone. 😁

One of my favorites in FSX and P3D - even though I hate the marketplace, I'll bite the bullet and get this one.

First impressions?

Well, first impressions are great. I never owned this plane in FSX, but was always drawn to it. Glad I am able to buy it now. I like the textures, sounds and effects. It takes off ok. Good view from the cockpit, flies nice, and lands gently. Realy love the cockpit and gauges. Very nice!

Havent flown her by the numbers (because I don't know them yet, I didn't RTFM), but overall the handling feels like an old small prop plane should feel.

Will dive into the manual, if I can find it, and look into some details, but all seems to work as intended.

Cheers, Rob

17 minutes ago, robcap said:

Well, first impressions are great. I never owned this plane in FSX, but was always drawn to it. Glad I am able to buy it now. I like the textures, sounds and effects. It takes off ok. Good view from the cockpit, flies nice, and lands gently. Realy love the cockpit and gauges. Very nice!

Havent flown her by the numbers (because I don't know them yet, I didn't RTFM), but overall the handling feels like an old small prop plane should feel.

Will dive into the manual, if I can find it, and look into some details, but all seems to work as intended.

Cheers, Rob

Thank you

So do the doors actually open on this model? We now Carenado knows how to do it, just wondering if Microsoft keeps their doors shut on this one as well.. :-))

It only has one door,  and it opens.  The front side windows roll down with cranks,  the interior kind of reminds me of an old 30's - 40's car a little.   Feels very automotive / art-deco to me.

The interior textures are super crisp,  really nice.

Definitely gives you an appreciation of what a pita it can be to taxi a radial engine tail dragger,  no forward vis on the ground.  Even zig-zagging is a bit tough because you can't see much.  After the flare,  you just see the sky in your windscreen.  😁

Old girl can move though,  that Pratt & Whitney just drags it through the air.

Edited March 1, 20224 yr by Waldo Pepper

No manual I can find, references to a tablet in the xml files, but no tablet... possibly left out to rush it out the door for the SU release.... may come later or not at all, hard to say.

But the default asobo pilots is a HUGE welcome change for me! I hated the old fella 😄

overall impressions, I really like this one. Sounds are lovely, flies well, looks great!

Edited March 1, 20224 yr by AvAngel

Other than the wing design, something else which makes this an interesting aircraft is that it's one of the relatively few biplanes with retractable landing gear. That alone makes it appealing as something a little different.

Not just the mains, the tail wheel too... a surprisingly complex setup for a biplane considering even the fighters of the era mostly kept the tail wheel down.

11 minutes ago, AvAngel said:

Not just the mains, the tail wheel too... a surprisingly complex setup for a biplane considering even the fighters of the era mostly kept the tail wheel down.

Looks to give it pretty impressive performance for a plane of it's age.

Need to test it some more but so far I think it may the best of the planes sold under the MS name so far (but considering the state of the last one that may not be saying that much).

46 minutes ago, 109Sqn said:

Other than the wing design, something else which makes this an interesting aircraft is that it's one of the relatively few biplanes with retractable landing gear. That alone makes it appealing as something a little different.

Whilst rare, there are quite a few other examples, most military ...