Start here
A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.
Meet the aircraft
The Model 17's negative wing stagger gives it its name and its distinctive profile. First flown in 1932, it combined a radial engine with an enclosed cabin and retractable landing gear. It served business transport and racing as well as wartime military duties. The Staggerwing belongs to the era when a fast executive aircraft could still be a biplane.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗A classic that became his travelling aircraft
McConnel came to the Staggerwing through gliding, Tiger Moths and earlier biplanes. Seeing one at a California airshow prompted a visit to the owners’ convention in Tennessee, where experienced members helped him find an aircraft. He loved its appearance and power immediately, but its poor forward view on the ground was equally memorable.
Pilot magazine · June 2018. Ownership of 1937 D17S NC18028, ferried to Britain in 1990.
Pilot magazine · Read more ↗The first Famous Flyer
Microsoft’s March 2022 announcement identifies Carenado as its development partner for the Staggerwing and places it at the start of the Famous Flyers series. It documents the original PC and Xbox Marketplace release; the separate MSFS 2024 edition listing records its later Aviator inclusion.
Model 17 Staggerwing · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Warbirds · 11 min ·
Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing Flight Demonstration
A flight demonstration of the distinctive Beech Staggerwing biplane.
Real aircraft · Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing
The Model 17's negative wing stagger gives it its name and its distinctive profile. First flown in 1932, it combined a radial engine with an enclosed cabin and retractable landing gear. It served business transport and racing as well as wartime military duties.
The Staggerwing belongs to the era when a fast executive aircraft could still be a biplane. Its enclosed passenger cabin and fabric-covered lifting surfaces combined business transport with biplane construction.
Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing
Beechcraft → · Explore the family →
Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing
Wikipedia contributors · Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing ↗Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024 →Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2020 →Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
An ambitious business aircraft in the Depression
The Model 17 was the new Beech company’s first aircraft, designed by Ted Wells for fast, comfortable business travel. Its upper wing sat behind the lower one, producing the distinctive outline and name. Early examples had fixed landing gear; the B17 introduced retractable gear and other changes intended to reduce weight and improve its appeal to buyers.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum · Beechcraft C17L Staggerwing ↗Smithsonian collection history · early Model 17 and B17 development
Refinement, racing and wartime service
The D17 lengthened the fuselage, moved the ailerons to the upper wings and revised the braking arrangement. The family also found a place in air racing: Louise Thaden and Blanche Noyes won the 1936 Bendix race in a C17R. During the Second World War, D17S aircraft served as personnel transports. These variants explain why surviving Staggerwings can differ substantially in engines, controls and equipment.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum · Beechcraft C17L Staggerwing ↗Smithsonian collection history · C17R, D17 and D17S; variant distinctions
Development milestones
First flight: November 4, 1932
Wikipedia contributors · Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing ↗Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1359203133
Pilot accounts
A classic that became his travelling aircraft
McConnel came to the Staggerwing through gliding, Tiger Moths and earlier biplanes. Seeing one at a California airshow prompted a visit to the owners’ convention in Tennessee, where experienced members helped him find an aircraft. He loved its appearance and power immediately, but its poor forward view on the ground was equally memorable. Learning to operate it proved a larger step than its resemblance to his previous Waco suggested.
In regular use, he valued its comfortable cabin and usefulness for travel. The work continued throughout a flight: oil temperature needed attention, fuel use affected the balance, and trim and rudder demanded small corrections. He sometimes flew alone with his side window open, enjoying a little of the open-cockpit feeling. Sharing the aircraft with other people, and discovering how much practical travel it could still do, became central pleasures of ownership.
Pilot magazine · June 2018. Ownership of 1937 D17S NC18028, ferried to Britain in 1990.
Read the full account · Pilot magazine ↗Learning its two personalities before a solo trip
Hirschman’s introduction began with an unusually direct briefing. Because this aircraft had no controls on the right side, Mike Toman could coach him but could not simply take over. Learning the fuel arrangement and the slow-moving landing gear was part of becoming comfortable with the machine. In cruise, Hirschman enjoyed its balanced controls, close-fitting mechanism and the view of the wings through the side windows.
The approach revealed a different character: extending the gear and flaps brought more noise, heavier controls and much greater drag. After several landings with Toman beside him, Hirschman flew south alone. Gusty conditions at a narrow destination runway made him consider an alternate and left him thoroughly tense during the arrival. He landed successfully, but remembers the sweat and concentration as clearly as the pleasure of watching the Everglades through the open windows.
AOPA Pilot · November 2023. Flying a restored 1944 D17S with coaching from Mike Toman, followed by a solo Florida Keys trip.
Read the full account · AOPA Pilot ↗Restoring an E17B, then learning to fly it
Parish funded the restoration because he wanted people to experience the atmosphere of an old aircraft at airshows and informal fly-ins. Pike and his team rebuilt the Staggerwing with that aim in mind, retaining its appearance while incorporating selected modern equipment. When it flew again in September 2007, Pike found that getting it airborne was only the start: small mechanical problems still needed patient attention.
For Parish, moving from his usual Cirrus to the restored biplane meant learning a very different cockpit. He described slow, heavy ailerons, a light elevator, cramped seating and little forward view on the ground. Landings and ground handling required particular concentration. The article’s editor added that a subsequent landing accident seriously damaged the aircraft, although neither man was hurt.
Ken Scott’s AOPA Pilot report · December 2008. Joint restoration and flying account concerning former Indian National Airways E17B VT-AKK, later N233EB.
Read the full account · AOPA Pilot ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
Compare simulator versions →MSFS 2024Model 17 Staggerwing
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
Model 17 Staggerwing
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
MSFS 2020Model 17 Staggerwing
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
Model 17 Staggerwing
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
Aircraft specifications
Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.
| Specification | Published value |
|---|---|
| Length | 26 ft 10 in (8.18 m) |
| Wingspan | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Height | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| Wing area | 296.5 sq ft (27.55 m² ) |
| Empty weight | 2,540 lb (1,152 kg) |
| Gross weight | 4,250 lb (1,928 kg) |
| Powerplant | 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-985 -AN-1 "Wasp Junior" radial engine , 450 hp (340 kW) at 2,300 rpm |
| Maximum speed | 212 mph (341 km/h, 184 kn) |
| Cruise speed | 202 mph (325 km/h, 176 kn) |
| Range | 670 mi (1,078 km, 582 nmi) |
| Service ceiling | 25,000 ft (7,600 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,500 ft/min (7.6 m/s) |
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Simulator documentation
The first Famous FlyerModel 17 Staggerwing · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024
Microsoft’s March 2022 announcement identifies Carenado as its development partner for the Staggerwing and places it at the start of the Famous Flyers series. It documents the original PC and Xbox Marketplace release; the separate MSFS 2024 edition listing records its later Aviator inclusion.
Original MSFS release context, 2022; current MSFS 2024 inclusion is sourced separately.
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Read the source ↗The original MSFS 2020 releaseModel 17 Staggerwing · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2020
Microsoft’s March 2022 release names Carenado as its development partner and offers the Model 17 for PC and Xbox through the Marketplace.
2022-03-01 · release and package scope
Microsoft Flight Simulator Team · Read the source ↗Pilot account
A classic that became his travelling aircraftPilot magazine · June 2018. Ownership of 1937 D17S NC18028, ferried to Britain in 1990.
McConnel came to the Staggerwing through gliding, Tiger Moths and earlier biplanes. Seeing one at a California airshow prompted a visit to the owners’ convention in Tennessee, where experienced members helped him find an aircraft. He loved its appearance and power immediately, but its poor forward view on the ground was equally memorable. Learning to operate it proved a larger step than its resemblance to his previous Waco suggested.
Paul McConnel
Pilot magazine · Read the source ↗Learning its two personalities before a solo tripAOPA Pilot · November 2023. Flying a restored 1944 D17S with coaching from Mike Toman, followed by a solo Florida Keys trip.
Hirschman’s introduction began with an unusually direct briefing. Because this aircraft had no controls on the right side, Mike Toman could coach him but could not simply take over. Learning the fuel arrangement and the slow-moving landing gear was part of becoming comfortable with the machine. In cruise, Hirschman enjoyed its balanced controls, close-fitting mechanism and the view of the wings through the side windows.
Dave Hirschman
AOPA Pilot · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft manualsMicrosoft / aircraft developersAircraft background
Beechcraft Model 17 StaggerwingWikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1359203133 · retrieved 2026-09-12 Beechcraft C17L StaggerwingSmithsonian National Air and Space Museum · Collection A19810023000 · Model 17 development and NC15840 historyResource
MSFS 2024 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoftDeveloper documentation
Famous Flyer I: Beechcraft Model 17 StaggerwingMicrosoft Flight Simulator Team · 2022-03-01 · release and package scopeType designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Built-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 1 profile choice
Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing
Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Partial review
MSFS 2024 · MSFS 2020
Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing: The selected mechanical-control law supplies nominal resistance; negative wing stagger alone does not define cockpit control force.
Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing
Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing: The selected mechanical-control law supplies nominal resistance; negative wing stagger alone does not define cockpit control force.
Aircraft and simulator scope
- Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing · MSFS 2024 · family starting point
- Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing · MSFS 2020 · family starting point
Microsoft Famous Flyer announcement for Carenado's Staggerwing; technical system detail is limited. · Selected choice: Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing. Documentary scope does not establish every variant, add-on revision or simulator binding.
The simulator model and controls
The Model 17's negative wing stagger gives it its name and its distinctive profile. First flown in 1932, it combined a radial engine with an enclosed cabin and retractable landing gear. It served business transport and racing as well as wartime military duties.
This starting point selects Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing. Its aircraft-level settings do not select a particular developer’s custom systems.
How this profile feels
Spring resistance builds with the selected airspeed response. A separate aerodynamic term adds speed-dependent control load.
Valid trim provides the configured pressure relief. Autopilot following is off.
Controls and trim
Microsoft's announcement identifies the Staggerwing's distinctive negative wing stagger and Carenado's simulator implementation. Its period biplane configuration supplies aircraft context. The announcement does not set out a detailed flight-control linkage or measured hand-force curve, so the profile's mechanical loading and trim response remain selected starting estimates.
About the values
The gains are normalized profile settings. They describe the chosen effect balance; hand force depends on the device and its output limits. IAS references are tuning values rather than operating limits. Physical acceptance of this revision remains pending.
What the documentation establishes
The announcement identifies the negatively staggered biplane and Carenado's simulator implementation.
Documentary review and sources
These decisions describe the documentary basis and remaining gaps for this revision. Aircraft documentation and a starting setting describe different kinds of evidence.
Aircraft and variant
ReviewedThis starting point selects Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing. Its aircraft-level settings do not select a particular developer’s custom systems.
Flight controls
Not yet reviewedMicrosoft's announcement identifies the Staggerwing's distinctive negative wing stagger and Carenado's simulator implementation. Its period biplane configuration supplies aircraft context. The announcement does not set out a detailed flight-control linkage or measured hand-force curve, so the profile's mechanical loading and trim response remain selected starting estimates.
Trim
Not yet reviewedEnabled pitch relief is a profile approximation; the announcement does not quantify an exact trim-to-control relationship. Pitch authority 0.3 provides load relief and permitted centre movement; roll authority is 0.
Autopilot and stability
Not yet reviewedAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel.
Equipment
Not yet reviewedGear, flap and ground cues follow the selected settings and available simulator-reported states.
Speeds and limits
Not yet reviewedThe indicated-speed references set the profile response scale; they are separate from aircraft operating limits.
Simulator integration
Not yet reviewedThe profile targets msfs2024, msfs2020. Add-on-specific controls use only the supported references configured by this profile.
Force-feedback settings
Not yet reviewedThe settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
Starting settings and their rationale
These configured values are starting estimates. The explanations describe what each setting controls; physical validation appears separately below.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.74 | What it controls and whyThe selected mechanical-control law supplies nominal resistance; negative wing stagger alone does not define cockpit control force. The baseline spring is 0.74. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 72.5 KIAS. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.8 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.8 with an indicated-speed reference of 145 KIAS. This supplies speed-dependent loading alongside the spring. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value145.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value72.5 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.72 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.72 and 1, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1.0 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
All 44 starting settings and their rationale
The settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.74 | What it controls and whyThe selected mechanical-control law supplies nominal resistance; negative wing stagger alone does not define cockpit control force. The baseline spring is 0.74. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 72.5 KIAS. |
| Spring deadband | Starting value0.045 | What it controls and whySets travel around the centre before the baseline spring resists. Smaller values engage it sooner. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.8 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.8 with an indicated-speed reference of 145 KIAS. This supplies speed-dependent loading alongside the spring. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| QBlend Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows baseline spring strength to rise with indicated airspeed where the control law permits it. |
| QSpring Minimum Factor | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets low-speed spring strength as a fraction of baseline when blending is enabled. One keeps full strength. |
| QSpring Start Knots | Starting value20 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed spring blend starts rising. This is a feel threshold, not a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value72.5 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value145.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening gain | Starting value0.15 | What it controls and whyThe high-speed spring-stiffening gain is 0.15. It strengthens the permitted spring response above 72.5 KIAS, with the squared-speed ratio capped at 5. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening limit | Starting value5 | What it controls and whyLimits the squared airspeed ratio used for high-speed spring stiffening; it is not a device-force cap. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.72 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.72 and 1, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1.0 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Elevator Authority | Starting value0.3 | What it controls and whyEnabled pitch relief is a profile approximation; the announcement does not quantify an exact trim-to-control relationship. Pitch authority 0.3 provides load relief and permitted centre movement; roll authority is 0. |
| Aileron Authority | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyScales supported roll-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes roll response. |
| Force Trim Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables local force trim, separate from aircraft-owned trim and add-on integration qualification. |
| GLoad Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows load-factor changes to modify permitted spring laws. Passive fly-by-wire feel can suppress it. |
| Rate Damping Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables rate damping with the configured coefficients and control law. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot follow authority | Starting value0.1 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP-follow gain, not a percentage of travel. Runtime ownership and input limits still apply. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Autopilot neutral hold strength | Starting value0.6 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP neutral-hold strength; inactive while neutral hold is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables aerodynamic cues; each still needs nonzero strength and its simulator conditions. |
| Gain | Starting value0.35 | What it controls and whySets stall-buffet strength. Zero removes the cue without changing simulator stalls or warnings. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets high-Mach buffet strength; onset and full-strength thresholds are separate. |
| Gain | Starting value0.14 | What it controls and whySets flap buffet at the configured position and speed gates. Flap movement texture is separate. |
| Maximum flap index | Starting value3 | What it controls and whySets the final flap index for detent normalization. UP plus three detents uses maximum index3. |
| Minimum flap index | Starting value2 | What it controls and whySets the first flap detent that admits buffet; this is a handle index, not degrees. |
| Gain | Starting value0.1 | What it controls and whySets gear aerodynamic buffet; movement and ground-contact cues are separate. |
| Shaker Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits shaker at supported warning conditions; the switch does not establish aircraft equipment. |
| Stick shaker amplitude | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets triggered shaker strength; inactive while the shaker feature is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables ground effects; each still needs its own strength and contact or motion telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0.4 | What it controls and whySets rolling texture strength, modified by speed, surface and undercarriage configuration. |
| Gain | Starting value0.25 | What it controls and whySets gear-bump texture during ground motion, separate from touchdown impact. |
| Gain | Starting value0.65 | What it controls and whySets landing-impact strength; landing telemetry and response shape determine the pulse. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets reverse-thrust vibration with valid reverser and engine conditions. Zero removes the cue. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables engine cues with nonzero settings and valid running-engine telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets estimated engine vibration using configured telemetry and response, not measured cockpit vibration. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables accessory cues with configured strengths and observed accessory movement. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed flap movement; a command without movement does not establish the cue. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed gear movement, separate from aerodynamic and touchdown effects. |
Limits and open questions
- The announcement does not describe Staggerwing control linkage or cockpit force source.
- No Staggerwing trim mechanism, travel or authority is documented in this announcement.
- No autopilot installation or servo-following interface is established by the announcement.
- The short announcement is insufficient to newly verify the preset's exact engine, gear and flap mechanisms.
- The displayed cruise conversions are inconsistent; they must not be used as a precise indicated-speed calibration.
- Naming the developer/package does not publish simulator control events or force-feedback telemetry.
- Biplane geometry and advertised cruise performance do not quantify Staggerwing control forces or preset axis scaling.
Physical validation
No physical force validation is recorded in this public catalogue for this revision. Documentary review and software checks do not establish how a particular device feels.
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