This 1944 Beechcraft D17S Staggerwing Is a Capable Classic ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick

1944 Beechcraft D17S Staggerwing [Courtesy: Matthew Grossberg]

Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, represents a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1944 Beechcraft D17S Staggerwing.

There are a lot of beautiful aircraft out there, but few defy classification like the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggering.

It is a biplane from aviation’s golden age, but its retractable landing gear, aerodynamic shape, and impressive performance give it the look and feel of aircraft that arrived decades later. In many cases the Staggerwing can keep pace with far newer machines. It must have seemed like a spaceship in the mid-1930s.

Today there are quite a few of these graceful antiques still flying and making the rounds at airshows and fly-ins. Their owners—caretakers, really—proudly show them off, keeping their prized possessions airworthy and looking great.

While any aircraft of this vintage will require special care, the Staggerwing continues to function well as a personal traveling airplane capable of carrying a modern family to vacation destinations. Imagine the impression the aircraft for sale here would make while landing at Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts; Bar Harbor, Maine; or East Hampton, New York. The Gulfstreams and Falcons might have to make room on the ramp.

This 1944 Staggerwing has 2,738 hours on the airframe, 692 hours on its Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-14B engine since overhaul, and 762 on the Hamilton Standard 2D-30 propeller since overhaul.

The panel features a Garmin GNC 250XL GPS/Comm, GTX 320A transponder, and GDL 82 ADS-B. Additional equipment includes a fuel flow indicator, electric fuel boost pump and primer, Jasco alternator, Cleveland brakes, landing gear relay, battery solenoid, and tailwheel retract spring.

Pilots who seek the experience of traveling in an 80-year-old antique aircraft with several age-defying advanced features, both original and aftermarket, should consider this 1944 Beechcraft D17S Staggerwing, which is available for $275,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you're interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.