Bill Ortis, the developer behind Lionheart Creations, has shared the first images of the studio’s next airplane for Microsoft Flight Simulator. After the release of the Pasped Skylark late last year and with an interesting portfolio that includes the Lear Fan, the Bü-131, and the Trinidad TB-21 GT, Lionheart Creations is now accelerating the development of a new GA aircraft for MSFS: the Bellanca Super Viking!
Developed by aviation pioneer Giuseppe Bellanca, the Super Viking is a high-performance, single-engined, four-seater cruiser that earned its fame through its powerful 300hp engine and great handling. It’s similar to a Bonanza or a PA-24 Comanche, albeit with a wooden wing structure… that could raise some flags for real-world pilots but is otherwise perfectly safe to operate.
Regarding Flight Simulator, Lionheart Creations has some experience with this aircraft from previous releases on older platforms. The developer is bringing all his portfolio to MSFS and the Super Viking is on that list. The first preview images shared by Bill Ortis provide a good sneak peek into the updated visuals for MSFS.
The developer warns that there’s still much left to do in this project. While the model and texturing seem to be making a good transition to MSFS, the instruments and lighting systems are the main focus for the developer at this point.
Interestingly, Lionheart Creations says that the Century III Autopilot fitted in the Super Viking is being custom-coded by a development partner. This is a basic 2-axis autopilot, so don’t expect to rely on it for complex approaches, but it’s a unit that we don’t often see in the sim. It may end up being an interesting feature of the Super Viking if it ends up faithfully matching the real-world functionality.
For now, we have no indication of a possible release timeline or pricing. Lionheart Creations often shares new development updates so we’ll continue to track this interesting American classic and let you know of any further breakthroughs. Stay tuned!
