VIKING of the MONTH
July 2000
"Miss July"
N7300V is a 1969 17-30 owned by Lee McGee
This Viking is based in Rancho Murieta, CA (RIU)
Nice panel...details below!
Lee writes: "N7300V is a work in progress. She is today a true "100 foot" airplane, meaning that she looks magnificent from about 100 feet or so away. But there is need of some new orange and tan nubby interior fabric, and need for dope rejuvenation and paint of the upper cream colored painted surfaces and the horizontal tail. I hope to have these taken care of in the next year or two, and then have a really nice Viking."
"N7300V has been a northern California airplane all of its life, where it was hangared at San Carlos (SQL), then Petaluma. She is currently based in Rancho Murieta, California (RIU) on the road between my home and my work. I purchased N7300V from fellow Viking Chat denizen Paul Karmouche this spring 2000, with a freshly inspected motor and gleaming new VAR crank. Fortunately this particular crank is not on this year's AD list of suspect cranks!"
"In 1999 the panel was upgraded, and now incorporates moving map GPS. I have received a number of questions about the panel, so have annotated some items in the picture of the panel. Also, the panel and yokes are painted white, a very unusual touch! Here are some of the updates, with thanks to previous owner Paul for all the great work!"
A---MD-40 GPS CDI -- adds a normal-looking GPS course deviation indicator to the upper left of the panel, in easy view of the pilot, and visible in bright light.
B---Apollo MAP 360 moving map. The original Apollo moving map instrument, which fits in a standard instrument hole. Yes, it is black and white, but it gives a really good moving map representation of course, and great information displays from its database.
C---Apollo SL 60 GPS/Comm - Only 1.3" high, this GPS/Comm is the guts of the GPS. Also stores umpteen flight plans, comm and nav, and about 120-odd frequencies (some of them very odd).
D---McCoy Avionics MAC 1700 NAV/COMM. This is the reworked KX-170 with modern faceplate and electronics. It actually talks to you, with talking countdown timers etc. Also stores 120-odd frequencies.
E---PMA-6000MS Audio Panel/Marker Beacon. Stereo music on demand! The back seaters even have a separate music input if they want it. This is the type of intercom which breaks into the music whenever ATC talks, or the intercom is voice-actuated, then fades back the music later. A CD player is now on my personal Required Equipment List!
"I hope this gives some ideas of what can be done with the standard low-radio mount 17-30 panel, using old-time previous generation GPS (cheaper) technology (yes a GNS-430 would be nice!) while keeping all of the original instrument holes intact.
There is still plenty of space in the panel, and I may install a glove box!"
"The hangar shot shows a couple of my current community hangar-mates -- A Huey helicopter belonging to Santa Barbara, and a nice Meyers 200, another 1960s hot rod of an airplane! I love my Viking."
Lee can be reached at:
lmcgee@etrade.com
Picture YOUR Airplane Here!
Send me photos and some history about your Viking, and I'll place it on this page for all Bellanca Fans to see! Snail mail photos to: 3741 N. Forgeus Ave, Tucson, AZ 85716 (all photos will be returned promptly)...or e-mail .jpg files to:
Vikingdrvr@att.net
Previous "Vikings of the Month"
N 1285R...Don Ame's 1972 Turbo Viking
N 93570...Larry Smalley's 1973 17-31A
N 39819...Jim Howell's 1973 17-30A
N 4081B...Tom Binder's 1975 17-31ATC
N 4052B...The DeFoe's 1976 17-30A
N 28067...Craig Gifford's 1979 17-30A
N 6578V...James Gryder's 1970 17-31ATC
N 93554...Troy Foster's 1974 17-31ATC
N 110CB...RJ Lint's 1974 17-30A
N 6639V...Michael Waiwood's 1970 17-30A
N 147PH...Ron Bianchi's 1974 17-30A
N 7379V...Bob & Bette Nixon's 1969 17-30
N 7358V...Troy Foster's 1969 17-31TC
N 8811V...Jeremy Reiley's 1971 17-30A
N 9996V...Lee Moore's 1971 17-30A
N 14732...Lynn Walker's 1975 17-30A
CFMJT...Eric Hansen's 1974 17-31ATC
N 4101B...Peter Knize & John Sullivan's 1974 17-31ATC
N 8229R...Bill Dudley's 1972 17-30A
N 4851V...Carl Fleece's 1968 17-30
Return to the 'Viking of the Month' Page
Return to the Viking Main Page