BELLANCA 17-30A

The Super Viking 300A, a four-seat retractable with 300 hp that cruises at 185 knots — faster than a Bonanza on the same power, because the airframe is small and clean. Bellanca built it in small numbers through the 1970s for people who wanted speed above all else, and it remains one of the fastest piston singles you can buy for under $150,000. The 300A designation itself dates from 1969, when gross weight went up to 3,325 lb. Two later changes matter to a buyer: the 1974 model replaced the notorious five-tank fuel system and its two selectors with a simple left-right-auxiliary arrangement, which removes the type's classic fuel-mismanagement trap; and the 1979 model got a redesigned engine mount with a fully enclosed nosewheel and cowl flaps, worth about ten knots.

The reason it is cheap is the structure. The Viking has a wooden wing, spruce and plywood covered in fabric, and a steel tube fuselage also fabric-covered. Wood is strong and light but it rots if water gets in, and a Viking that has lived outside or had a leaking windshield can have a wing that is expensive or impossible to repair. Hangarage is not optional. Inspection requires someone who understands wooden structures, which is a shrinking skill. Parts support from the various successor companies has been intermittent for decades. Bought well and kept dry it is a remarkable aeroplane for the money; bought carelessly it is unsellable.