Aircraft model
BELLANCA 17-31
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The 17-31A is the Lycoming-powered Super Viking, with the IO-540 in place of the Continental IO-520 of the 17-30 and more fuel. It cruises at 185 knots and carries 1,115 lb, which makes it one of the fastest four-seat singles you can buy for under $150,000.
The engine choice matters less than the structure. The wooden wing is what makes the Viking fast and what makes it risky: it must be kept dry, it must be inspected by someone who understands wood, and a wing that has taken water can be uneconomic to repair. Hangarage is mandatory. The Lycoming IO-540 is a durable and well-supported engine, which is an advantage over the Continental version. Airframe parts come through specialists and an active owners' association.
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Put BELLANCA 17-31 side by side with up to two other models.
- BELLANCA 17-31
What it is
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Lycoming IO-540-K1E5 |
| Horsepower | 300 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1970 |
| Production end | 1980 |
| Endorsements required | complex;high-performance |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 185 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 800 nm |
| Service ceiling | 20,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,200 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 58 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,115 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 665 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 3,325 lb |
| Empty weight | 2,210 lb |
| Usable fuel | 75 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 16.8 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $55,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $140,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 2,000 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $46,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $66,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 16 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 5 |
| Median year built | 1969.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | — |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | — |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 1 |
| Transfers per 100 active | — |
| Airworthiness directives | 4 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | none |
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | —1 |
| Severity | —2 |
| Access | —3 |
| Support | 0.9 of 104 |
| Liquidity | —5 |
These record scores treat BELLANCA 17-31 as one design with the same aircraft registered under other names: it includes the record of aircraft once registered under BELLANCA INC. Prices are not combined.
- Accident record: class median 32.28 · 202 models in class.
- Severity: class median 12.5.
- Access: class median 775.
- Support: class median 147.5.
- Liquidity: class median 19.9.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories.