Beechcraft Sundowner C23 v2

The Beechcraft Sundowner C23 (widely cataloged across flight schools, flying clubs, and simulator hangars as the Beech C23, Sundowner 180, Musketeer Custom III, and LES Sundowner) was Beechcraft’s four-seat answer to the Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee. Originally introduced as part of the Beechcraft Musketeer family, the C23 Sundowner upgraded the airframe with a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360-A4K engine and Beechcraft’s signature "big cabin" feel, offering dual passenger doors and exceptional shoulder room for a light single. Developed by Leading Edge Simulations (LES) and published through X-Aviation, this v2 edition was updated for X-Plane 12 with refreshed flight physics, native rain effects, and rewritten plugin compatibility.

The flight deck stands out for its flexibility and high tactile polish. LES provides multiple panel configurations to suit different piloting styles, including a classic analog steam-gauge layout, a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit, and modular compatibility for RealSimGear G5 and G500 glass displays. An integrated 3D tablet rests on the pilot side, providing an interactive weight and balance calculator, dynamic fuel loading, procedural checklists, and native AviTab moving map integration. Cockpit states are persistent across flights, meaning switch positions, trim wheels, and fuel selectors remain exactly where you left them when shutting down the airframe.

In the X-Plane 12 flight environment, the Sundowner behaves like a solid, stable cross-country cruiser. With its 180-horsepower engine driving a fixed-pitch propeller, the C23 cruises at a steady 118 to 123 KTAS. In contrast to the light, featherweight feel of a Cessna or Cherokee, the Sundowner exhibits Beechcraft’s distinctive heavy-in-roll control feel and trailing-link-style landing gear stability. Hand-flying visual circuits and crosswind approaches requires trimming to stay ahead of the elevator forces. Under our directory classification rubric, the simulation earns a solid Procedural tier. While it lacks the deep component-level wear degradation of Hot Start products, its checklist discipline, custom systems logic, and panel flexibility make it a dependable touring single for XP12.

Primary Missions & Operational Roles

• Four-Seat Cross-Country Touring: Flying regional visual and IFR cross-country flights between 4,500 and 8,500 feet MSL at 120 KTAS with a 500-nautical-mile operational radius.

• Instrument Rating (IR) Procedures & Navigation: Flying coupled RNAV, VOR, and ILS precision approaches using either traditional analog instruments, the Garmin G1000, or optional RealSimGear G5/G500 glass.

• Grass Field & Paved Airport Operations: Practicing short-field and soft-field landing techniques into municipal airports and turf club strips.

• Beechcraft Transition Training: Introducing pilots to Beechcraft flight deck ergonomics, dual-door entry procedures, and heavy-trim elevator handling.