Viking engines

[choppergabor]

I had stopped by on my way home from work at Viking aircraft engines company last Tuesday. What a neat company?!!! Very professional and very busy apparently. To my question of wanting to buy an engine they told me to wait till December before the next batch gets started being worked on. Unless someone drops out of this batch....they are all spoken for. WOW. I love it! There is business being conducted still the old fashioned way. Tipping my hat to the company. So anyone out there thinking of buying one get in line NOW!!!!

[WHY]

Really great to see this engine going so well and in good production. Hope there are no significant future problems and wish them all the best.

Tony

[Fly Army]

Has anyone put one in a gyro yet ?

[WHY]

Not sure but I believe Ernie has, may even 2

Tony

[Resasi]

Ernie has put a Viking in a Dom, it was at the last Bensen days. He liked it so much he started a second project.

I have felt for a long time that the Viking was an engine at the right price that had good prospects for gyros. I had proposed it to All_In John for his two seat Genesis a while back, but believe he has already sourced an engine for that project.

ErnGyro.wmv - YouTube

Roy Davis has had a 912 on his little sibngle seat Dominator for quite a while, and put's on a very impressive performance with it. So this size engine is do-able on a single seat gyro, though I would be of the opinion that it would require a pilot with some experience to handle that much power on a small gyro.

Don't let the engine sound fool you at the beginning of this clip of Roy Davis at Valkaria, though it sounds very impressive for a Rotax... . This shows what can be done with a good power to weight ratio. Roy was an Airforce fighter pilot and very experienced pilot so know's exactly what he is doing.

Valkaria Airfest 2012 Gyroplane Demonstration.wmv - YouTube

I know that Nicolas of Aviomania in Cyprus has a single seat Genesis project with a 912 on the go, not sure how it stands
http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/sho...=Nicolas+Rotax
I did ask if he would consider the Viking but he indicated that he preferred to use a known engine at this time.

Birdy is another pilot who uses a single with some 'poke', for his work I reckon he needs, and uses it to the max. Not sure but I am guessing but I think his Ferel has a 912 which he seems to think is a pretty good powerplant.

Here is Birdy at work

Birdys' Low Level Gyro Mustering - YouTube

Using all his horses to keep his 'doggies' rolling.

But then I guess he really can make that gyro sit up and beg when he has fun as well. Here he is just trying out some new rotor blades with his missus filming him, once again using the power to weight ratio of the engine in an impressive tail drag down the runway.

Gyroblades Test Run - YouTube

His wife certainly enjoyed it even with a little 'sand blasting'.

[Ernie_B]

I Have 3 --2 places under construction at present and will be ordering 2 or 3 more engines
It is the engine we have been waiting for , for 30 years!!!

[Resasi]

Glad to get that feed back from someone who has been around the business as long as you have Ernie.

[choppergabor]

Yes Ernie they are working on your engines It seems to be an excellent replacement of the 912 and the price is a lot more user friendly. Not to mention I have technical support 5 minutes from me

[aerobatic]

How much cost the Viking and does it weight as little as a 912 for the power?

Maher

[choppergabor]

Here is the info about it http://www.vikingaircraftengines.com...tion/Tech.html

[NoWingsAttached]

At ~120HP and 178 lbs, quite a bit better than a 912, and actually compares more with a 914.

[dinoa]

When compared with a 914 it does very well. Especially as regards price. There is a big jump in price between 912 and 914. An advantage of the 914 would be the turbos ability to maintain manifold pressure at higher altitudes. Also the weight comparison that Viking offers showing the installed weight of the 914 equal to the Viking at 200lbs should be verified. The only other big thing that Aviomania has already pointed out is that the Viking has yet to stand the test of time.



Dino

[WHY]

While it is not exactly the same as one engine with a lot of hours, there are quite a number of the engines putting together "combined" hours that are really adding up.

Tony

[Fly Army]

Originally Posted by dinoa

When compared with a 914 it does very well. Especially as regards price. There is a big jump in price between 912 and 914. An advantage of the 914 would be the turbos ability to maintain manifold pressure at higher altitudes. Also the weight comparison that Viking offers showing the installed weight of the 914 equal to the Viking at 200lbs should be verified. The only other big thing that Aviomania has already pointed out is that the Viking has yet to stand the test of time.



Dino

Good points all and in addition to that the Viking is water cooled only. In a pinch the 914 could chug along at a limited capacity on it's air cooled cylinder barrels. But then there's that whole 18 or 20 thousand dollar price difference too !

I found it interesting to see that the two-place Gyrobee G2 uses a GM motor that produces circa 200 to 210 horsepower and costs about 6k. That's why they're able to sell the whole kit and caboodle for around 34k.

[Udi]

I have looked at the Viking and it does look tempting. My advice to anyone seriously considering buying one of these is to do your own due diligence before you buy. I did mine and I was not completely happy with what I found. I didn't feel the engine electrical system met aircraft standards. My second concern was the PSRU and my third was company reputation (Eggenfellner). I am not here to tell you whether this is a good engine or not - you do your own research and decide.

Udi