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Permalink Reply by David Bristol on March 17, 2026 at 9:28pm

Jacky,

Did you ever decide between the 175 and the 195T?   

I wonder what the installed weight difference is?   Over time will the Turbo be as reliable as the normally aspirated engine?

I hear nothing but EXCELLENT things about Viking and its owners.  Great people and the customer service seems to be stellar.   I am seriously considering either the 175 or the 195T myself.

Honda Engines have always been bulletproof!   

I would love to hear more real world experience with the Super Duty with a  195T and the DUC in-flight adjustable prop combo.   

- Fuel Burn?

-Max Cruise?

-Takeoff roll?

-Climb Rates?

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Permalink Reply by Chris Skudder 15 hours ago

Bumping this question.

I too would sure appreciate real-world performance observations on the Viking 175 and 195T on the 750 or 750SD.

I've only got 600-800' of grass runway, rough, and will have some obstacles on approach and takeoff, so short take-off and initial climb ANGLE is especially important.

thanks in advance,

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Permalink Reply by David Bristol 9 hours ago

Chris,

Looks like lots of people are buying the Viking 175 for the Super Duty now.   My buddy Steve has a 175 in a Zenith CH750 STOL and he is getting some really amazing performance with his.   I hear the 195 Turbo is really nice but adds a little complexity and additional weight to the install so I'm not sure there is much of a net gain unless you are flying at higher density altitudes or STOL Competitions.  If I were buying a 195T I would definitely want Jan & Alissa to do the install for me.

I'm thinking with the 4 foot larger wing on my SD,  I should have equal to or better climb performance to Steve's 750 STOL even with my heavier Super Duty weight.   

About a week ago we toured the Viking shop in Florida.  Jan & Alissa are super nice people and extremely intelligent!  They took the time to show us around and answer a ton of questions.  They had several engines getting ready to go out the door including a 195T.   Jan also gave us a tour of his new Viking Twin and demonstrated how he forms the bulkheads and how he designs and molds the cowlings.  Great design and pretty too!  He was also showing me his new Firewall and forward conversion kit design for the new Sonex "Phoenix" High Wing.

As it turns out, Viking sells lots of really cool products besides just their engines.  They have a lot of Airframe upgrades as well.   I ended up getting some nice Shoulder Harness Brackets, Anodized Black Billet Main Landing Gear Bracket and A really nice access door for the side of my fuselage.  Next I am buying the fences for my horizontal Stab and elevator.

It Looks like Jack & Marlena Hunt will have their SD w/ 175 flying really soon.   I'm hoping I can see their beautiful new bird fly as well as a few other Viking's at Zenith's Homecoming next month at the Zenith Factory.

David

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