The CH-180 Super Acro Zenith was designed by Chris Heintz and myself in the late 1970s as an unlimited class aerobatic aircraft. While attending the 1976 World Aerobatic Championships in Kiev, I studied the new monoplanes being flown by many European countries and came up with a list of design characteristics I would like to see in an all new Canadian designed aerobatic monoplane. Chris Heintz had previously designed the CH-150 "'Lil Devil", primary aerobatic aircraft and I felt that it had the potential to be developed into the aircraft I envisioned.Chris agreed to work with me in developing the new aircraft.

The original prototype CH-180, C-GZEN made its first flight at Nobleton, Ontario on July 24, 1981. Following a year of flight testing and refinements, I entered my first unlimited competition in it at Centralia, Ontario on June 26, 1982.

I established a small company to sell kits for it while I demonstrated it in contests and airshows across North America. Eventually five additional aircraft were built. Four remain today, three in Alberta and one in the USA.

Thanks for the welcome. I will be following the other Viking builds over the next few years.