Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bob McDonald on January 19, 2012 at 6:57am

Living where you do....proven reliability in a real world flying enviroment is priceless. Buy a Rotax 912S. Don't be the test pilot doing R&D for yet another auto conversion. All the aircraft videos on floats, skis, off strip bush landing feature a Rotax 912 series engine on the aircraft. Barnstormers is full of aircraft owners selling their project...."low time, but flies great??" with an auto conversion. Remember Honda Cam 100, Subaru Stratus... where are they now? If you want a Honda Cam 100 with 15 minutes on it there is one for sale In Carp, Ontario off a Sonex...only 15 minutes flight time...flies great.... real cheap price. The Sonex is scrap...beer cans only. Beware of the log book pencil scam where the times are inflated, and test periods flown off with a pencil on the ground.

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Permalink Reply by Ron Waechter on January 19, 2012 at 8:12pm

Hi Mike

My name is Ron Waechter and I own the 701 which Jan took to OSH last summer. I did not build the plane , Jan installed the Viking engine with a rather temporary cowling installation.  I have about 30 hours on it since picking it up in Fl.  It would have more but I have been distracted by my hangar and runway projects this fall in Indiana. The engine runs fine with great temps,Jan has upgraded the ECUs to help with fuel mixture adjustments.  My new empty weight with the HF110 is 646lbs.  TO performance is much improved but cruise only improved between 5 to 10 mph.( working on installing strut fairings) I feel very comfortable behind this engine and my building partner and I have ordered a second Viking for our current 701 project.

In all fairness I will admit that Indiana is a rather flat state and with the 701s landing qualities I am  in a better place for dealing with a forced landing than some of the terrain I flew over bringing it home from Fl.

Once I get flying again I will try to post more . 

Ron

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Permalink Reply by Dan Stanton on February 10, 2012 at 12:43pm

Hi Ron,

Do you have the VG's on the wing? And /or stab.

 

Dan Stanton

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Permalink Reply by Kevin McCune on June 2, 2012 at 9:31am

Hi Ron,

If I read the info on your plane that Jan posted, the empty weight with about 5 gallons of fuel and the 2200 was 630 is this correct? That would make about 600 bone dry? 

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Permalink Reply by Joseph Begany on January 20, 2012 at 1:30pm

Ron

It's nice to hear from someone flying a Viking.  It doesn't matter which aircraft website you check on it seems that none of the people flying a Viking is talking, not even on the Viking site.  I don't visit the RV site perhaps that pilot is posting on the RV site.  I know for a fact that there has been no communication on the Just Aircraft site from an Viking owner and really there have only been rumors on the Zenith site.  I have been following the Viking since it was introduced and I believe it is a very promissing engine.  I just don't understand why it has been so quiet out there.  There are a lot of people waiting to hear from the Vikings that are up and flying.

I hope that everything goes well for you.  Take care and enjoy.

Joe B

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Permalink Reply by Mark Maltais on January 20, 2012 at 3:01pm

I'm looking forward to this as well.  I know that Jan is selling his 601? demonstrator with the viking, something I don't understand.  I think he has about 600 hours on it.

Personally I'd keep flying this version as long as I could just to up the confidence level.  The engine does not worry me, it's designed to run at high RPM and Honda makes some, if not THE best engines out there!  What makes me nervous is the PSRU. Jan has a video of him changing the oil after several hundred hours looking nice and clean but that's hardly scientific.  It does look like a very simple system though and well thought out.

I'd like it see hit 1200 hrs minimum then take the PSRU apart and checked for tolerances and have the oil sent off for analysis!  Then keep it going to the "reported" 2k TBO!

I do agree it's a very promising engine, hopefully by the time I'm ready to insal one, more owners of them will put out some numbers.  That should be soon, apparently Viking is selling them as fast as they can make them!

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Permalink Reply by Ben Schaefer on March 16, 2013 at 2:16am

Jan will not post any negative things on his viking yahoo site. Even tough questions don't get answered because they get edited out. If you join any the alternative viking yahoo site and jan finds out..then you will get booted from his site.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Stanton on January 22, 2012 at 5:25pm

OK Guys, I have only 15 hrs. on my 701/Viking engine so far.

Yes, there have been some teething pains in getting everything installed and working.

I have a mix of the Viking wireing and an Aeroelectric plan. It took some doing to get everything working togeather so that I'm comfterble with it. Now that I hve it thru my thick head just how evrything works, I'm happy.

The take off is shorter than with the VW, but I would hope so. Top end is about 6 to 8 mph. faster, but you can't race a turtel. Putting strut fairings on this winter.

I do have some issues with the timing on the engine on cold starts. Jan is changing them as soon as he gets back from Sebring. I didn't get it in the mail fast enough. I will let you know how that works out.

You can't post ANYTHING negative on the Viking web site, it won't go thru. I have tried in the nicest way I could to reply to questions there, but no soap.

If you want a turnkey setup, you might wait a year or so to buy. If you like to play around with this kind of stuff, than go for it. I think that when the dust clkears, it will be a good engine.

I did post some weights on the viking site, but I don't remember what they were. Look them up.

I will let you know more after I get back in the air.

 

Dan Stanton

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Permalink Reply by Jan Eggenfellner on January 22, 2012 at 9:32pm

Great to hear that you are having fun flying your Viking engine. Sorry to hear that he Aero Electric diagrams did not work out as well as those recommended by Viking.   Viking powered airplane. Sorry that the aero electric stuff got you off to a bad start on the wiring. I would recommend just using the wiring we have posted on our web site, to avoid these issues. You are not being completely honest with your fellow builders, when you report that " negative" info is not allowed on the Viking web site. Why not be completely honest and open about everything, so that the Viking has an honest and fair chance in the marketplace. I will not sit back and listen to anyone trying to chict blame for any action that make the Viking look anything but great, unless there is a genuine complaint abou the engine. The Viking was designed for you all. It was designed to bring the cost of reliable flying down to reasonable levels. The facts are as follows:  Dan Stanton is a great builder and has a very nice CH-701. Dan Stanton sent me a copy of what he called "his" wire diagram. It was a copy of an online "aero electric" diagram. I critiqued it and told him what I believed it's shortcomings were. Dan stilled insisted on using it and toasted his first ECU.  (refered to as Viking having "growing" pains?). Dans comment about not being allowed, or somehow being sensored, on the Viking forum are also incorrect. Dan once wanted to post that his engine is running great, but the cold weather was causing some starting issues. I told him the ECU had so far not been mapped for cold temperatures, and that I offered to fly up to visit and do the adjustments. The offer was declined. We have sinced worked with other builders and will continue to do so, until the engine can start at any temperature, without hesitation. I emailed Dan, suggested we sort out the cold start issue, then post it to the forum, as an issue, then a solution, rather than having guesswork done online.  Dan agreed this was smart. I do not take lightly to anyone confusing the facts related to this.  The Viking, in addition to being someone's livelihood, is a cpetent US business. Vikings goal is to provide those in love with building and flying their own aircraft, with a superior product. The engine was by fas the most popular attraction a the Sebring airshow. It flew 4 times / day in the fly-by pattern in an RV-12. It was the fastest, most powerful plane at the show. Rides were given to several OEM manufacturers and all were extremely impressed with all aspects of the Vikings performance. More powerful than the Rotax, much smoother idle, quieter, great acceleration, no inflight vibration at any rpm, etc. The two larges powered parachute companies in the US are evaluating the viking on their 2 seat models and are finding it superior to other options. I will not let any one customer badmouth the Viking. It has now become the only viable choice.  It has superior quality, it produces the thrust of a 914 turbo, at over 500lb of static thrust and it is very economically priced. I will come down hard, and personal, on anyone ignorant to the fact that the industry does need the Viking. We need it so the industry has the slightest chance to recover from a slow death. All manufacturers complain about less sales every year. Everyone in aviation is getting older, products are getting too expensive and planes fly less and less. I you are a negative, online comentator, or know-it-all builder that refuse to follow direction, don't knock the vendor. The viking is now so solid, anyone buying one has equal opportunity for success. The documentation is becoming better and better and we are also planning a series of DVDs on the correct operation and maintenance of a Viking.

I will never understand the self destructive nature of some involved with aviation, only to protect an inflated ego

Jan 

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Permalink Reply by Tim Treat on January 22, 2012 at 10:01pm

All I can say is Wow!!!

"I will never understand the self destructive nature of some involved with aviation, only to protect an inflated ego"

look into a mirror for the answer to that statement

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Permalink Reply by Mark Maltais on January 22, 2012 at 10:08pm

Wellllll I can kinda see Jan's point...there is always two sides to every story!  If you make design changes and something gets fried..I don't think that is the manufacturers fault. And Jan is right that we do need new blood in the sport aviation business...the more the merrier...there shouldn't be room for only 30k FWF packages, you can buy a good used entire small plane for that price and if no alternatives come about, that WILL lead to a slow death...

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Permalink Reply by Jan Eggenfellner on January 23, 2012 at 8:42am

Thank you.  We need to work together on this. 

 

Jan

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