Does anyone have any news about the Viking HF-110 engine in a Kitfox? The Viking forum claims that Kitfox has one mounted in an aircraft, but I haven't heard anything here in a while.
John McBean has told me they have one at the factory and plan to mount it at some point in the future. They also have UL Power engine waiting in the wings. I suspect the 912is has pushed them both back of the line. I'm a ways out from having to make an engine decision but I like the idea of having John and his team do the development. It will be interesting to see how they perform.
I had love to see the yellow Mule whit a Viking Engine next to the Rotax 912 IS form Idaho to Sebring Fl... compaire on a long flight.... that be the best test that can be...... Dont you think!
I saw one mounted on a "Just" aircraft at Oshkosh, which is very similar to the Kitfox. The owner said he loved it, but I would never buy anything from the Viking company, once you see who owns it. Remember the Subaru conversion by Eggenfellner that disappeared overnight? I hear it’s the same guy running Viking.
Like Yan said... he has a colorfull past.... but he is has like every body... he will work with you if you want to make the engine fit on your plane... but if you start make *%@#..... like most shopkeeper he will try to help but patience is not there virtue!! I dont know him but I think he is juste a enthusiast guy that like invent.... now Viking is a small shop compare to Rotax.... you can pay +12 000 more for a 912is... and maybe have probleme to, Rotax is more reputed for good engine..... so has Honda!
Eric
Last edited by chefwarthog; 02-01-2013 at 08:51 PM.
I suppose if you were to go with any small company doing auto conversions, you're taking a risk. l know there has been some problems with the Subaru conversion, but there have been a lot of successes too. I guess it all boils down to what you are comfortable putting on the front of your plane and how much you want to pay. Personally I think the Viking engine looks promising. Fuel injection, Honda core, and they have 3 years of selling and flying them. It's no where near the flight hours that Rotax has achieved with their engines, but I still think Viking is an attractive alternative especially given it's price point. My only concern is the PSRU, but again time will tell.
Hey, I have an idea for an experiment. Call Eggenfellner up and tell him you have one of his Subaru engines and need support. Then see what happens next. I bet you won't get any support at all, even though he ran the Subaru Auto conversion for years. If that is true, if he won't support his "old" product, why would he support his "new" viking engine once he moves on to another engine again in a few more years (maybe a Toyota conversion). That’s why I like Great Plains VW, same guy, same engine, 30 years !!!!
I'm not saying that buying an auto conversion is without financial risk, but at the price these guys are selling their engines and from what I have read / heard from owners of the Viking engines, this engine looks promising.
I'm aware there was a smear campaign against Eggenfellner by one of his Subaru engine customers who I guess got burnt by him, but if his reputation for selling engines and then running away from them is that bad, I don't people would be buying his engine. Like I said before, time will tell. I guess what I'm trying to say is weigh the pros and cons and make your own decision. If in a couple of years if things are still looking up for this engine, then I might buy one too.
While the Viking engine may pan out in time I have a lot concerns with items like TBO numbers. I have followed the engine since it was annouced pretty closely. I emailed Jan in the beginning about how the 2000 hour TBO was arrived at. Jan simply responsed with It's a Honda engine, it will last a long time. I believe it's now rated at 3000 hours unless it's been upgraded again. As far as I know there is only one flying engine with more than several hundred hours on it; there is not very many actual flying Viking engines out there. I also asked about what I thought were questionable looking mounts. Again I emailed Jan asking what analysis had been done, testing, ect. The response was that it was plenty strong. For me the answers to my questions just made me more doubtful about the design, or lack of. There are many more concerns I have as well; if you dig back through all the post and emails over the years there are items that don't add up or just don't make reasonable sense (to me). I'm pretty sure flying behind a proven engine may make me think I could of saved a few thousand dollars if I'd purchased a Viking but, on the other hand if I had problems flying behind the Viking, I think I would be thinking how cheap a few thousand dollars actually is. Just my opinion.
Jan Eggenfeller and Jan did not deny that with his Subaru engines his has success and fails... but with 18 years of experience on auto-conversion, Jan has with the Honda core, the team of Viking engine has a motor that has been produce by the hundreds of thousands... in cars, outboard motor, and racing Ford formula.... and if the this engine bloc was not a bulletproof it won't last for more then 10 years!! and if you look inside of the bloc you will find that the crankshaft and bearing are made stronger than those fond in Rotax.... Mechanic, is mechanic Rolls-Royce jet engine.... has, I think, better engineers then some smaller LSA engines compagny, that you can buy out there... and some time those jet engines fails.... so if you want to spend 26 000$ for a engine and think that you safer in the sky.... most of the time it is not the engine that fail but wath surround it.... like ground, fuel pomps, altenator..... so I am sure you can make the best maintenance that you can and still have engine failure, like my frend that has a 2 years amphiban plane with a 35 000$ motor, Gille dose made his annual inspection and the mechanic invers a piece in the fuel line when he put it back together.... Gille take-off and crach at the end of the runway in a pack of small trees.... Gille and his wife suffer only bruises and has to clean there trousers!!! But mecanic is mecanic, you can't trust a safety that has few parts on a firwearm, and you will trust a 26 000$ over a 13 000$ that has hundreds of parts that can fail..... well some time money can buy peace of mind!!!
Viking engine in Kitfox?
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote