Jan and his company Viking Engines has done an amazing job the last 10+ years of supporting experimental aircraft and Zenith aircraft in particular. Their Viking 130 was an engine I seriously considered as it’s in so many CH750 aircraft like mine and is a proven performer. I ended up going a different route but more because I wanted to do my own thing fwf. For those that don’t want to design and build their own fwf kit the Viking kit is a good option as it’s a complete ‘bolt it in’ and go (well almost!) system. Since I made my engine choice Viking has added several new engine options. Jan is always innovating AND sharing tips and his knowledge with us via RUclips. Choice and options (for Zenith aircraft other experimental aircraft) is what makes it interesting and fun! Whatever engine you choose there is a great community to support you. Cheers.
Super great information video ! I have followed Jans builds for many many years and He and his company have a very good and reliable product. I am in the Philippines now and hoping to see Jan and his line of aircraft motors at Oshkosh 2025 .
I'll be moving from the Panhandle to Titusville this coming Spring and once I've settled into my new shop, I plan to begin a new build. Viking will be on my short list of possible engine suppliers, since they've not only got a great reputation for having quality products, but I'll also be conveniently located just down US-1 from their shop.
Great video. Ive been following Viking for years. I was a little disappointed that there was barely a mention of the 90. That’s the one I’m most interested in. Everything else is overkill for my plane.
Feel free to reach out whenever and we can discuss more, it is a pretty simple little engine. We just build them on demand as many use them in pusher applications.
I was curious, what was the deciding factor for using the middle gear versus a double roller chain on the propeller drive? And how did you deal with the side loads created from helical cut gears?
I never considered a roller chain because of weight, possible tensioner/idler needed etc. If I were to consider a chain it would of been a link chain, but those are also too heavy.
Any chance of Toyota engine options in the future? Biggest economy to scale, direct AND port injection on almost every engine, and the new Tacoma/ grand highlander is turbocharged.
Question for Jan. Honda has been offering its Civic Type R crate engine to consumers for a couple of years. It is the K20 C1 and has a rating of 306 hp. Are there any plans by Viking to start offering this option in the future. Any concerns on higher weight of this engine Thanks
Not really, no real intentions on going beyond the HP ratings now. Simply because the experimental market doesn’t really need it to any kind of quantity the allows for more RD. It would be amazing no doubt, but we also would need different gearbox design etc. also keep in mind we really test out engines, so an aircraft to do so as well…
I know the Japanese also built some very good inline 6 cylinder engines, I wonder how much horsepower could he get out of one of those engines in an aircraft application
Not addressed. Single ignition/coils/spark plugs. No redundancy. Car engines are not engineered to run at a continuous 70% throttle. So safety to the TBO is??? It looks like nice engineering but is there data to support longevity?
Each cylinder has its own independent coils/ignition. The chances of all 4 failing is virtually zero. Running the engine at 70% is not an issue if properly cooled. These engines are very rugged, I had one of these engines on a pickup truck that went over 400,000 miles without any rebuild and no oil leaks or burning oil. Heat is the issue. If you cool the engine properly it will last.
You are correct, the engines are designed to run at much more rigorous and demanding conditions of city driving which are numerous cold starts (exponentially more than in an aviation application) and constant cycles of stopping and accelerating. Aviation application is quite gentle with the steady state of operation. ICE engines perform best when at continuous workload. As long as there is good cooling, good fuel and good lubrication the aviation application puts less stress on the engine then the city driving that these engines are designed to handle.
15 years of data and a 2000 hour TBO with very little cost to do so. A lot of these engines are used on outboards and redlines well above 7000 RPM. We also have every coil/spark plug independent and two batteries and two fuel pumps. FYI, we had a guy in a Cozy run 40 hours without realizing one coil was plugged in, only slightly less power…still worked..
There is a reason why nobody who knows anything about engineering will touch these with a long pole. Also, what gets me is his refusal to listen to people who know a hell of a lot more about gear drives and torsional vibration problems, people who have pointed out the problems. He simply dismisses them with irrelevant arguments. Someone even did a FEA of his drive and showed him a serious flaw abnd how it could be fixed - but Jan knows better... Yes, there have been engines out there that have a decent amount of hours on them. There are also lots of them with broken gearboxes and cranks. That's Experimental flying for you, sure. But refusing to listen to experts who know more about the subject, ignoring them and just carrying on taking money and ignoring the potential problems is simply irresponsible.
That is actually incorrect in every way. By the way we spoke with that guy “ a self proclaimed expert” whom is starting up a competitor engine. In fact, he refused to listen. We’ve had direct knowledge of situations and FAA in the few instances. We’ve never had any issues with a crank. The few issues that were had on the initial 110 you speak of were due to people not adhering to SBs and even then lasted over 800 hours… Many of our customers - have engineering degrees and even worked on rockets and so forth, no need to put down others. Plenty of people are smart in this world and fly our engines with pride.
Wow these options you guys have are pretty exciting to me as an aviation enthusiast, A&P, pilot, small engine mechanic, diesel mechanic. Anyone that’s worked on a Lycoming or Continental knows the shortcomings of these air cooled engines, I don’t care if it’s a O235 or a TSIO520BB. My dream of installing a more reliable engine in a type certificated airplane is close!!!
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Jan and his company Viking Engines has done an amazing job the last 10+ years of supporting experimental aircraft and Zenith aircraft in particular. Their Viking 130 was an engine I seriously considered as it’s in so many CH750 aircraft like mine and is a proven performer. I ended up going a different route but more because I wanted to do my own thing fwf. For those that don’t want to design and build their own fwf kit the Viking kit is a good option as it’s a complete ‘bolt it in’ and go (well almost!) system. Since I made my engine choice Viking has added several new engine options. Jan is always innovating AND sharing tips and his knowledge with us via RUclips. Choice and options (for Zenith aircraft other experimental aircraft) is what makes it interesting and fun! Whatever engine you choose there is a great community to support you. Cheers.
Another happy customer
I’m not a Viking customer I went with another engine. Just recognizing what Jan / Viking have done for many others.
@@jamesneirinck413 if you complain about your engine failing the warranty gets voided
@@flytoday yeah...that isn't true at all...
Thanks BrYan! Been enjoying engine week immensely.
I've watched so much Viking content over the years, i feel like im part of the auto engine party!... Even though i still haven't bought a kit 😄
They all look like great engines
Very nicely done 😊🇺🇸 I would love to fly behind one of your engines 😊
👏👋👏👋🙏👋🙏👋🤗😊thank You!!! Evandro From BRASIL.
Super great information video ! I have followed Jans builds for many many years and He and his company have a very good and reliable product. I am in the Philippines now and hoping to see Jan and his line of aircraft motors at Oshkosh 2025 .
I'll be moving from the Panhandle to Titusville this coming Spring and once I've settled into my new shop, I plan to begin a new build. Viking will be on my short list of possible engine suppliers, since they've not only got a great reputation for having quality products, but I'll also be conveniently located just down US-1 from their shop.
Great video Bryan , being there yourself and showing the engines types with their specs . 💯✔
K20 started before 2005 back to 2001 put in the Acura RSX and Honda Civic SI.
Great video. Ive been following Viking for years. I was a little disappointed that there was barely a mention of the 90. That’s the one I’m most interested in. Everything else is overkill for my plane.
Feel free to reach out whenever and we can discuss more, it is a pretty simple little engine. We just build them on demand as many use them in pusher applications.
4:58 did he mean 195hp?
Yes
I was curious, what was the deciding factor for using the middle gear versus a double roller chain on the propeller drive? And how did you deal with the side loads created from helical cut gears?
I never considered a roller chain because of weight, possible tensioner/idler needed etc. If I were to consider a chain it would of been a link chain, but those are also too heavy.
@@eggenfellner Thanks for the reply!
You mentioned moving on from Honda toward GM will Viking continue to support engines they have sold in the past whether its Honda, GM, Subaru etc?
We do. We stopped making the Viking 110 over 13 years ago and still actively support it. Just like auto engines these parts are readily available
@@alissaeggenfellner4613 Good Deal thanks for the update.
Any concerns with Jan's previous work in Subaru conversions and all the customers he left in the dark?
is that a catlitic converter?
No, all our engines get the catalytic element removed
I would not find any info on TBO on the engines and gear boxes
2000 hours
@alissaeggenfellner4613 It only took 2 minutes for your reply ... on Sunday .......amazing, thank you
Any chance of Toyota engine options in the future? Biggest economy to scale, direct AND port injection on almost every engine, and the new Tacoma/ grand highlander is turbocharged.
@eggenfellner
Which engine will fit in a Sonex?
Generally we do the Viking 90 and we have already done so with full FWF
Question for Jan. Honda has been offering its Civic Type R crate engine to consumers for a couple of years. It is the K20 C1 and has a rating of 306 hp. Are there any plans by Viking to start offering this option in the future. Any concerns on higher weight of this engine
Thanks
Not really, no real intentions on going beyond the HP ratings now. Simply because the experimental market doesn’t really need it to any kind of quantity the allows for more RD. It would be amazing no doubt, but we also would need different gearbox design etc. also keep in mind we really test out engines, so an aircraft to do so as well…
@@alissaeggenfellner4613to bad it would be fun to have one of your engines for a rv-10
I know the Japanese also built some very good inline 6 cylinder engines, I wonder how much horsepower could he get out of one of those engines in an aircraft application
Not addressed. Single ignition/coils/spark plugs. No redundancy. Car engines are not engineered to run at a continuous 70% throttle. So safety to the TBO is??? It looks like nice engineering but is there data to support longevity?
Each cylinder has its own independent coils/ignition. The chances of all 4 failing is virtually zero. Running the engine at 70% is not an issue if properly cooled. These engines are very rugged, I had one of these engines on a pickup truck that went over 400,000 miles without any rebuild and no oil leaks or burning oil. Heat is the issue. If you cool the engine properly it will last.
You are correct, the engines are designed to run at much more rigorous and demanding conditions of city driving which are numerous cold starts (exponentially more than in an aviation application) and constant cycles of stopping and accelerating. Aviation application is quite gentle with the steady state of operation. ICE engines perform best when at continuous workload. As long as there is good cooling, good fuel and good lubrication the aviation application puts less stress on the engine then the city driving that these engines are designed to handle.
@@dieseldan5189100% correct
15 years of data and a 2000 hour TBO with very little cost to do so. A lot of these engines are used on outboards and redlines well above 7000 RPM.
We also have every coil/spark plug independent and two batteries and two fuel pumps.
FYI, we had a guy in a Cozy run 40 hours without realizing one coil was plugged in, only slightly less power…still worked..
Good show 👍
The electric motor is so superior to ICE. If only we could get better batteries 😞
Cheers
Not now or in a near future 😂
We’ll get there Patrick.
Maybe not much change in engines, but Alyssa changed her hair color in past 2 years
I’m a mystery 😂
There is a reason why nobody who knows anything about engineering will touch these with a long pole. Also, what gets me is his refusal to listen to people who know a hell of a lot more about gear drives and torsional vibration problems, people who have pointed out the problems. He simply dismisses them with irrelevant arguments. Someone even did a FEA of his drive and showed him a serious flaw abnd how it could be fixed - but Jan knows better... Yes, there have been engines out there that have a decent amount of hours on them. There are also lots of them with broken gearboxes and cranks. That's Experimental flying for you, sure. But refusing to listen to experts who know more about the subject, ignoring them and just carrying on taking money and ignoring the potential problems is simply irresponsible.
That is actually incorrect in every way. By the way we spoke with that guy “ a self proclaimed expert” whom is starting up a competitor engine. In fact, he refused to listen. We’ve had direct knowledge of situations and FAA in the few instances. We’ve never had any issues with a crank. The few issues that were had on the initial 110 you speak of were due to people not adhering to SBs and even then lasted over 800 hours…
Many of our customers - have engineering degrees and even worked on rockets and so forth, no need to put down others. Plenty of people are smart in this world and fly our engines with pride.
Wow these options you guys have are pretty exciting to me as an aviation enthusiast, A&P, pilot, small engine mechanic, diesel mechanic. Anyone that’s worked on a Lycoming or Continental knows the shortcomings of these air cooled engines, I don’t care if it’s a O235 or a TSIO520BB. My dream of installing a more reliable engine in a type certificated airplane is close!!!