Honda Viking Airplane engine

[procharger]

What you guys know about this engine, looks like a nice setup?

[gbigs]

It's a car engine based on the Honda Fit....not a serious options for an aircraft.     http://www.vikingaircraftengines.com/

[Anticept]

Make sure you look up viking. As I understand, support is non-existent. Maybe it's changed though.

[procharger]

Rotax or honda engine no brainer HONDA

If Honda ever built an airplane engine the same  size of rotax

good by Rotax.

[Anticept]

It's not supported by honda either. It's a guy in florida converting the engine for aircraft.

[Howardnmn]

my friend les goldner, liberty field flyers (an EAA chapter), petaluma CA installed one in zenith 701.  i believe he's quite happy.

[GravityKnight]

There is a lot of controversy on Jan the designer/builder of these.... though some seem happy with the setup. I think the guy is pretty smart, but his business practices leave something to be desired from what I have read.

[FlyingMonkey]

Rotax or honda engine no brainer HONDA

If Honda ever built an airplane engine the same  size of rotax

good by Rotax.

 

A Honda piston aircraft engine would be some good competition, but by no means "good bye Rotax".  80% of new light piston aircraft engines in the *world* are Rotax engines.  If you think that would change because one engine appears with a Honda logo on it, you are mistaken.

[procharger]

All those Rotax engines will be replaced at some point, guess what happens if Honda has

a replacement at about half the cost then  see what happens. I know what I would do

and I would not be by myself.

[S4Flier]

Viking doesn't publish the weight of their engines (maybe this has changed lately?) which will be one of many issues when deciding a powerplant for a LSA.  Zenith has published empty weights of many of their aircraft and the Viking 110 equipped planes are the heaviest of any option (including Lycosaurs).  They average weight delta is 82 lbs over the 912ULS.  Very few LSA's can absorb an extra 82 lbs and accomplish their mission.  Not to mention weight & balance and actually fitting the engine under the cowl.

[FlyingMonkey]

All those Rotax engines will be replaced at some point, guess what happens if Honda has

a replacement at about half the cost then  see what happens. I know what I would do

and I would not be by myself.

 

An adapted car engine is not an aircraft engine.  A Honda aircraft engine would not be half the cost of a Rotax making the same horsepower.  Probably cost the same or more.

[procharger]

I assure you if Honda wanted to produce a engine to compete with rotax, they could

produce it at a much lower cost, it is Japan you know. You wouldn't trust Viking

engine for your airplane? They could copy a Rotax engine with no problem and

make improvements along the way. Reverse engineer it, done.

[Anticept]

They probably could. They won't, though. Too much liability in GA, especially being an engine manufacturer. It's one of the reasons Rotax has a huge burr up their butt about everything... lawsuit lawsuit lawsuit.

 

In addition, I strongly doubt it will cost much less than a Rotax. Aircraft engines are specialty engines that need a lot of unique machining to be done, so not only do you have the Research part of R&D to invent the engine, but you will especially get hit by the Development part when it costs millions upon millions to built the factory floor and methods to product them in any quantity.

 

They produce their own engines by the boatload, yet they still cost a few thousand to buy a new engine.

[CT4ME]

Many differences between ground and air engines...

 

http://www.planeandpilotmag.com/article/airplanes-cars-whats-the-difference/ 

 

http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/do-car-engines-make-good-airplane-engines 

 

http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/aircraft-engines-vs-auto-engines.49619/