AGE old debate settled!


I have a Viking HF110 which provided me with great service in a CH601 for over 450 hours. Yesterday I sold my aircraft to a guy from Western Australia (I live on the eastern side of Australia near Canberra). He set of yesterday to fly across the continent.
A HF110 Viking powered CH601 taking on fuel. Three days to cross the continent in an Australian summer and the engine didn’t miss a beat. New owner is delighted with the engine and I miss it already.


Ray White

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That's great to hear, 450 hrs is respectable if you only fly a few hours a year for some. Some aircraft engines are not coming close to this number and failing at half the hours with problems. I hope it still is running strong at 1000 + hrs. In time we will see. This is info we need to hear to make good Engine choices.

Thanks Wayne, He's one of many that have an easy 300 plus hours and some have closer to 700 or more. It's great to see our customers get good use out of their aircraft and engine. -Alissa

What debate was settled?

can a car engine run at 6000 rpm forever? Not settled..

ummm... I’m lost.

if you really want to settle it. Put your everyday driving vehicle in 1st gear ( standard or automatic ) and drive it everyday at 6000 rpm and NOT using the transmission. See how long it lasts. 

That is EXACTLY what a Viking engine does in a plane.

 Every vehicle I have ever driven runs between 1500 and 2500 rpm. Only going higher than that to shift gears then return to 1500-2500 rpms.

the wrecked Honda that these engines come from had transmissions....for a reason !

please, explain how Viking aircraft has designed these used engines to operate at 6k rpm.???

It obviously was beyond the designers at Honda. So, they put a transmission on the end of it.....

Joshua, if your reasoning had any validity to it, Honda would not use the same engines in their marine applications. But they do use the same engines in their marine applications. Is it settled now?

A boat still floats when the engine seizes...apples to oranges.

what marine applications?  

My Reasoning is simple.

  Would you drive your Honda Fit at 6k rpm and never shift gears ?

then WHY would you possibly even consider doing it in an Airplane !

 Really ? 

Good luck.

Would Honda use their auto engines in marine applications if they were prone to break?

Again...what marine applications? 

 I am not doubting that Honda makes a great engine. They do.

but This engine is designed and built to operate between 1500-3000 rpm, sustainably and reliably. Almost ALL auto engines are.

Thank you.

your argument is that an outboard for your boat is a good choice for your airplane?

ok...if you say so.

the outboard is timed, tuned, built, and geared completely different than a Honda Fit engine. Come on, man... Really?

full throttle range 5-6000 rpm. Exactly my point. Full throttle all the time.

i don’t drive my car, airplane, 4 wheeler, tractor, r/c plane or dog at full throttle all the time.

thats just stupid !

 Fully aware that there are auto conversions, and that they have reliably powered aircraft for as long as they’ve been around.

  But not one that I know of that operates at 6-7 k rpm ALL THE TIME.

they are usually used to LOWER rpm, and ENHANCE reliability. 

Seems Viking and aeromomentum are going the other way.

i don’t get it, makes no sense to me.

to each their own, just think the questions should be asked for future buyers and builders.

would you drive your car at 6000 rpm?

then why put the same engine in an airplane and drive it that way?

thanks for the replies, good chat..the Cowboys are playing. 

Happy New Year 

The question you pose "Would you drive your car at 6000 rpm?" is irrelevant as to whether or not the Honda Fit auto engine is suitable for conversion to power an aircraft.

However, your observation does naturally lead to a highly relevant question, "What is the maximum continuous power setting for this engine that is consistent with acceptable reliability and durability?"

The fact that Honda itself implements these engines in their marine applications, and rates them to operate at 5000-6000 rpm provides good insight to the answer to that question.

Questions are good. Accurate information is good. Uninformed bashing, not so much.

Irrelevant? Seems to be the exact same question...worded differently.

no, I would NOT drive my Honda at 6k rpm. Why? Because it wouldn’t last....the maximum power setting of continuous 6k rpm would prematurely destroy the engine., or the belt, or the altanator, or water pump, or blow a hose, etc....

  and That is why I won’t put one on my plane. If I won’t drive it and use it that way on the ground....why would I put the exact same engine in an airplane???

 1000 out of 1000 people will tell you that if you drove your Honda around in 2 nd gear, 6k rpm all day. It would destroy itself prematurely. Every one of those people would NOT drive their car that way.  Why would I or anybody FLY the same engine that way ? I am completely lost.

   As soon as someone comes  up with a CVT transmission you can put on a plane...I would be the first to throw it on a Honda, and fly behind it.

  Uniformed bashing?   ...like your first reply to me? Is it settled now ?

  

I’m not convinced. Not settled for me.

  

I don't understand why you persist with 6,000 rpm.  If I recall correctly, Honda's red line limit is between 6,000 to 6,600, not Vikings.  The established full power or max rpm for the Viking 130 is 5,400 rpm, which is during takeoff or climbing.  Honda sets the engines V-tec to kick in at around 5,100 rpm, so they obviously expect the engine to rev at least that high, which is great for takeoff.  We are still in Phase 1 so unsure what best cruise rpms will be, but expect well under 5,000.  The Viking engine's are tuned through the ECU for these operating conditions.  Those Viking owners who have problems will share their experience, and future buyers and builders are smart enough to research the matter and decide for themselves.  

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