Viking on Ebay - comments, Dave?

Intriging! The panel is nothing to write home about and would need about $10-$25k of updates depending on how carzy wanted to go.

You might want to check this web site out http://home.att.net/~vikingdrvr/

There are plenty of pireps on this plane and one of the things to really watch out for is the condition of the wood pieces.

How far is it for you to go see it and look over the log books?

scott
 
Thanks, Scott. I'm pretty familiar with the Vikings and have been on the Viking discussion email list for a few years. Unfortunately, I'm just window shopping right now and will be for a while, at least until #2 kid is thru college or the house is paid off, which ever comes first... but one of these days... :)
 
The biggest plus: Recent Miller annual says a lot.
The biggest minuses: even though the finish looks fine, it is listed as 'original' which means THIRTY-THREE years old!
and the radios are... non-existent. OK for pea patch flying I guess.

Wow that ebay thing is something else, I think it is overpriced at this level of bidding based on the current market HOWEVER I also think ALL Vikings are WAY underpriced because of the idiotic "Lignophobia".
Still it is a Viking so it is going to give someone a lot of great flying at the price of a C172!


minor notes sorry if they are negative
:some of the older ones like this were faster. 170kts is exceptional. would want to verify.
:interior? Ugh! Cmon....fuzzy dice?!
:Hey. what's that about carrying a tool box (!) shhh!!! LOL!
:I'll bet that is a non-var crank in that engine. ($3000)
:non-standard sixpack.
:I like the description, this fellow has a great handle on it!
:I want to know more about the gear maintenance. edit, he says it was reworked by MFS. if true (check for Duane's signature), its a plus.
:anyone see fuel cap? Should be 72; but 92 is a plus.
:no speed mods (still has rotating beacon and looks like non-flush tip lights, bet it still has a step.
:you know the airplane does look very tidy and well cared for in the pictures.
:there is dispute about his interpretation of the term "super" as in Super Viking.
last note - man, those are weird hangar doors.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Still it is a Viking so it is going to give someone a lot of great flying at the price of a C172!
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This is why I'll likely end up in a Viking when the time comes.
 
My hangar neighbor has a Viking with the Continental IO-520. It is a VERY nice airplane and is meticulously kept. I hope to get a ride in it soon.
 
smigaldi said:
Intriging! The panel is nothing to write home about and would need about $10-$25k of updates depending on how carzy wanted to go.
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Why not fly it the way it is?

smigaldi said:
There are plenty of pireps on this plane and one of the things to really watch out for is the condition of the wood pieces.
scott
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Those pieces are the wing, and they were sealed by varnish on all sides as it was manufactured, Being a dry Texas aircraft, and knowing that it was taken care of during the last 30 years, I'd bet those parts are as good as the day they left the factory.

My vertical fin was broken, left lying around the south east damp weather for 10 years, then repaired, and when I got 50 years later, it still wasn't rotten, ugly but not rotten.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
I also think ALL Vikings are WAY underpriced because of the idiotic "Lignophobia".
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I'm hoping it stays that way until I get my kid thru college!
 
gkainz said:
I'm hoping it stays that way until I get my kid thru college!
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I don't see any problem there, ignorance and paranoia will probably persist long after we are gone.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
I don't see any problem there, ignorance and paranoia will probably persist long after we are gone.
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This kind of thinking has kept many plane prices depressed. When you get down to it, the pilot's proficiency and maintenance knowledge has much more to do with airplane performing to expectations or being "safe".

However, I do think the Viking has more "quirks" that while manageable require additional knowledge and effort to deal with.
 
Anthony said:
However, I do think the Viking has more "quirks"
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Possibly, but none of them are wood related.

Wait Anthony, maybe Vikings need fastidious attention to the gear and the fabric and finish need to be kept in good shape but when I think of Bonanzas, don't some of them have their quirks (tail skin problems, 120mph placards, tail waggle, etc) and Mooneys (leaky wet wings, power issues) and C210's (cranky gear, airframe corrosion).

So I am not convinced they have more quirks. I don't think that is the problem with the perception. I think people hear 'wood' and conjure up images of the rotting woodpile behind the barn. Or maybe a popsicle stick airplane they built when they were 4. Who knows.
All I can tell you is the flying value......
{(speed + rate of climb + useful load + range + flexiblity + safety) divided by (initial outlay + upkeep)} .....which I enjoy is unmatched in any other certificated plane today so I am smiling!
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
All I can tell you is the flying value......
{(speed + rate of climb + useful load + range + flexiblity + safety) divided by (initial outlay + upkeep)} .....which I enjoy is unmatched in any other certificated plane today so I am smiling!
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Dave, will you please sit down and be quiet? Dang, I have a year or so to go before buying, and I want the Viking prices to stay right where they are.:yes:
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Mooneys (leaky wet wings, power issues)
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Fuel leaks from the wet wings is a known design option with Mooney aircraft. To build a tank within the wing would increase weight and complexity. Additionally, there is not that much room in the thin, fast, wing to insert a tank of sufficient size.

A good reseal of the wet wing will last for many years.

For some the O&N bladder STC is an attractive option.

I don't know what you may be referencing with respect to "power issues". If you want more power in a Mooney all it takes is more money. In this respect a Mooney is no different than any other airplane.

Beside, if you think wood is not just for the dining room there is a Mooney aircraft for you as well. The M20A pictured here is for sale, $35K. I recently saw an ad for another with an asking price around $29K.

Len
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Possibly, but none of them are wood related.

Wait Anthony, maybe Vikings need fastidious attention to the gear and the fabric and finish need to be kept in good shape but when I think of Bonanzas, don't some of them have their quirks (tail skin problems, 120mph placards, tail waggle, etc) and Mooneys (leaky wet wings, power issues) and C210's (cranky gear, airframe corrosion).

So I am not convinced they have more quirks. I don't think that is the problem with the perception. I think people hear 'wood' and conjure up images of the rotting woodpile behind the barn. Or maybe a popsicle stick airplane they built when they were 4. Who knows.
All I can tell you is the flying value......
{(speed + rate of climb + useful load + range + flexiblity + safety) divided by (initial outlay + upkeep)} .....which I enjoy is unmatched in any other certificated plane today so I am smiling!
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Dave,

I am not saying the Viking is not a great plane especially for the money and I hear what you are saying. Every airplane has its idiosyncracies, good and bad. However, I would NEVER let a Viking sit outside in the weather due solely to its wood wings and fabric construction. Now, I don't let my aluminum plane sit outside either, but I think it can better withstand the weather than a Viking. And this comes straight from Tom Witmer at Witmer Aviation Services, the East Coast Bellanca guru and my hangar neighbor who has a Viking agrees.

Should the above convince anyone not to buy a Viking? Maybe, if you can't or don't want to hangar it.
 
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Len Lanetti said:
Fuel leaks from the wet wings is a known design option with Mooney aircraft.
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Haha! I like how you put that Len.

PS I am not picking on Mooneys; I love them. I do think all aircraft have their equal quirkiness and the Viking has its issues but none of them are more difficult or expensive than the other brands.
 
Anthony said:
However, I would NEVER let a Viking sit outside in the weather due solely to its wood wings and fabric construction. Now, I don't let my aluminum plane sit outside either, but I think it can better withstand the weather than a Viking.
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OK, if needing a hangar is a quirk I will have to give you that. Personally I wouldn't consider keeping any airplane outside in the elements (for very long), so that quirk was not an issue with me when I bought - and I suppose I overlook it now because my feelings about 'hangarage'.
Mechanically though (my opinion is) there is no more quirkiness about a Viking (and expecially none with the wood) than the other brands out there. The only wood work I have done is to plug and redrill some fairing holes that got wallered out.


[H]I have no apprehensions about flying a metal plane. It just seems like an expensive way to go slow!!![/H]

J/K J/K J/K!!!
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
OK, if needing a hangar is a quirk I will have to give you that. Personally I wouldn't consider keeping any airplane outside in the elements (for very long), so that quirk was not an issue with me when I bought - and I suppose I overlook it now because my feelings about 'hangarage'.
Mechanically though (my opinion is) there is no more quirkiness about a Viking (and expecially none with the wood) than the other brands out there. The only wood work I have done is to plug and redrill some fairing holes that got wallered out.


[H]I have no apprehensions about flying a metal plane. It just seems like an expensive way to go slow!!![/H]

J/K J/K J/K!!!
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HA! My fixed gear, fixed prop 180HP metal plane would disagree! :)

Dave. I love the Viking and I agree with your statements above. I came close to buying a Cruisemaster once. Beautiful airplane and a deal at $40K at the time.
 
Anthony said:
Dave. I love the Viking
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And don't think I am not always reassessing Mooneys (Bonanzas, 210s etc) as an alternative! They are all NICE!
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Haha! I like how you put that Len.

PS I am not picking on Mooneys;
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I know you're not.

:<)

I was wondering what you meant about the power thing....just a matter of not having a big six engine in the older models?

There is an STC process for putting 6 cylinders in the J and K airframes. One is called the Missle and the other is called the Rocket.

Len
 
now, when y'all say its wood - how much of it is wood? Just the wings, or the entire thing?
 
Len, Len - your power is fine. It's probably nothing to worry about.
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just kidding!!
 
NickDBrennan said:
now, when y'all say its wood - how much of it is wood? Just the wings, or the entire thing?
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Nick I should have let you look at it better at Gaston's.

The wing is an awe-inspiring work of hand-crafted beauty such as can no longer be found today. Formed of some 1800 parts of spruce and mahogany, the wing is sleek and smooth - not one rivethead to protrude into the slipstream. Solid, and as strong as a 50 yr old oak tree. The spars are laminated sitka spruce which is then covered by a layer of 1/4" formed mahogany ply and then fabric. When I am flying, I like to just gaze out at them and grin, they are so beautiful. Did you see the picture of the cheerleeding squad all over them, or the three beefy guys dancing on another one?

The fuse is tubular steel, covered in fabric. There are wooden 'fabric supports' in the fuse but that is about it. The fuse, being 4130, can rust. Not a common problem but still a worry. Too bad it wasn't wood, too.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Too bad it wasn't wood, too.
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Is the engine wood also? Does it take 100LL or Miracle Grow? :)
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
The wing is an awe-inspiring work of hand-crafted beauty such as can no longer be found today.
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http://www.bellanca-aircraft.com/

There must still be a few of the master carpenters sticking around the factory - at least enough skill to produce, as quoted above "Bellanca Super Vikings are hand‑built by skilled craftsmen; only a few aircraft will be built each year."
 
gkainz said:
http://www.bellanca-aircraft.com/

There must still be a few of the master carpenters sticking around the factory - at least enough skill to produce, as quoted above "Bellanca Super Vikings are hand‑built by skilled craftsmen; only a few aircraft will be built each year."
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They were still turning out 4 or 5 a year a few years back. I'm glad they are back in production. The performace specs seem to be close to Mooney M20J/201 specs.
 
Im not convinced they are ramping up production, since AAllc took over I understood they had permission to finish one or two that were almost done but did not have full type certificate authorization by the FAA. And the price they have on the new one is not going to help.
 
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