As promised, here is the story of our next airplane.
I
initially got a ahead of myself and started to look at the dream planes
such as Piper Lances and Saratogas, Cessna 210s and the awe inspiring
Beech A36. However, one call to my insurance guy knocked me right back
down to earth. Apparently, 114.5 hours in a 2 seat Grumman was not
enough time or experience to favor a decent rate on these aircraft. So,
needless to say, I was a little down in mood. I was a little angry
too. I couldn't figure out what these people wanted. I couldn't give
them my first born, as we had already grown quite attached to her. So, I
guess I was going to have to get more experience. But I was going to
have to go up in aircraft complexity and performance in order for my
time in that new aircraft to count favorably towards the goal airplanes
above.
Yes, yes, I know what you are all thinking out
there. I need to get my instrument rating. Hey, one step at a time,
OK. I figured in my "infinite" wisdom that even with an instrument
rating I was going to have to have complex and high performance time as
well, to get into the dream planes above.
I had no idea
what plane would fit the mission. Being the impulse buyer that I am,
nothing would have made me happier than just getting the plane I
wanted. But eventually more sensible heads prevailed and the search was
on for a an economical plane that had both complex and high performance
characteristics. I spent much of time online prospecting for potential
airplane candidates.
One day I asked my A&P Joe
what he thought. Joe is not only a good mechanic, he is an accomplished
private, commercial and aerobatic pilot. When I explained what my
goals were to Joe, he suggested, "How about a Bellanca Viking." A
Viking? "What the hell was that," I said to myself. I didn't want to
appear that I didn't know what a Viking was; however, for fear of losing
face as a "knowledgable" aviator, you know. So, I told him I would
look into that option.
Needless to say, thank God for
the internet. I immediately Googled Bellanca Viking and found loads of
information on the airplane. The Bellanca Super Viking was manufactured
in my home state, no less. This plane was manufactured in Alexandria,
Minnesota. Bellanca was also the original manufacturer of the Citabria
and the Decathlon, which are popular airplanes. Bellanca also made the
second plane to cross the Atlantic non stop. But that is like trying to
remember the second guy who stepped foot on the moon (Buzz Alderin).
No points for second place; I guess. Bellanca eventually went belly up
but there is still a healthy fleet of these planes out there. They are
also decently supported by Alexandria Aircraft, LLC who bought the type
certificates for some of bellanca's airplanes including the Super
Viking.
The Viking spec sheet was not to shabby; she was also a pretty airplane.
Performance and Specifications
Estimated performance and capacity specifications derived from the 1979 or newer models.
PERFORMANCE
|
Engine-Telydine Continental model 10-520K 300 HP Fuel Injected |
| Max. Speed
at Sea Level |
210 mph. |
| Max Cruise
Speed (at 75% power) |
205 mph |
| Takeoff
Distance (over 50 ft.) |
1,420 ft. |
| Landing
Distance (over 50 ft) |
1,340 ft. |
| Rate of
Climb at Sea Level |
1,210 fpm. |
| Service
Ceiling |
20,000 ft. |
| Stall Speed
(full flaps) |
70 mph. |
| Max.
Range-w/84 useable gal. fuel |
1,205 mi. |
SPECIFICATIONS
| Height |
7.3 ft. |
| Length |
26.3 ft. |
| Wing Span |
34.2 ft. |
| Wing Area |
161.5 sq.
ft. |
| Gross Weight |
3,325 lbs. |
| Empty Weight
(Inc. unuseables) |
2,185 lbs. |
| Baggage
Capacity |
186 lbs. |
| Fuel
Capacity-Std. System |
69 gal. |
| Long Range
System-Gal
|
84 gal. |
| Oil Capacity |
12 qts. |
The more I looked into the Super Viking
the more I fell in love with the idea of owning one. And currently, it
was a big enough airplane for my entire family because my son, little
David, was small enough to be a Lap Baby with my wife in the backseat,
at age 3. He also had my wife's and my genes. Lets just say that the
NBA is out for my boy. Hey, if lap baby status is good enough for the
airlines, then it is good enough for us. So the search was on.
The
Super Viking fit the bill. It was a high performance platform with a
300 horse IO-520 Continental and complex with retractable landing gear
and constant speed propeller. BINGO. If I could get some time in one
of these babies, it would be the stepping stone I would need to drive
the insurance bill into the affordable range for the dream planes that
would fit the entire family with a seat for everyone and one to spare,
of course. So the search began.
After being on the
prowl for a couple of weeks, Joe sent me a link to a guy selling a Super
Viking in Tucson, AZ. This seller, Scott, was a Air Force F-16 fighter
jock and was being deployed to Egypt for a couple of years (this was
before it all hit the fan in Egypt with the Arab Spring) and he did not
want to hanger and maintain the plane from across the planet; so he and
his wife (also an Air force pilot) decided to sell their Viking which
they had owned for ~ 7 years. I bet that after the so called democratic
revolution in Egypt, this pilot didn't end up going anywhere, or if he
did he is currently back stateside.
Anyways, the plane looked immaculate and well taken care of. The following are some pictures of the plane.
I
know, I know, the Brady bunch colors on the upholstery was out dated,
but it was well maintained and the mission was more important than the
interior looks which could be changed if so desired.
I
called the owner and made him an offer. He was asking $32,000. Yes, I
know, I know. Where else are you going to get complex and high
performance for this price. After an exhaustive search, I can safely
tell you, NOWHERE. The reason that the Viking is so inexpensive is
multi-factorial. The manufacturer had gone out of business, the plane
was fabric covered rather than the tin cans we all like to fly, and the
wings were made of wood. Yes, WOOD. However, after some research I
found out that Viking's were built essentially on a steel roll cage
stronger than any average aluminum fuselage. The wings spars and ribs
were made of Sitka Spruce and sheeted in Mahogany. This was then dipped
in a resin that when dry and cured was very tough. This is the same
stuff they made the Howard Hughes Spruce Goose out of. So, in essence,
if this material was tough enough for that plane it is certainly tough
enough for the Viking. That made it good enough for me.
By
the way, if you don't know what the Hughes Spruce Goose was, it was a
huge project cargo/troop transport plane concept for the military that
was contracted to reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. Below are
pictures of the airplane.
After
some haggling, I got Scott down to $30,000 and we had a deal. I made
arrangements to fly down to AZ to close the deal and bring the plane
home. I initially was going to fly it home myself, but it dawned on me
that this plane was not a 2 seat Grumman AA-1A. There just might be a
difference in flying and handling, not to mention the constant speed
prop which I have no experience with. So, I asked one of the local
instructors if they would go down with me to get the plane. All expense
paid, of course. My now friend Jim, agreed to go on the trip with me,
and we were off in a couple days.
We got to Tucson and cut the Deal. The plane was in as good a shape as the photograph's had shown.
After
taking ownership of the plane. Jim and I made plans to fly out the
next morning. Our plan was to fly to a small town called Truth Or
Consequences, NM refuel and then fly north from there to Garden City,
Kansas. The flight over the Arizona and New Mexico Rockies was
awesome. The following are some pictures as we were flying over the
Southern Rockies.
The views were just gorgeous. It made the trip go that much faster
Over New Mexico.
Leaving Arizona
This
is the last mountain ridge before hitting the plain states of the
Heartland of our beautiful country. You can see the plains just beyond.
In this picture, we were at 12,000 feet MSL and just clearing the tops of these mountains.
After
an overnight stay in Garden City, Kansas we then left early the next
morning for our final couple of legs home. The plan was to fly to
Huron, SD for a pit stop and top off then direct home to Thief River
Falls, MN. This flight took us directly over Fargo, ND. Yeessss, that
Fargo. The movie with the wood chipper and all that. By the way,
Minnesotans and Fargoites hate that movie. So, don't bring it up! Or
else, you might find yourself in a wood chipper.
The
following are some pics of us flying VFR on top of an overcast layer
over South Dakota. We knew; however, that it was severe clear at home.
It was also 25 below zero there, though. Brrrrrr.
My
Friend Jim Holte of Holte's Flying service is seasoned Ag Pilot and
CFII. We were currently flying on top of the overcast over South
Dakota.
Beautiful VFR on Top
Here, we are Crossing over the Frozen Missouri River which is the Border between Nebraska and South Dakota.
Here
is a pearl of wisdom for anyone who flies long distance in the winter,
especially if the change in temperature is significant between
departure and destination. Jim and I had had a flawless flight thus far
and we were over that overcast layer in freezing temps and all of a
sudden the engine begins to sputter. Remember we are heading north at a
constant altitude of 5500 feet MSL. The only variable was that the air
temperature was dropping precipitously as we ventured north toward
northwest Minnesota. When the engine began to sputter I yelled out at
Jim, "Alright Jim, think fast, what is going on?!!!" All I heard Jim
say was Oh SH*% !!!!!!!! I quickly looked at my gauges and saw that the
Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) gauge was much hotter than the previous
owner said it should be. And it certainly was much hotter than where I
had leaned it to when we left Huron, SD. So, I immediately enriched the
mixture and the EGT temp came back within spec and the engine stopped
sputtering.
What
was the lesson here? The problem was that as we flew further north and
the temperature dropped, the density of the air was also increasing, so
the the mixture was slowing leaning as we flew north until it got to a
point where it was too lean and the engine was starting to suffer from
fuel exhaustion. The take home point is, as pilot in command you should
not only be enjoying your flight but periodically looking at all your
gauges. The plane will start to show readings that will warn you way
ahead of what happened to us. I would have caught this problem earlier
and adjusted the mixture before any of this excitement would have
happened if I had been paying attention to that EGT.
Needless
to say, the remainder of the flight was uneventful and we made it home
safe and sound to an Ice rink of a taxiway because of a freezing rain
and snow blizzard that had blown through Thief River a day earlier.
Well, that is is the story of how we acquired our second airplane.
By
the way, I sold the Grumman to a guy named Igor out of Pittsburgh, PA
who had a pilot pick up the plane 1 day before we flew down to AZ.
Perfect timing.
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