Photograph:
Viking Dragonfly 19-4527 (c/n 0972 – ex VH-HIM) at Temora, NSW in April 2010 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Two-seat light sport aircraft
Power Plant:
One 34 kw (45 hp) Volkswagen four-cylinder (1,600 cc) horizontally- opposed air-cooled engine; or
One 45 kw (60 hp) Hapi 60-2DM four-cylinder (1,835 cc) horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- (45 kw / 60 hp engine – two persons on board)
- Wingspan: 6.71 m (22 ft)
- Foreplane span: 6.10 m (20 ft)
- Length: 5.79 m (19 ft)
- Height: 1.22 m (4 ft)
- Wing area: 4.51 m² (48.5 sq ft)
- Max speed at sea level: 270 km/h (168 mph)
- Cruising speed at 75% power: 266 km/h (140 mph)
- Stalling speed: 72 km/h (45 mph)
- Rate of climb at sea level: 259 m/min (850 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 5,180 m (17,000 ft)
- Range with 30 mins reserve: 805 km (500 miles)
- Empty weight: 274 kg (605 lb)
- Loaded weight: 488 kg (1,075 lb)
History:
Although looking very similar to the Quickie series of aircraft, also being of canard configuration, the Dragonfly is a new design, being slightly larger and having, in the two-seat version, less power. Designed as a low-cost, high-performance sporting aircraft, the design received the EAA Outstanding New Design award at the 1980 Oshkosh event in Wisconsin, and later that year was chosen as the Grand Champion at the Ramona Fly-in in California. The prototype was flown for the first time on 16 June 1980.
The Dragonfly featured carbon fibre spars, and construction was of foam/epoxy/fibreglass. Designed to seat two side-by-side, it had a wing-loading of 1.02 kg/m² (11 lb/sq ft) and was designed to limits of + 4.4 G and –2 G. Glide ratio was reported to be 14.5 to 1, and fuel consumption was 16 litres (3.5 Imp gals) per hour at 249 km/h (155 mph). A number of engines could be fitted, these usually being conversions of the Volkswagen range of motor-car engines ranging in capacity from 1,600 cc to 1,835 cc. Varying equipment levels were available, ranging from a basic engine with single ignition, to those fitted with a 25 Amp alternator, electric starter, dual ignition, mixture control, mechanical fuel pumps, and fitted with Great American type propellers.
More than a dozen Dragonflys have been built in this region, the first VH-LSD (c/n 65) being completed and flown in November 1984, later in 1994 becoming VH-LSR. Three basic versions have been available: the Mk I with the main wheels on the outriggers; the Mk II designed for operation from unprepared strips and narrow taxiways, having the main wheels on short cantilever legs under the wings with individual hydraulically operated tow-brakes; and the Mk III with a non-retractable tricycle undercarriage.
More than 2,000 kits have been supplied around the world and more than 500 have been completed. One has been registered in New Zealand, this being ZK-PJM (c/n 1025), on 28 July 1992, eventually being operated by the Dragonfly Syndicate at Christchurch. This aircraft had a Subaru EA-81 engine driving a three-blade Warp Drive propeller but was withdrawn from service on 27 March 2014.