{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}} {{Use British English|date=July 2017}} {{Infobox aircraft | name = ASL Viking | logo = | logo_size = | image = ASL Viking threequarters view.jpg | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Experimental aircraft | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United Kingdom | manufacturer = Aeronautical Syndicate Ltd | design_group = | designer = Horatio Barber | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 1 | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = 12 January 1912<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1912/1912%20-%200059.html Viking's first flight]</ref> | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = }}
The '''ASL Viking''' was a single-engined two seater biplane aircraft designed and built by Horatio Barber's Aeronautical Syndicate Ltd. at Hendon. It was first flown in January 1912.
==Background== The Aeronautical Syndicate Ltd. was an enterprise established by Horatio Barber in order to promote aviation in Britain. During 1910 he had designed a number of aircraft, and in 1910 the Syndicate had leased premises at Hendon Aerodrome. Here, in addition to constructing aircraft, they had a flying school, using Barber's ASL Valkyrie canard monoplanes.
==Design and development== During 1911 Barber started work on a new aircraft, the Viking. This bore no resemblance to Barber's earlier aircraft, being a biplane with the control surfaces mounted at the back, in what was to become the conventional aircraft layout. The power installation was less commonplace, with a front-mounted {{convert|50|hp|abbr=on}} Gnome Omega rotary engine driving a pair of {{convert|8|ft|6|in|abbr=on}} two-bladed wooden tractor configuration propellers mounted midway between the two wings on shafts on the inner interplane struts. The unstaggered parallel-chord wings were of three-bay configuration, with the outer interplane struts at the extreme ends of the wings and without any cabane bracing between the fuselage and upper wing. Lateral control was effected by a pair of mixed aluminium and steel ailerons attached to the rear interplane struts midway between the wings and spanning the outer two bays on each side. The rectangular fuselage, which was mounted slightly above the centre section of lower wing, was a wire-braced mixed silver spruce and ash wood construction, tapering to a horizontal knife-edge at the tail. The cockpit, which accommodated two people sitting side by side, was placed below the upper wing. The engine was covered by a semicircular section aluminium fairing which extended forward from the cockpit. Aft of this the fuselage was fabric-covered. The tail surfaces consisted of the rudder being half above the fuselage and a half below it, a wire-braced horizontal stabiliser and elevator. It had a two-wheel main undercarriage, supplemented by a central sprung skid under the nose, a sprung tailskid and sprung skids on the tip of the lower wings.<ref name=flight200112>{{cite web|title=Viking I|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1912/1912%20-%200052.html|website=flightglobal.com|accessdate=30 September 2015|pages=52–55}}</ref>
==History== The Viking was first flown early in 1912 and flew well, although the power installation was troublesome. Due to a lack of any commercial success Barber wound up the Aerial Syndicate in April 1912, most of its assets being acquired by Frederick Handley Page, and the Viking was the last of Barber's aircraft designs to be constructed. The Viking was sold to Hamilton Ross, manager of the Chanter Flying School at Shoreham. There it was fitted with a pair of floats, the twin propellers were replaced by a single propeller mounted directly onto the engine and the fabric covering was removed from the rear part of the fuselage.<ref name=Lewis>{{cite book |last=Lewis |first=Peter |title=British Aircraft 1809-1914 |year=1962 |publisher=Putnam |location=London|page=46}}</ref>
==Specifications== {{Aircraft specs |ref=British Aircraft 1809-1906<ref name=Lewis/> |prime units?=imp <!-- General characteristics --> |genhide=
|crew=1 |capacity= |length m= |length ft=26 |length in= |length note= |span m= |span ft=31 |span in= |span note= |upper span m= |upper span ft= |upper span in= |upper span note= |lower span m= |lower span ft= |lower span in= |lower span note= |height m= |height ft= |height in= |height note= |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft=310 |wing area note= |aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes --> |airfoil= |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb=800 |empty weight note= |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb= |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |more general= <!-- Powerplant --> |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Gnome Omega |eng1 type=7-cyl. air-cooled rotary piston engine |eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines --> |eng1 hp=50 |eng1 shp=<!-- prop engines --> |eng1 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines --> |eng1 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines --> |eng1 note= |power original= |thrust original= |eng1 kn-ab=<!-- afterburners --> |eng1 lbf-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
|prop blade number=2 |prop name=2x A.S.L. wooden fixed pitch tractor propellers |prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft --> |prop dia ft=8 |prop dia in=6 |prop dia note= <!-- Performance --> |perfhide=
|max speed kmh= |max speed mph= |max speed kts= |max speed note= |max speed mach=<!-- supersonic aircraft --> |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph=55 |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh= |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |range km= |range miles= |range nmi= |range note= |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range miles= |ferry range nmi= |ferry range note= |endurance=6 hours |ceiling m= |ceiling ft= |ceiling note= |g limits=<!-- aerobatic --> |roll rate=<!-- aerobatic --> |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |fuel consumption kg/km= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass=
|more performance= }}
==Comparable Aircraft== * Avro Type E * Royal Aircraft Factory B.E. 1 * Bristol Gordon England biplanes * Coventry Ordnance Works No. 11 and 12 biplanes
==References== {{reflist}}
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Category:1910s British experimental aircraft Category:Single-engined twin-prop tractor aircraft Viking Category:Biplanes Category:Aircraft first flown in 1912 Category:Rotary-engined aircraft