Name	Viking 2,5	Designer	Claus Thorlund Clausen
Type	CI	Capacity	2.5cc
Production run	over 15,000	Country of Origin	Denmark
Photo by	Bert Striegler	Year of manufacture	1948-65

 

Background

Sadly, our knowledge regarding the history of this beautiful engine is limited. What we do know (from a Danish reader of Model Engine News) is that production spanned 1948 to 1965. In addition to the Viking 2,5, the company also produced a 3,5cc version of the same engine. The other models in their line were 2,5cc and 3,5cc rear intake glow engines, a 0,75cc "Red-Helm" diesel, and a more modern 2,48cc "Super".

The model pictured here is a pristine, NIB from Bert Striegler's collection. Even the box and papers (in Danish, naturally) are in perfect condition as seen here. The accompanying customs declaration gives the date shipped as 1960, so we can place manafacture as some time prior, but from the box condition, probably not a lot earlier.

The detail and workmanship appears first class: look at the how the fins flair into the inlet boss in this photograph. To do this requires they be cut with a slitting saw (or gang of them) while the crankcase is rotated around the bore axis between precise limits. The red fuel tank is also very eye-catching and the little locking thimble on top of the spraybar makes for an excellent air-proof joint--a feature found on high performance engines like Dooling, Super Tiger and older McCoys.

No, not an unusual design feature; the apparent obtuse angle between cylinder and crank bores is due to folds in the paper! More unusual features are the forward facing exhaust (a feature later used in high performance Russian team race diesels to place the hottest part in the most unobstructed air-flow) and the screw in plug in the top of the cylinder that retains the liner in the long bore. Notice also the pinned prop driver. This feature is pure Dyno 1, leading me to think that regardless of when this engine was made, the design dates way back.