This is the single-cylinder Stirling engine built into the form of a Viking longship that putters up to an efficient 2,500 rpm. Evoking the imagery of the iconic raiding vessel with a dragon prow and decorative oars and shields, this engine is powered by the expansion and compression of air—rather than the fury of seafaring Norsemen—by employing the thermodynamic principle of Robert Stirling’s original 1818 regenerative heat engine. Made in Germany from machine-tooled solid brass and stainless steel construction, it has one alcohol burner that rests on a hand-finished birch platform. The burner’s lit wick heats a horizontal piston cowling; a quick flip of the brass flywheel sets the engine’s displacement and working pistons into motion. The resulting expansion and contraction of heated and cooled air inside the cylinder transforms the rocker arm into a precisely calibrated alternating cycle. A full burner of ethyl alcohol (not included) powers the engine for up to 10 minutes. 6 1/4" L x 7 1/4" W x 5" H. (2 lbs.)