Sonex Aircraft in the News – Sonex Aircraft https://www.sonexaircraft.com The Sport Aircraft Reality Check! Thu, 14 Dec 2023 16:54:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.sonexaircraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-gold_wings_3937-32x32.jpg Sonex Aircraft in the News – Sonex Aircraft https://www.sonexaircraft.com 32 32 145799239 The Elephant in the Room: The Kit Industry is Healthier than you Think! https://www.sonexaircraft.com/kit-industry-roundtable-121423/ Thu, 14 Dec 2023 16:54:33 +0000 https://www.sonexaircraft.com/?p=22443 Read More]]> There’s an elephant in the room. The business situation with our friends and competitor in Oregon obviously cannot be ignored. So the question is: Is this endemic to the rest of the kit aircraft industry? We’re happy to report that it’s not. Sonex owner and president Mark Schaible participated in a round-table discussion with Sebastian Heintz of Zenith and Randy Schlitter of Rans, hosted by Bryan Walstrom of the Experimental Aircraft Channel to discuss the kit aircraft industry today, the current business conditions and economy, and our individual business philosophies and approach. Don’t panic, and keep building. We’re all (the entire kit industry) here to support you! Watch the Informative and Entertaining Discussion in this Video

Learn More About Sonex Kits

Check-Out Sonex Webinars

See Sonex Flying (and Building) Stories from Our Customers!

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Kitplanes eXenos Series: First Flight! https://www.sonexaircraft.com/kitplanes-exenos-series-first-flight/ Fri, 27 Oct 2023 22:16:52 +0000 https://www.sonexaircraft.com/?p=22036 Read More]]> Another installment in Paul Dye’s series of Kitplanes Magazine articles about his electric-powered eXenos is now available: Read the Article!

This series covers the installation of FLIT LLC’s Zaero electric propulsion package in Paul and Louise’s Xenos Motorglider. Paul first flew Xenos serial number X0061 on April 8th, and has written a series of feature articles for Kitplanes Magazine about the Zaero electric package installation, his being the first customer installation to be completed and flown.

The latest installment of Paul’s feature story series covers his eXenos first flight and includes more great information about the Zaero installation along with some great tips for the first flight of any homebuilt aircraft.

Learn More About the Xenos Motorglider!

See the Entire eXenos Series of Articles from Kitplanes Magazine

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First Flights: Paul Dye Flies His Electric Xenos! https://www.sonexaircraft.com/first-flight-paul-dye-exenos/ Sat, 08 Apr 2023 23:10:44 +0000 https://www.sonexaircraft.com/?p=21577 Read More]]> Congratulations to Paul Dye and Louise Hose of Kitplanes Magazine who flew their eXenos (S/N X0061) with Zaero Elecric Propulsion for the first time today! The aircraft uses the Zaero Electric Propulsion system pioneered by Gabriel DeVault and supported by both Sonex and DeVault. Paul made two flights today from his home airpark in Dayton, Nevada.

Paul writes:

To quote Howard Hughes in the movie The Rocketeer… ”The son of a b**** will fly!”

The stars finally aligned with the weather (and schedules) in western Nevada on the morning of April 8th, and the Dye/Hose eXenos took to the air for its first and second flights from Dayton Valley Airpark. Paul Dye flew both flights using the EAA Test Card #2 (suitably modified for an electric powerplant) and found the airplane to fly fine, with only a slightly heavy left wing and a stall speed right on the book value of 38 knots. The electric power system devised by Gabe DeVault worked flawlessly and Paul was able to manage temperatures of the motor, controller and battery to complete all the flight test objectives on the card. While the motor warms up quickly during takeoff and initial climb, the temperature are easily managed while maintaining a respectable positive rate of climb to pattern altitude.

You can read more about the Dye/Hose eXenos first flight on the Kitplanes Magazine web site!

Congratulations Paul and Louise, Gold Wings are on the way!

Learn More About the Xenos Motorglider!

Learn More about the Xenos Zaero Electric Propulsion Installation!

View the Latest Sonex Aircraft Completions

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This Month in Kitplanes Archives: The Onederful Onex! https://www.sonexaircraft.com/kitplanes-archives-onex/ Thu, 06 Apr 2023 18:12:50 +0000 https://www.sonexaircraft.com/?p=21570 Read More]]> It’s hard to believe that it has been 10 years since the Onex graced the cover of Kitplanes Magazine. The June, 2013 issue of Kitplanes is featured in the monthly “Archive” column in the June 2023 edition. “Half the Seats, Twice the Fun!” is the magazine cover’s tagline for our fleet’s low-cost leader, and builders have been experiencing Onex fun since kits first shipped in 2011. Read the Full Kitplanes Feature!

Learn More About the Onex!

See More Onex Press

Check-Out the Onex Development Archive

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Electric Xenos Motor/Battery Mounts Now Available to Order! https://www.sonexaircraft.com/xenos-electric-mounts/ Wed, 24 Aug 2022 17:14:21 +0000 https://www.sonexaircraft.com/?p=20614 Read More]]> Sonex is pleased to announce that motor/battery mounts are now available to order for the Xenos Motorglider Zaero Electric Propulsion package!

Zaero Mounts for Xenos Motorglider


Zaero Electric Motor/Battery Mounts:
Order Now!

Estimated Lead Time:
12 weeks from order

Install a Zero motorcycle electric motor and battery system to power your Legacy or B-Model Xenos Motorglider with support form FLIT LLC.

Developed by Gabriel DeVault, the installation uses the standard Sonex cowlings and AeroVee Spinner with Sensenich Propeller. One of the original developers of the Zero Motorcycle, Gabe has been experimenting with electric powered aircraft for years. Most recently, Gabe installed the Zero-derived “Zaero” propulsion package in a Xenos Motorglider, which was featured on the cover of Kitplanes Magazine.

Gabe’s Zaero powered Xenos installation, consisting of a Zero Motorcyle fully-electric drivetrain and battery system modified by Gabe for aircraft use, is touted by Kitplanes as the first truly-practical and affordable electric-powered homebuilt aircraft and we agree! The Zaero powered Xenos “can carry two full-size adults and stay aloft for over an hour—more if you can find great lift!”

Through his company, FLIT LLC, Gabe DeVault is providing motor mount/reduction drive units, throttle controllers and general advice to support other Xenos builders as-well as builders of other experimental aircraft types that can use this power package. Sonex now supports builders with airframe battery/motor mounts for installation of the Zaero system on Xenos and Xenos-B Motorgliders! Note that Sonex Aircraft does not consider the Zaero electric propulsion system to be suitable on the Sonex, Waiex, Onex or Sonerai sport aircraft models.

Kitplanes editor at-large Paul Dye is best-known in Sonex circles for his beautiful SubSonex Personal Jet, “Loki,” however, Paul and his wife are also building a Xenos Motorglider and they have elected to make the Zaero electric propulsion package installation in their own Xenos! Kitplanes readers and Sonex enthusiasts will be able to follow Paul’s installation via blog posts and videos, and his aircraft will receive the first-article battery/motor mount from Sonex Aircraft for testing. Read More from Paul Dye and Gabe DeVault about the Zaero powered e-Xenos installation at www.Kitplanes.com/tag/exenos/

Learn More about the Xenos Motorglider!

Read More About the eXenos in Kitplanes Magazine!

 

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20614 One Week Wonder Waiex Flies! https://www.sonexaircraft.com/oww-first-flight/ Thu, 18 Aug 2022 22:48:16 +0000 https://www.sonexaircraft.com/?p=20627 Read More]]> The AirVenture 2022 One Week Wonder Waiex-B made its maiden flight early this morning here in Oshkosh! Flown by EAA and Sonex alumn Joe Norris, the Rotax 912iS powered, standard gear Waiex-B serial number WXB66OWW made a brief shake-down first flight. Initial rate of climb information indicated over 1600 feet per minute and overall performance was very good. More images, videos and performance data will be released as the test flight process continues!

Thank you to all the volunteers, EAA staff, Sonex staff and donors for helping to make this build happen! The One Week Wonder was built during AirVenture 2022, going from Complete Airframe Kit to first taxi in 6-1/2 days. See photos and video coverage of the One Week Wonder in our AirVenture 2022 Wrap-Up!

Learn More About the Waiex-B!

View the Latest Sonex Aircraft Completions

 

 

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Biggest. Oshkosh. Ever! https://www.sonexaircraft.com/oshkosh-2022-report/ Sun, 07 Aug 2022 18:42:13 +0000 https://www.sonexaircraft.com/?p=20533 Read More]]> EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 broke all kinds of records for EAA, making it the biggest event ever, and it was the biggest Oshkosh ever for Sonex in several ways! Keep scrolling, this is probably the biggest Oshkosh web post ever, as-well!

Sonex Open House
The events kicked-off with our traditional Sonex Open House and Homecoming Fly-In in Sunday July 24th, a day before the start of AirVenture. While a bad storm on Saturday night hampered fly-in attendance on Sunday, a large crowd still attended the open house along with one each customer SubSonex, Onex and Sonex. The Sunday event included the official public unveiling of the SubSonex JSX-2T two-place jet prototype, and wrapped-up with the traditional taxi of factory and customer aircraft to AirVenture grounds.

One Week Wonder
The show started and ended in a big way for Sonex with the official kickoff of the 2022 One Week Wonder by EAA’s Jack Pelton. Throughout the week, over 80 build volunteers and ambassadors plus thousands of AirVenture attendees with their individual signed rivet contributions helped to ensure a successful completion of the Waiex-B for this year’s One Week Wonder. The aircraft taxied in-front of the AirVenture crowd at the end of Sunday’s air show, meeting the week’s incredibly ambitous goals. See the full One Week Wonder photo gallery below along with each day’s video coverage by the Experimental Aircraft Channel on YouTube. The One Week Wonder served as an inspiration to AirVenture attendees, volunteers and Sonex staff alike, showing what a dedicated group of like-minded aviation enthusiasts can achieve together and showing that building a homebuilt aircraft is within anybody’s reach!

Two-Seat SubSonex JSX-2T
After Sunday’s unveiling, the SubSonex JSX-2T prototype was moved to the Sonex exhibit booth at AirVenture for display next to the single-seat SubSonex JSX-2. The aircraft is still under construction, but the Sonex staff worked hard to get it ready for viewing at the show with wings and tail attached, canopy and nose cone installed, and a cockpit ready for folks to try-on for size. The prototype received a ton of customer and media attention during the show, and several Kit Reservation Deposits were taken! Reserve Yours Today!

Show Orders and Lead-Times
The show was also a giant year for Sonex kit orders, exceeding all expectations as excitement and demand for our products continue to grow! Lead-Times are still very good compared to the rest of the homebuilt industry, however, so if you didn’t get a chance to order at the show, place your order now! Complete Airframe Kits and Sub-Kits currently have an approximate 16 week lead-time and Quick Build Kits are currently booking-out approximately 9 months. Cost pressures keep increasing, however, so be prepared for price increases to come soon. See Our Kit Options and Order Today!

 


 

Rotax 912iS Installation
In preparation for the One Week Wonder, Sonex conducted its first-ever factory installation of a Rotax powerplant with the Rotax 912iS. While Sonex has been making 912-series engine mounts and Sensenich props available for several years and customers have been making their own engine mounts and installations for even longer, the One Week Wonder was the perfect opportunity for Sonex to develop advanced support materials with our own factory installation.

As the factory aircraft and the One Week Wonder progress through flight testing together, Sonex will be refining and preparing custom parts for the installation along with a Firewall-Forward Installation Guide for release later this year. Accessories will include the custom Sonex/Toucan Exhaust System, an AeroConversions/Rotax Prop Hub Spool Extension, Radiator Mounts and Ducts with Custom Radiators, Sonex/Rotax Oil Tank Mounts and more! This new engine support will combine with our existing engine support offerings to further increase the popularity of Sonex designs!

What About the High Wing?
While no announcements were made during AirVenture about the upcoming Sonex High Wing design, and we didn’t even have a sign in the booth about it, "Tell me more about the High Wing" was probably the most frequently uttered phrase in the Sonex booth at AirVenture 2022! With SubSonex JSX-2T engineering nearing completion, and a lot of preliminary structural engineering completed on the High Wing this Spring, Sonex will be kicking development of the new aircraft into high-gear this Fall and it will be in the Sonex exhibit booth at AirVenture 2023!

The High Wing will also give Sonex the opportunity to completely round-out its engine support package offerings with the first factory installation of a UL Power engine with the UL350iS! Like Rotax engines, Sonex has been making engine mounts available for UL Power engines for years, and with the High Wing project we will be developing specific support materials and instructions for the installations in our aircraft!

One Week Wonder Daily Video Coverage

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

 

One Week Wonder Photo Gallery

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WE DID IT! One Week Wonder Completed! https://www.sonexaircraft.com/one-week-wonder-completed/ Mon, 01 Aug 2022 15:31:09 +0000 https://www.sonexaircraft.com/?p=20404 Read More]]> The One Week Wonder at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is in the books: WE DID IT! Waiex B-Model N220WW taxied under its own power at the end of the air show on Sunday, July 31st capping off AirVenture 2022 and an heroic effort by One Week Wonder volunteers, Sonex staff, EAA staff and One Week Wonder sponsors. Thank you to all for making this giant undertaking a success and thank you to everyone who stopped by to pop a rivet in the aircraft and cheer us on! More to come in pictures and videos about the One Week Wonder and Sonex exhibit operations at AirVenture 2022… after we get some sleep!

Learn More About the Waiex-B and Order One Today!

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NASC TRACER UAV Unveiled at AUVSI https://www.sonexaircraft.com/tracer-unveiled/ Tue, 26 Apr 2022 21:59:49 +0000 https://www.sonexaircraft.com/?p=19727 Read More]]> A new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was unveiled at the AUVSI Xponential convention in Orlando Florida today, and it should look quite familiar to Sonex builders and fans! Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation (NASC) has partnered with Sonex Aerospace to develop a twin-engine jet powered UAV called TRACER. Based-upon the SubSonex Personal Jet, the NASC TRACER is a low-cost, high-performance UAV designed for speed, versatility and survivability.

"The easily field-maintainable aircraft is intended for a wide range of operations," reports NASC officials, "including Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T), reconnaissance, counter UAS, communication relay, insertion into contested airspace, electronic warfare, research and development, military training activities and many other mission sets."

TRACER can be seen at AUVSI Xponential Booth 1401 through April 28th at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Read more about TRACER in the full press release on NASC’s web site!

Visit the Sonex Aerospace web site!

Learn More about the SubSonex Personal Jet!

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April Marks the 20th Anniversary of the AeroConversions AeroVee! https://www.sonexaircraft.com/aerovee-20-years/ Mon, 14 Mar 2022 22:39:36 +0000 https://www.sonexaircraft.com/?p=12375 Read More]]> A feature article in the May, 2022 issue of Kitplanes Magazine commemorates the 20th anniversary of the modern AeroVee Engine Kit. Although the AeroVee name has been around since the early 1970’s with a previous generation of cast aluminum conversion parts, the “Modern” AeroVee, an all-inclusive package with brand-new core engine parts (including case), CNC-machined aircraft conversion parts, ignition and induction was first sold in April, 2002.

20 years later and approximately 900 engines sold to-date, the AeroVee boasts many enhancements since the original 2002 version and is available in both its original 80hp configuration as-well as a 100hp AeroVee Turbo turbocharged engine package. AeroVee and AeroVee Turbo engines account for fully half of the worldwide fleet of completed and flying Sonex aircraft, and have been installed in a multitude of other experimental aircraft types including Sonerai’s, unique designs like the Flitzer Biplane and others.

You can read much more about the evolution of the AeroVee in "AeroConversions AeroVee Turns 20" by Kerry Fores in Kitplanes Magazine!

Learn More about the AeroVee 80hp Engine Kit!

Learn More about the AeroVee Turbo 100hp Engine Kit!

Learn More about the AeroInjector!

AeroVee 80hp Engine Kit

AeroVee Turbo 100hp Engine Kit

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