Just my analysis. The electrics continue the minimalist theme. The titanium bar undercarriage confers a very comfortable ride and the tailwheel steering is nice and positive, although I do miss the extra control authority provided by differential brakes. Sonex did post the update on its website, but the owner of a completed airplane might not have been in the habit of rechecking construction techniques; as long as the repair seemed to be working, the natural inclination would have been to leave well enough alone. Circuit breakers are all mounted in a subpanel beneath the instrument panel along with the elevator trimmer and plungers for the mixture, carb heat, throttle and fuel shut off. If you are going to lay out tens of thousands of dollars for a homebuilt aircraft you want to make sure you can take it anywhere in comfort and style. Occasionally I can feel a very subtle low-frequency vibration through the airframe, which turns out to be one of the wheels (which is slightly out-of-balance) rotating in the airflow. The problems with using a kit LSA to learn include: The "Build then fly" process of a kit without a license assumes you will want to do the latter after doing the former. They have designed an engine (AeroVee) that takes their airframe designs well enough into the aerodynamic envelope that they feel they do not need to support other engine choices. ©2020 Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Unlike two-place Sonex aircraft, the 80 h.p. Sonex Aircraft Review. Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator. That doesn't mean other aircraft don't have similar power ratings (the stock Cessna 150 is only 100hp while there's an engine kit for the Sonex providing 120), but the Sport Pilot license was designed for flying LSAs with a max power of 87hp, with an instructor endorsement required to fly anything more powerful. His last transmission after declaring an emergency was that “Something is really wrong with the airplane.” Several witnesses saw the Sonex flying low across a field before it banked to avoid a row of trees and the nose dropped in an apparent stall. However, as it really is quite ‘clean’ aerodynamically I think care would need to be taken on the down line, as the Sonex does accelerate rather rapidly if the nose is significantly below the horizon. I did consider the Sonex before I bought my Zenith. Just one more hurdle to getting rated to fly your own up-engined Sonex (or anything else besides). If the aircraft is unusual or those checklists don’t exist, it’s that much more crucial to find someone with the experience to know where to expect the unexpected. For the rest of us, of course, a good pre-purchase inspection is essential, not just to avoid unplanned expenses but to identify potential hazards of which the seller might not even be aware. It does *exactly* what the company states it will do (unlike other companies I can think of). With full flap and just a hint of power I get the speed down to an impressively slow 38-40 knots. All Zenith designs can be built from a kit or scratch built. With the recommended options the price for the VW engine kit is about $8,500 - plus assembly! Acceleration is adequate but not outstanding, but as I gently raise the tail the engine settles down, the prop begins to bite and as the airspeed rises past sixty knots I gently ease the stick back and the Sonex is off the ground and climbing away, having used around 150m of runway. Both aircraft are great little planes! When does a topos satisfy the axiom of regularity? I then bought a partially complete Waiex from another builder and completed it in 2010. Custom Instrument Panels I'm not knocking the Sonex because I had considered building one myself. The mechanic who’d done the last condition inspection found no sign of a fuel leak and no foreign material in the main fuel line or carburetor float bowl, but said that the normal inspection procedure didn’t include removing the finger screens. However, if you plan on cruising this fast it’d better be smooth, because Va and Vno (design manoeuvring speed and structural speed) are the same at 109kt IAS. I have now said all I intend to say on this subject. Based on my years following these designs I can only conclude that the “CH 650 B” is the most proven and tested model of the bunch - what other LSA-class plane has been thoroughly tested not only by the designer (and outside consultants) but also by the FAA and NTSB? Here are the reasons why I picked the Zenith over the Sonex. The Sonex can also be built from plans. Since that time 2005, the RV-12 and S-19 have come along, both nice airplane, but bang for the buck, you're better off with a 650. Despite being a popular design in America, the Sonex family of aircraft are relatively rare in the UK, with only about ten flyable, although several more are under construction. One is considered under powered my most people, and one overpowered with cooling problems. After the plane is built, these are the differences. The nose-first impact crumpled the cabin and killed the 81-year-old airline transport pilot. You might want to compare the characteristics of the Sonex aircraft to the criteria here: Re: Light Sport aircraft & Night/IFR operations, there's nothing in the regs prohibiting this: It just needs to be appropriately equipped & approved by the manufacturer for the kind of operation being conducted (as the builder of a kit you're the "manufacturer" and can approve the aircraft for those operations). The Sonex, Waiex and Xenos are a family of lightweight, metal, low-wing, two seat homebuilt aircraft.Kits are produced and marketed by Sonex Aircraft, a small manufacturer based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.By 2014, 500 customer built aircraft had been completed. Both the elevator and the mass-balanced ailerons are actuated by pushrods, with cables for the rudder. I’m not aware of any manufacturer with these problems (or excuses) and wonder how builders can get insurance in something they’ve never been able to fly... Oh, well, I probably wouldn’t fit in anyway. The cantilever constant chord wings use a 64-415 aerofoil and feature about three degrees of dihedral. Developed specifically for Zenith builders (by a builder) these videos on DVD are a great help in building your own kit plane by providing practical hands-on construction information. At this power setting and 3,000ft the Sonex will true out at an impressive 125 knots for a fuel flow of around 21-23 lph. Additional points: I don’t like having the fuel stored in the fuselage, nor the small size on the Sonex tank (the RV-12 has the gas in the fuselage also) and I like your welded aluminum fuel tanks (in the wings). A more vigorous exploration of the flight envelope soon shows it has a commendably rapid roll-rate for a Light Sport Aircraft, and although only small amounts of rudder are necessary to keep the slip-ball centred in shallow- to medium-banked turns, if you really reef it around some firm rudder input is required. There is a small hatch on top of the cowling which provides access to the oil dipstick and another for the fuel cap filler. The CH 650, S-19 and RV-12 have all been designed and tested to meet the LSA standards, but surprisingly the Sonex has not. Some can be overcome by endorsement, others cannot. If you want to progress to a PPL, and fly cross-country, at night or in IMC with your instrument rating, you'll need a plane capable of flying in such conditions for your checkride and other training time including at least one serious cross-country flight. The Sonex has only 2 engine options. They maintained a loose formation past Burnet, the friend’s home base, but about five minutes after they parted ways he radioed that he was having problems and was returning to Burnet to land. If that happens to you, you'll be stuck with a kit you bought new, which you can't fly and now have to sell used. If the aircraft is unusual or those checklists don’t exist, it’s that much more crucial to find someone with the experience to know where to expect the unexpected. In the same token, in MY opinion, Zenith has achieved enough success that they feel they are able to support a variety engines without it affecting negatively on their business. The Sonex Designer who I hold in high esteem with his knowledge of aircraft design, takes a very hard line to builders who deviate from the plans in any way. Can I include my published short story as a chapter to my new book? My 601XL kit and the Upgrade kit came complete. I have seen some videos on the Sonex that are impressive; even with the AeroVee.
Sword Fern Description, Head Of Humerus Function, Waiting On God Verses, Buy Plants Online Netherlands, Reset Check Engine Light Toyota Highlander, Aquaponic Design And Construction Pdf, Intangible Tax Florida, Nancy And Jonathan Dating, Difference Between Law And Ethics Ppt, Privet Traduction Russe, King's Fish Market, Witcher 2 Neutral Path,
