Sonex Aircraft

Sonex Aircraft
Private
Industry Aerospace
Headquarters Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Key people
 John Monnett (founder)
Jeremy Monnett (CEO until his death in 2015[1])
Products Homebuilt aircraft
Number of employees
 9
Subsidiaries AeroConversions engines
Website www.sonexaircraft.com
Sonex at the company display at Sun 'n Fun, 2004

Sonex Aircraft, LLC is an American aircraft kit manufacturer located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, producing kits for four all-metal homebuilt monoplanes. The company is led by John Monnett who has designed the Monnett Sonerai sport aircraft series, Monnett Monerai sailplane, Monnett Moni motorglider, and Monnett Monex racer. Monnett designs are displayed in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum near Washington D.C.

In June 2018 John Monnett announced that he will retire and sell the company.[2]

Aircraft

In 2013, the FAA National Kit Evaluation Team (NKET) approved fast-build "51% rule" versions of the Sonex, Waiex, and Onex.[3]

Summary of aircraft kits and plans by Sonex Aircraft
Model name First flight Number built Type
Sonex 2000 (customer built) 500 by 2014[4] the original aircraft design, incorporating a low-wing design, seats two, and has a fast build time.[5]
Waiex almost identical to the Sonex, but features a Y-tail.[6]
Xenos 2003[7] a motor-glider development of the Waiex with longer wings and the same engine selection as the other two Sonex models.[8]
Onex 2011 a single seat aircraft with similar construction to a Sonex that will feature folding wings that allow the aircraft to be stored in a standard garage.[9]
ESA the Electric Sport Aircraft is a modified Xenos.[10]
SubSonex JSX-1 Single seat, single engine jet protype
SubSonex JSX-2 2011 Single seat, single engine jet
Teros 2015 UAV[11]
Sonex Onex

Engines

AeroConversions manufactures the AeroConversions AeroVee Engine, a custom aircraft implementation of the Volkswagen air-cooled engine.

Hornet's Nest

The Hornet's Nest is the research and development arm of Sonex LLC.

Sub Sonex JSX-1

E-flight

At AirVenture 2007, Sonex Aircraft announced a project to work on innovative technologies in aviation. The E-flight projects includes using an electric motor, ethanol-based fuels, and other power plant alternatives.[12] In December 2010, an all-electric Waiex was test flown from Wittman field in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The aircraft was flown with a 54 kW (72 hp) brushless DC electric motor, managed by a newly designed controller. Power is from a collection of 14.5 kW-hour lithium polymer batteries, giving the aircraft an endurance of one hour at low-speed cruise or 15 minutes of aerobatics.[13][14] This was the beginning of the development of the Sonex Electric Sport Aircraft.[15]

Sonex Aircraft Sonex at Cotswold Airport, Gloucestershire, England, 2016

References

  1. ↑ https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2015/june/03/sonex-ceo-jeremy-monnett-killed-in-aircraft-accident
  2. ↑ O'Connor, Kate (6 June 2018). "Sonex For Sale". AVweb. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  3. ↑ "Sonex Offers Quick-Build Kits Featuring Prebuilt Major Assemblies". Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "Sonex reports 500th completion". Sport Aviation: 14. January 2015.
  5. ↑ Sonex Aircraft (2008). "Sonex - the Original Reality Check". Archived from the original on 2005-11-25. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
  6. ↑ Sonex Aircraft (2010). "Specifications - Tail Configuration: Y-tail". Archived from the original on 2006-04-05. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  7. ↑ Xenos Archive, Xenos
  8. ↑ Sonex Aircraft (2008). "Xenos". Archived from the original on 2006-04-05. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
  9. ↑ Onex
  10. ↑ E-Flight ESA
  11. ↑ "Sonex Aircraft and Navmar Applied Sciences to Collaborate on UAV Design". Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "Another Secret Is Out". Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  13. ↑ "Sonex electric-powered Waiex makes first flight". Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  14. ↑ Pew, Glenn (December 2010). "Sonex Flies Electric Airplane". AvWeb. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  15. ↑ "Sonex Aircraft Hornet's Nest Research and Development". Retrieved 2011-10-21.


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