SonexFlight

More interviews as the SonexFlight gang makes our way around the show. There are so many people to talk with, and lots of great stuff for our planes!

Monday is the official start of the show, and it's on! With so many interesting things to see and people to talk to, we grabbed a few of the highlights to give a taste of the variety.

AirVenture 2018 is here, and the SonexFlight gang made it into Camp Sonex. Join us for a sampling of what Day Zero brought, and what you can expect at the big show!

Flying to AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI in your own airplane is one of the great privileges and thrills that pilots have, and to arrive in a homebuilt plane is even better. AirVenture (or just “Oshkosh” to most EAA’ers) is a bit overwhelming to a newcomer, especially those that plan to fly in or camp on the grounds. We discuss our best tips to make the planning and execution of your trip run smoothly, and help you navigate the experience like a seasoned AirVenture attendee.

Corvair conversions continue to find favor with experimental aircraft builders, and a growing number of Sonex pilots are now flying behind Corvair power plants. We speak with a builder about his decision making process that led him to an alternate engine, and hear about his experience building and flying behind a Corvair engine.

The AeroVee engine is a great, affordable engine option for your Sonex project. The AeroVee is an “engine kit” and requires builder assembly. A detailed assembly manual and video walk the builder thru this process, but there are areas that may be overlooked, done incorrectly or simply under-appreciated in their significance. We discuss these areas with several experienced AeroVee engine builders and pilots, and present tips to ensure your engine is built right and performs reliably for years to come.

Traditionally, the choice of Sonex finishes has been paint or polish, and each has their own merits. However, there is a new option that is lightweight, cost effective and fairly simple, using adhesive vinyl sheeting. Several Sonex airplanes sport this finish, including both John Gillis and Mike Neidenthal. John is a certified 3M applicator, and will tell us all about using vinyl wrapping on your project.

Our friends in Australia are busy building and flying their Sonex aircraft, and are doing some pretty interesting things. Although the one hundred or so builders are spread across a very large country, there are definite "hot spots" of Sonex activity. In Part 2 we speak with Chris Dearden and Peter Anson and hear about their challenges and experiences building so far from Oshkosh.

Our friends in Australia are busy building and flying their Sonex aircraft, and are doing some pretty interesting things. Although the one hundred or so builders are spread across a very large country, there are definite "hot spots" of Sonex activity. In Part 1 we speak with Peter Henry and Chris Bishoff and hear about their challenges and experiences building so far from Oshkosh.

One area that requires a bit of builder finesse is fitting the turtle deck skin to the fuselage bulkheads. There are some simple techniques that will allow that skin to lay perfectly flat on the bulkhead flanges, and produce a smooth, dimple-free surface. We’ll describe how to make your turtledeck look like it was built by a pro.