Nose Job

[daesharacor]

Hey all. New member here, though I've been doing research for a few years now on various homebuild options.

I absolutely love certain aspects of the Sonex, and would like to build one. I've done a lot of research on RVs, the Panther, Just Aircraft, Kitfox, Rans, etc. I like some aspects of each of them, but haven't found The One yet.

So the one issue I have with the Sonex (other than the useful load, which I can live with) is the front end. I don't mind it terribly, but my building partner (father) is absolutely not on board because he does not like the look of the front end.

Are there any remedies to this? Does someone make a more bubbled canopy and/or a more conventional cowling?

The cowling that Jean Claude is using is a good start, but that shallow angled canopy is still a deal breaker for dad.
http://sonexbuildersandpilotsfoundation ... #h1620a7ef

Am I out of luck?

Thanks!

[MichaelFarley56]

One of the joys of Experimental aviation is that you have the luxury of building anything you'd like. If you want to take a Sonex and modify the cowling and/or front windshield then go for it!

I will caution you though; the shape of the Sonex fuselage is designed to act as a lifting body, thereby providing some of the lift during flight. I believe this is one reason why the airplane stalls so slowly even though it only has 99 sq/ft of wing area. Any changes you make to the design may or may not have negative consequences to aircraft handling, performance, stall speeds, etc.

That being said, the two options I could think of right off hand would be to install a Todd's Canopies (www.toddscanopies.com) as well as possibly try to graft on a Corvair cowling. Do an online search for 'Cleanex' to see how the Sonex looks with the custom Corvair engine cowling. Just two thoughts...

Good luck!

[rizzz]

Have a look at the Viking Sport:
http://vikingaircraftengines.ning.com/v ... 11-view-21

[fastj22]

Here's a Corvair cowl grafted on a Jabiru Waiex. The nose bowl is available from Sport Performance Aircraft.

[Waiex 49]

Viking Waiex N49YX

[peter anson]

I never really liked the look of that shallow angle on the windscreen and it does cause some distortion and restrict vision so I was very keen to modify it, but it is very hard to make a good looking modification because of the fuel tank shape. If you shorten the screen you'll end up with a bulge on the top of the cowling to clear the tank and filler. In the end I just decided to live with it and it's amazing how quickly it grows on you. I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but that nose on Jean Claude's Sonex makes the stock nose look pretty good.

Peter Anson
Sonex 894

[John Monnett]

Amen!

[daesharacor]

All good suggestions I will look in to. Thanks for the help!