High-wing Teaser Details from Sonex

[sonex1374]

I had a chat with Mark at the factory yesterday and he gave me a few details about what's the design team is working on with the high-wing. I was so encouraged with what I heard that I thought I'd pass them along to the forum.

The high wing will be quite a bit roomier than the B-models or legacy airframes. The high wing will use the same B-model firewall, but instead of maintaining the 40" width to the joint with the tailcone, the high wing will actually get wider at 44". This means that at the shoulders/hips we'll have 4 additional inches of room - that's a significant increase in comfort!

Behind the seat, the baggage compartment will be rated for 60 pounds total, and have more room for things like a roller bag suitcase. The seats will likely fold forward to make access to the baggage area easier.

The wing panels will be quickly removable, using a similar approach as seen on the sub-sonex. The optional additional fuel tanks (2 x 5gal) will be placed in the fixed center section, meaning that if an outer panel is removed there is no disconnecting fuel lines or dealing with the weight of fuel in those panels.

The high wing will still be sporty and maneuverable, and rated for aerobatics. Mark was adamant about keeping the high wing flying like a Sonex, and I agree 100%. We have other options for a sedate high wing cruiser, and the Sonex high wing will be in a class of itself.

Finally, the cockpit should have excellent ergonomics and visibility. The spar carry-thru is well above your head and out of your sight-line. The door frame goes above your line of sight and won't impeded visibility to the sides. The door opening extends well forward making it easy to slide your feet in, and with no stick to hoist a leg over, entering the cockpit should be a cinch.

The more I hear about the design, the more interested I am in seeing the final product. I think this is going to turn out to be a great airplane! Now if they can just finish the two-place jet (I saw the prototype coming together in the shop), Sonex can get on with building the prototype high wing and producing kits. I might be first in line...

Jeff

[new_flyer]

Thank you for the feedback and updates from Mark. I am now wondering if the High Wing will be available when I'm finally in the market to start my build in the next couple years. I am a huge fan of the low wing design, but wish it had some more useful weight which I think the high wing will have. I think Mark had stated that the gross will be at 1320, but wasn't sure what they were looking at for the empty weight. With the wider cockpit, the empty weight will increase some, plus the extra for the added fuel.
I look forward to watching the updates and still have some time to decide.

Thanks again for the updates Jeff.

[aschlem77]

Thanks for sharing. I can't wait for the next bits of info.