SonexBuilders.net

Hello all. All though we've been building our Sonex since 2012, I am new to this forum.
Our Sonex project is a joint effort between four old friends. It is a standard gear, dual stick Sonex, and we are pretty determined to put a UL 350 up front. I must admit however, that finding a partner willing to help us fabricating a proper engine mount for this purpose is not easy. We are aware of the easy route of using a standard Jab2200 engine mount and put a UL260 on it, but we truly believe that the added power of the 350 is worth the effort.

We've been in contact with a lot of people within the Sonex and UL power community, but currently we are back to square one as far as getting any closer to having our engine mount fabricated.

Good ideas and any information is highly appreciated.

Kind regards Rune
www.flyfabrikken.com

Couldn't you use a Jab3300 mount? It should be close to the same size.

Where are you located and do you already have a design for the mount that just needs to be fabricated or do you need help with the design too?

Keith
#554

Rune,
On the VAF forums there was a thread about a UL power mount designed and fabricated for an RV12. Different airplane, UL260 rather than 350, but maybe the company mentioned in the thread could help.
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/s ... hp?t=82818
http://mccutcheonmetalfabricationaviati ... vices.html
It may be a hassle for you as they are here in the states and not in Norway. They could start with a 3300 mount and modify for the 350.

If they had drawings for both engines, and placed the prop flange in the same place, it might work. Good luck!

Too bad Sonex is so unaccepting of engines other than Aero Vee's and Jabiru's. The UL 350 looks to be a good candidate for powering the Sonex.

Zenith Aircraft worked with UL to develop firewall forward packages for Zenith models to be powered by the UL 350 engine:

http://www.zenithair.com/kit-data/zac-ulpower.html

You might want to contact Zenith. Perhaps they can direct you to someone who can make an engine mount for you.

Best of luck with your project. Keep us posted.

Don Bowen
Viking Waiex N49YX

runbjo wrote:We are aware of the easy route of using a standard Jab2200 engine mount and put a UL260 on it, but we truly believe that the added power of the 350 is worth the effort.

Rune
I just had a look at the mounting dimensions for the UL260 and UL350 in the installation manuals.
http://www.ulpower.com/sites/default/fi ... manual.pdf
http://www.ulpower.com/sites/default/fi ... manual.pdf

As far as the dimensions go, a Jabiru 2200 mount could be used for either the UL260 or the UL350. All mounting dimensions, including distance to propeller from mount and thrust line are the same on both these engines.

Is the 2200 mount strong enough for the extra power of the 350? I dont know. Jabiru engine mounts have been known to fail at and above the cluster on the lower engine mount. These failures may have only been on mounts made prior to a Service Bulletin where the tube size was increased.

Steve
Sonex 892
VH-ZSX 3300 Jabiru

http://kitplanes2.com/blog/2015/05/kaolin-aviation-to-offer-fwf-kits-for-ulpower/
I think I read in last month's kit planes magazine that kaolin is looking to design the first FWF package for the Sonex.
Also look at this plane from France. http://sonexbuilders.net/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=71&start=10&hilit=Ulpower+jean
Prop choice is a major concern when deviating from the normal Jab and Aerovee
http://sonexbuildersandpilotsfoundation.zenfolio.com/p698068276/h1620a7ef#h1620a7ef

Hello all, and thanks for your interest in this post.

We realize that deciding on a different engine than the standard option for our Sonex is proving to be a bit more of a challenge than we first anticipated. On the other hand, we're not about to give up, and I suppose this is what being an experimenter is all about. We truly believe that the Sonex is a perfect match for the UL Power 350.

We have yet to exhaust all our options on the matter, and we'll make sure to keep you all posted as the project progresses. Also check our website for updates.

A Merry Chistmas and a Happy New year to all Sonex builders and flyers out there :)

Kind regards Rune
www.flyfabrikken.com

mike20sm wrote:
Prop choice is a major concern when deviating from the normal Jab and Aerovee
http://sonexbuildersandpilotsfoundation.zenfolio.com/p698068276/h1620a7ef#h1620a7ef

Hello dear enthousiasts
I confirm that prop choice is an item, my third prop is a DUC Swirl2 that permits best take off, I have in mind to test a fourth one..

The project to install an ULPower 350 sounds very exciting , something like a rocket, impatient to see that

Merry Christmas and best regards

Jean Claude

Rune,

I like your website. Lots of good pictures!