Sonex Canopy

[Waiex 49]

www.toddscanopies.com/sonex.html

[jmtraylor]

As a member of the cracked canopy club, I am of the opinion that the canopy design is not all it could be and could be classified as "flimsy", except when closed.

I had an idea for improvement after seeing the SubSonex at Sun-n-Fun this year. That canopy is quite different from all of the other designs (as it should be) but it seems the design could be applied to all of the others. It appears to be very rigid but just as lightweight and simple as the others. Unfortunately I didn't get a second look at it before the end of the show.

Maybe a plans update/retrofit instruction sheet from Sonex? We did get a horizontal split cowl didn't we?


Mark

[rfidler]

You would think Sonex would be most happy to share the design of the SubSonex canopy with Sonex owners.

[DCASonex]

There are two options for Todd's canopies. The full windshield and canopy option as shown on their web sight, or canopy portion only. The shape of the windshield portion of Todd's canopy is said to give better visibility and less distortion, but at the cost of a break in the smooth line of Sonex cowl to windshield, and giving up the higher impact resistance of the Lexan used on standard Sonex Windshield. I have the canopy portion only, and achieved a smooth line from windshield to turtle deck.

David A. Sonex TD #1327, CAMit 3300 (now 114 hrs on engine and all is good)

[andrewp]

Hey, I just want to pitch in here:

I guess I have 70 hours on my Sonex. The canopy isn't tough when open that is for sure, but when it is closed it is perfectly fine. I have the old material and I don't have a crack in it. Our poor baby has been out on the ramp in NC rain for the past 2 weeks. With a cover on it, it has stood up ok. I found this weekend that I have managed to put a crack in the lexan (!), but my canopy is fine.

For those who are building and flying with a standard canopy, you are not bastard step children. Also one of the advantages of the flat wrap lexan is if it gets damaged, it is fairly simple and cheap to replace. You use the old one to match drill and trim a brand new sheet. I would not want to build a new canopy, granted. ;-)

Anyway, the standard canopy has been A-Ok for me. I see a friend who is finishing his Waiex is using the swing back and it looks cool, but I am just enjoying flying my airplane and it hasn't entered into my brain. I have other things I want to add on ...

AP
#618

[LarryEWaiex121]

As a builder of the original plan design canopy, I feel fortunate at 4 yrs and 451 hrs to still have to original after all the posts to the contrary. I just about lost it in 26kt winds in Montague, CA. two years ago. Scared to get out of the plane. Took 3 tries.
I would be the first to agree that all things can be improved, but, at a cost of both your credit card and your useful load.
Jeremy Monnet and I had a number of spirited phone calls about the time I had maybe one year of experience with my Waiex.
We talked about what the kit should be in "my opinion" and what they offered.
My first order of preference was a bigger tailwheel. Well, Kip came along and sorted that one out. I bought one just as I was getting ready to fire up my tig welder and build one. Problem solved and it works great! Guess what morphed into the kit?
Bigger tail wheel.
Preference #2 was hydraulic brakes. Jeremy and me went round and round on this one. LOL I kept asking him his answer for those of us that "want to spend our money"? Obviously, they folded on that one and along came hydraulic brakes.
Point being is each one of those improvements came at both cost and weight.
I find the canopy frame to be way less important to me than either of the prior two. If enough people called, emailed and such, I doubt it would be very long before an up-graded canopy option would mysteriously show up. Along with plan pages to match.
No doubt a sweet carbon fiber frame could be built by the same guys that repair the Duo-Discus type sailplanes and it would be gorgeous and not a penny over $4,000.00. It all boils down to what you want. I feel Sonex has done a remarkable job of packaging a wonder plane for a moderate amount of money. And I am not a paid cheerleader but merely an owner with over 450 hrs that still gets giddy everytime I push the throttle forward on takeoff or do a slow roll just because I can.

Larry
Waiex121YX, Jab 3300 solid, 451 hrs., wanting for spring to come!

[andrewp]

Larry, you and I are exactly on the same page. Check for the tail wheel (I have the new Sonex one) and I put in a crazy RV7 pedal/tracy obrien combo. That was what I cared about. Nothing against the canopy folk, but those things have been of more benefit to me!

BTW: You really have flown the sh*t out of that airplane. Good on ya!

[tom0nex74]

I used Stika-Flex to bond the canopy to the canopy frame, thereby eliminating screw holes, a common source of cracks. I found it easy to apply and it makes up for small imperfections between the frame and canopy. I keep the canopy closed and latched as much as possible on the ground.............you just never know....................Tom Ryan...0nex74

[Fastcapy]

-Removed-

[inventor]

I used Stika-Flex to bond the canopy to the canopy frame, thereby eliminating screw holes, a common source of cracks. I found it easy to apply and it makes up for small imperfections between the frame and canopy. I keep the canopy closed and latched as much as possible on the ground.............you just never know....................Tom Ryan...0nex74

I assume you mean "Sikaflex", what version did you use?