Scratch building a Sonex...what's involved?

[Chris9183]

Hello again,

I was wondering, for the folks who have scratch-built their Sonex, how much money were you able to save by just getting the raw materials and scratch building the plane yourself from plans, as opposed to buying the whole kit?

And I was also wondering how difficult it was finding the right materials and building from them. Could someone like me who's never done anything like it before do it?

Thanks for your wisdom.

[Bryan Cotton]

Chris,
I built an RV4 tail then switched to a scratch build hummelbird. The skills are not hard. Aircraft factories are filled with people that started off the street with no experience. You need to read up on sheetmetal construction and workmanship standards. You need to practice on scrap or something like a Van's toolbox kit. You need to accept that it will not all be cost savings. There is an old saying that "We do it nice because we do it twice." Mistakes are easy to make, though you make less with experience. You need to find a local mentor, somebody who has done it and can take out the mystery. You need tools. You can buy sheetmetal, plate, and extrusion from places like Yarde metals. They only sell full sheets and full lengths but the price savings lets you buy extra material.

The main reason for scratch building should be because you like it. Lower costs are a side benefit. If you don't like it then you are wasting your money.

[Chris9183]

Chris,
I built an RV4 tail then switched to a scratch build hummelbird. The skills are not hard. Aircraft factories are filled with people that started off the street with no experience. You need to read up on sheetmetal construction and workmanship standards. You need to practice on scrap or something like a Van's toolbox kit. You need to accept that it will not all be cost savings. There is an old saying that "We do it nice because we do it twice." Mistakes are easy to make, though you make less with experience. You need to find a local mentor, somebody who has done it and can take out the mystery. You need tools. You can buy sheetmetal, plate, and extrusion from places like Yarde metals. They only sell full sheets and full lengths but the price savings lets you buy extra material.

The main reason for scratch building should be because you like it. Lower costs are a side benefit. If you don't like it then you are wasting your money.

Eh, my goal is to enjoy the build process but also to get flying eventually...not spend an eternity learning how to start building. Think I'll stick with the kit.

[kmacht]

I get this question quite a bit once I tell someone that my bird was mostly scratch built. Before paint I will have less than 13k into my plane including engine, avionics, and upholstery. That sounds great until you start looking at the details. It has taken me 9 years to get to the point of getting the plane painted and ready for its first flight. I bought alot of my materials back in the early 2000's when aluminum was alot cheaper and even the few parts I did buy from sonex cost less. I think I paid about $1500 less for my aerovee kit than the current cost. I had alot of time to scrounge and find deals on things as well. My panel consists of an old black and white MGL ultra XL that I bought for $350, a hand held comm tied into the intercom system, no transponder, and just a backup airspeed indicator. All of it was bought either from other builders upgrading their stuff or used from the aeromart during airventure. If you want a modern panel expect to add about $3000 to my 13k price.

In general I would say the savings of a scratch built vs kit built are about enough savings to pay for the aerovee engine. The down side is that you will be in the air much quicker if you can afford the kit.

As far as skills and materials when scratch building? There aren't too many skills that you need that you wouldn't learn any way if buying the kit. Welded components are probably the only exception. There is a big savings there if you can weld up your own parts. Everything else like laying out holes, bending parts, cutting angle, etc all get done when you buy the kit anyways just not to the same extent. I believe that both Wicks and Aircraft Spruce sell metal kits for the sonex in additon to the hardware kits so materials are easy to come by. Most local metal suppliers can also get you 6061-T6 if they don't stock it just expect to pay a bit more than if ordering it online.

Keith
#554

[GhostRider32]

For what it's worth, I went to the workshop in May 2010 and just a couple of months ago finally decided to quit delaying and start doing. If I had started building 3 years ago, I'd be nearly through by now....... At first I was overwhelmed when I looked at the plans as a whole but as you make each part, it does get easier. I started doing what I learned at the workshop, making ribs. I'm done with all of the forward ribs and on number 17 of the aft ribs. I've made the rib gussets that go on the first 4 ribs on each side and have formed some of the tail ribs.

Granted, I have only done a little but I have really enjoyed the build so far. It is very satisifing taking a sheet of aluminum and making something with your hands that you never dreamed you could do. I have already purchased the .125 and .090 sheet to make some of the wing spar parts next and during the Christmas holidays I plan and buying the angle and the .032 sheet.

It's definately slower that the kit and without a doubt the kit will have more perfectly formed parts than I can do but I'm happy so far with the results. I buy metal as money and time allows and even at that, I've been busy and haven't run out of stuff to do.

The one other reason I'm building from plans is that it's a training exercise for my son as well as a father/son project. He's learning so much as am I and we enjoy fabing the parts together. I'll cut out a lot of the rib blanks and he will use the mallet and form some of them himself. He learned how to change bits in the drill press and drill accurately at 11 yrs old as well as many other things. I may be putting the cart before the horse here seeing how I haven't even finished mine yet but at some point, I'd like to build my son his own Sonex and the second one would be a piece of cake after the first one.