SonexBuilders.net

Hey all,
I've been asked to do a lunchtime talk at work this coming week. Looking for a bit of trivia - how many rivets are there in a Sonex or Waiex? To the nearest 1000 or so would be fine. I made a demo piece with three predrilled .040 holes and will pick a volunteer to updrill, deburr, and rivet them together. Goal is to show how easy it is.

Bryan I thought it was right around 10,000

Presuming the kit comes with about how many a builder would need

http://www.sonexaircraft.com/kits/scratch/rivetkit.html

Around 2k for tail and 4k for wings and fuse, puts the ballpark right around 10,000 plus the solid rivets for the spars.

I used over 11k on my plans built Sonex,

I lost count at 9000, but that doesn't include the 5000 I seem to have drilled out.

I often describe my Sonex as 11,000 stainless steel rivets held in close flying formation by a minimum amount of aluminum.

David A.

Thanks guys. 10,000 it is. After my volunteer makes their part I'll tell them they just have to do that 3,333 more times and they have an airplane! I'll skip the part about drilling out rivets unless asked.

On a side note - hope to start up the Saturn tonight. With the car behind us it is back to the Waiex!

DCASonex wrote:11,000 stainless steel rivets...

Don't forget that each rivet has 2 parts -- a stem and a body -- with a little bit of rattle in between. Someone on this group referred to it as a giant maraca.

Ihab

The presentation was well received. One guy in the audience has wanted to build a Sonex since he saw one at Oshkosh.

Bryan, glad your presentation went well! I'm a little late to this thread, but I do recall taking this pic at the very beginning of my project. If I recall, the kit shipped with 10,000 rivets. I've bought at least 1000 more since then.