SonexBuilders.net

Having not posted pictures before, not sure if this will work but here goes.
My plane is just about ready to be signed off and the first flight shortly after. I have already tried a few taxi tests on the sealed runway and grass taxiway. Impressions so far:-
I was pleasantly surprised by the turn radius, I had read that the standard tailwheel set up was terrible, obviously its nothing like a swiveling tail wheel but it should be fine.
The drumming noise from the back of the plane is high but the ANR headset soon fixed that.
The amount of pressure required on the pedals to steer is much higher then I am used to so I will have to be mindful of that.
Visibility when taxying, worse then some better then most.
Not sure about the brake handle, being so used to toe brakes my hand never leaves the throttle. Undecided on that one.



https://photos.google.com/u/0/album/AF1 ... M-cCs0r4jJ

Corby202 wrote:Having not posted pictures before, not sure if this will work but here goes.
My plane is just about ready to be signed off and the first flight shortly after. I have already tried a few taxi tests on the sealed runway and grass taxiway. Impressions so far:-
I was pleasantly surprised by the turn radius, I had read that the standard tailwheel set up was terrible, obviously its nothing like a swiveling tail wheel but it should be fine.
The drumming noise from the back of the plane is high but the ANR headset soon fixed that.
The amount of pressure required on the pedals to steer is much higher then I am used to so I will have to be mindful of that.
Visibility when taxying, worse then some better then most.
Not sure about the brake handle, being so used to toe brakes my hand never leaves the throttle. Undecided on that one.



https://photos.google.com/u/0/album/AF1 ... M-cCs0r4jJ

Hi Phil,
The link above does not seem to work.

Other than that, well done, your findings seem very similar to mine when I started taxiing, Although there are situations where I would like a tighter turn radius. I also am still not convinces about the hand brake.
New brakes along with John's pedals and a flyboy full swiveling tail wheel will fix that for me some time in the near future.

Regarding the force required on the pedals, it is indeed more than other spring loaded tail wheel planes.
Be careful on your first cross wind take off, you will find that the tail wheel prevents the nose from wanting to point into the wind, however, as soon as the tail lifts the weathercock effect is quite sudden I found and you need to be ready for it. This is very different with a spring loaded tail wheel where you gradually increase the pressure as the aircraft speeds up.

Thanks Michael. I have tried setting it up as a shared photo collection, this link might work.
https://goo.gl/photos/5MzBabA2aaphKqP96

Corby202 wrote:Thanks Michael. I have tried setting it up as a shared photo collection, this link might work.
https://goo.gl/photos/5MzBabA2aaphKqP96

Yep, works now.

Very nice looking plane phil

Steve
Sonex 892
VH-ZSX 3300 195hrs

Looks great Phil. Can you put something on the SonexAus site too? Looks to me like you have gone big on the air outlets, but that's a good thing. It's easy to go smaller later if you need to. You should find the brakes OK. Even those pathetic little drums have no trouble hauling up my Sonex.

Peter
Sonex 894