SonexBuilders.net

Any preference on hardware kits to buy. Wicks, Aircraftspruce, or airward. I am scratch building a Sonex and ready to buy all the hardware. Any one of these complete or need to buy the extra hardware kit for fill in hardware?

Thanks

Mike
www.mysonex.net

My experience was the kits were incomplete due to changes specified by the factory over time. Your mileage may vary.


Robbie Culver
Sonex 1517
Chicagoland
Tails and Wings complete - finishing fuselage.
N1517S reserved

As Robbie notes the kits do not come complete. A little frustrating since shipping costs more then the missing parts in some cases.

Just my two cents worth, but I ordered the hardware kit for my Waiex from Aircraft Spruce ($ 600.00 plus ) Lucky, I had a complete list of the required hardware from Sonex. When I received the Hardware Kit from A/S I found there were many, yes many, items missing. Although A/S did send me the missing items at no charge it was a headache that could have been avoided. One more thing, as long as I'm griping and have your attention, during the building process, several times I would have to order a bolt ect. that was specified on the Plans but never included in original kit, and at my expense, but more aggravating was the wait for the item to arrive. Don't know if dealing with that other supplier in Wichita ( can't think of their name ) would have been any different.

There will also often be times when a certain bolt in the plans is just too long or short (usually long) but is what came in the kit. You WILL end up ordering more hardware as you progress through the project.

The "official" hardware lists for each kit are on the sonexaircraft.com website, about halfway down the page on the right side on this link: http://www.sonexaircraft.com/kits/hardware.html

Even those lists I've found to be not 100% accurate, but you could piecemeal your own hardware kit using these lists. I'm not sure the ACS or Wicks hardware kits actually come at any sort of discount, or if they're just pre-made shopping cart lists based on the sonex list. For example, if you click on the Sonex hardware kits at ACS here: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/k ... /sonex.php and then click on the part number link, it will show you every item in the list that will be ordered. You could check this against the Sonex hardware list for accuracy, though I never bothered to do so.

This may not apply to the Sonex hardware kits, but with the Onex hardware I found I could save around 15% by not buying a kit at all and sourcing the individual components from between just Aircraft Spruce and Wicks. In many cases a price for a part from one company is half of what is is from the other. Added benefit of this approach is that you are sure to get what is on the current parts list, I found that neither of the companies lists where correct or complete.

I found the Airward hardware kit to be complete and up to date. He also provides some well thought out up-grade kits to facilitate the build. (e.g. removable wing tip installation kit). He was always available by phone to help any problems I encountered building my 0nex. Check him out, it's worth a dime.
Tom Ryan.....0nex 74

That is kind of what I figured. I asked ACS for the breakdown of the quantities they have in their parts list. I may just fill the shopping cart with each part from the Sonex website and see how it works out.

That gives you the opportunity to pick up some spares for minor modification, or just to replace those that roll off under a cabinet never to be seen again. Never can have too many bolts, screws, washers and nuts.

David A.

DCASonex wrote:Never can have too many bolts, screws, washers and nuts.

David A.

Man, ain't that the truth!

I have to say that the hardware situation is the biggest disappointment I have with my Onex kit so far. I ordered the full kit, and chose to order the hardware kit from Spruce. I also ordered their homebuilders hardware kit, and also a few of most every common size of several types of screws. Even with all that, I keep running into hardware that I don't have. Just 15 min ago, I found two types of screws that I don't have, so another order to Spruce before I can proceed with that assembly.

If you want to assign blame, you have to make this into a research project to figure out where the mistake was. Was it not on the Sonex list, or maybe the hardware supplier didn't use an updated list? Maybe the hardware supplier left that particular item out of the kit by accident? Typically, the path of least resistance is to just place an order, combining as many missing things as you can, but when you need it now, it adds up to a bunch of small orders. Today was the first time I actually checked to see where the error was, and it originated at the latest Sonex hardware list, which doesn't include the screws that were called out in the plans.

There will always be mistakes like this, and it's just part of the process, but I do think Sonex could improve their hardware situation by including it with the kits. As it is now, many problems won't get reported, because the builder won't want to spend the time figuring out where the error occurred. Even if I contact Sonex now, and tell them the items weren't on the list, it will take some time for that change to filter down to the suppliers. On the other hand, I can also see a number of good reasons why Sonex doesn't want to handle hardware, and of course it's their decision.

Cheers,
Rusty