SonexBuilders.net

In considering the ordering options of a Onex kit, can anyone explain just what sort of shortcut the machined angle component upgrade is? I'm having trouble understanding exactly what sort of additional work is being bypassed by ordering the upgrade.

Can anyone give an example of the sort of work you're facing by opting out of the upgrade? Are there any additional tools/materials required by opting out that would factor into the cost consideration of the upgrade, or is it just a time-saver?

I got the upgrade. Instead of lengths of angle I have a pile of parts machined to shape with the holes in them. I have made a lot of parts for my hummelbird and I know this will save time. I think I heard at least a couple hundred hours. The parts look really nice.

Without the upgrade there is a lot of cutting, filing, and sanding to get the basic shape. Then you have to drill the holes. With the upgrade the bandsaw or handsaw are not required, just smoothing of edges, drilling holes up to size, and deburring holes.
Bryan
Waiex 191, aerovee, taildragger, dual sticks

I'll echo what Bryan just said. The machined angle kit takes the approximately 100 machined pieces and does the work for you. A lot of the parts are constructed out of 1/8" thick aluminum, and purchasing the kit will save you several hundred hours of build time. If you order the stock kit minus the angle pieces, you will need to take the raw stock and cut the pieces to shape. Some are very easy and only take a few minutes while others are pretty complex and take a while.

My advice is to decide if you're more of a builder or flyer. If you're ordering the kit because you like to build and don't really care how long it takes, by all means don't worry about the angle kit. If you'd rather be done and in the air much quicker, I would consider the angle kit a very worthwhile investment. My kit didn't come with the kit and I bet I ordered 40% of the machined pieces after I started building just to speed things up and make things look better when everything was completed.

Have fun on the build!!

I ordered the onex kit without the angle option but it was sent by mistake .Once I saw the amount of work making all those parts would entail I told Sonex I would keep them.
Well worth the dollar value in my opinion.Even though you didn't ask about the spar option I will comment anyway.In my opinion now that I have them done I would say don't order them done .Buy yourself a c-frame for $200 from the $2500 saved (or what ever it was) like I did and in no time you will have them done.Spend the remaining money saved on instruments :D
Cheers,
Mike

I started with the angle components before moving on to anything else.
It took me about 150 hours to complete them all so that's what you'll save in time buying the machined angle component kit.

I bought the angle kit. It was nice.
But if you like to fabricate and really feel like you built plane from raw materials, don't.
If you want professionally finished parts and don't care if someone else did all the work, then do.

Thanks for the great replies, that helps a lot. The project seems daunting enough as-is that I will likely get the machined parts. As a builder I suppose I'm more for putting together lego sets than fabricating the legos. The wing spar I'm fine with with though.

I may make a trip to Oshkosh for the October workshop, will see where I go from there.

I read about one Onex builder that spent 2000 hours making the machined angle parts. I didn't want to spend that much time building the Onex.

2000 hours?! :shock:

For me, making the machined angles for a Sonex has been one of the easiest tasks... I almost don't remember working on it. I just flipped through my build log and counted about 40 hours. I'm sure that doesn't include all the time spent and doesn't include a lot of the drilling (I sometimes put off drilling until I am ready to attach the part). I would estimate I definitely spent < about 60 hours on the parts. Working an hour or two each evening I was done in a few months.

I'm currently at the 90% done, 90% to go phase of the project and wish I was only one machined angle kit worth of effort away from finishing the airplane :-)

Gammaxy - you completed the $1700-1900 upgrade kit in just over 40 hours plus drill time??