SonexBuilders.net

Hi All,
Recently I posted about putting a OneX in an enclosed trailer. I don't think that is going to work for me. So, I am on a waiting list for a hangar. The summer flying season is around the corner.

I think that I am faced with the prospect of parking a Sonex outside for some time.

So, If you had to park a Sonex or a OneX outside in an area known for spring time thunderstorms. What precautions would you take to protect your aircraft?

Are there wing covers made for Sonex's that are thick enough to protect from some hail? I used to fly a helicopter that was parked outside on a hospital pad in Wyoming. We had these super thick covers for the aircraft with Tanas heaters on the engines and gearboxes.

What say you all?

By the way the house sold this weekend and I am on my way to Kansas City.

Vaguely similar problem - I will have to park my new Sonex in the open, at least until I am able to perform short-field take-off & landings to a high standard and consistence (my home field, not an air field, is challenging to say the least).

So my plan is to invest in a HD, made to measure, aircraft cover from a company called Punkin Head Air Sports (https://www.punkinheadair.com.au/). The covers will give a high degree of protection against rain, UV & small hail. To improve hail resistance, I plan on making my own bubble wrap covers, which will go on under the Punkin Head's. The bubble wrap is relativly cheap and can be considered a sacrificial layer to hopefully to absorbed the energy of large hail.

If I manage to get my short-field skill up to speed, a nice dry shed will be her new home.

Mike Smith at 6B6 - Minuteman spent some years outdoors till he got a hangar - he might be able to pitch in here. I am in the same position at KUUU - Newport with no prospect of a hangar.

Our problem is usually torrential rain and big winds. We do get thunderstorms with hail too.

So here are some of my strategies:

Wing covers are a blessing and a curse. No matter how form fitting and tight - they drum in the wind. They mark the polished wings or rub paint. So I am forever putting them on and off. Usually ON on a calm evening prior to a frosty night and a planned dawn departure- the frost peels off with the covers. Usually OFF if there is any wind in the forecast. Which means if a T/Storm goes through - there is a risk of hail damage.

The Sonex skins are relatively light compared to your Cessna/Piper skins. I do have a little damage from hail that the Cessna/Pipers shrugged off. You are right to worry about hail - but I don't have a complete answer here on the coast. Padded covers would not last long here.

Gust locks. Your control surfaces will chatter the hinges, pins and bearings to death. I have padded clamps that bridge the ailerons to the flaps and the stick is locked center and full dive. Rudder lock to hold the rudder and fin top together to stop the rudder whipping around.

It's a small light plane and WILL fly in the tie downs in a good blow. Fortunately, a Sonex will fit "inside" the three tie down points so there are three possible orientations you can tie the plane down in to keep her almost head to the prevailing wind forecast. So at least she is not getting slammed on the beam by big gusts. Full dive on the elevators means if she does try and fly - the elevators will keep the nose down.

Real marine quality Dacron tie down ropes. No open-ended hooks to vibrate off in a blow. No Home Depot ratchet straps - U/V tolerance is nil and stitching is terrible - they start to fail after just 6 months. Real sailor knots - not that stupid tie down knot that CFI's have been teaching since time immemorial without asking why they were taught it? Answer - It works on natural fibre rope that swells and shrinks when wet - it does not work well on modern synthetics which are inherently slippy and don't swell or shrink much. Vibrate enough in a blow and it DOES start to work loose. Yeah - this is a pet peeve of mine - I'm sick of tying down all the other planes in the tie downs when it is blowing and they are working themselves loose or blowing off down the ramp!!!!

It helps to live 2 miles from the airport so you can be constantly adjusting and checking on things.

So - in summary - not much helpful information about the hail thing. But some other things to worry about. :-)

Skippydiesel wrote:company called Punkin Head Air Sports (https://www.punkinheadair.com.au/).

Thanks Skippydiesel. I sent punkinheadair an email requesting info.

This is great information. Thank you.

Great feedback - will certainly help when my Sonex finally (sson) makes it out of the construction shed into the real world.

I had my Sonex tied down outside for 5 years (all surfaces polished; the 6061-T6 holds up great outdoors). Wing covers and of course a canopy cover 100% of the time. I never moved them or checked them, or moved the aircraft around based on weather conditions. I never had any blemishes or issues from the covers. The wing covers were quite tight fitting, almost to a fault.

Actually, I did have one "issue" with the canopy cover. Since the Sonex canopy is far from weather tight, the canopy cover should extend back at least 18" from the back of the canopy. A "stock" cover from most vendors doesn't extend nearly that far, and wind driven rain did get blown up under the back edge of the canopy cover at times, allowing water to drip into the baggage area. Fortunately the Sonex fuselage is self-draining (LOL!), but don't leave your headsets or anything that should not get wet, in the baggage area.

Bruce's Custom Covers: https://aircraftcovers.com/general-avia ... gle-engine
When some holes got worn in the wing covers Bruce fixed them for free.

I used nylon ratchet straps with open hooks (from Home Depot) for the wing tie downs and never had any issues.The tail wheel was held down with nylon rope and a taught line hitch.

Ailerons did not need anything to hold them in place since the wing covers did that. For the horizontal stab I held the stick back with the seatbelt and a nylon strap (see 27:12 on my video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbgek8-X14o).

Great video Mike! - lots of great ideas. My thanks.