Former RV builders?

[kevinh]

Hi ya'll,

So I built an RV7A from 2002 to 2005 (with a CS prop). And then loved flying it till about 2013 due to some life changes (travel) I sold it. But I'm now getting the building bug again and considering building a Waiex (easier to fit in a hangar) or a Xenos (I like gliders). I'm leaning in this direction because:
[*] I like recreational aerobatics
[*] I found that I rarely used the cross country abilities of my RV and I don't mind for those few cases getting there a little slower with some more breaks
[*] A downside for the Sonex is that aerobatics would be no passenger (but if I kinda squint I can think of it like a RV3+)
[*] Building the turbo aerovee sounds fun
[*] I'll be flying seasonally (out of town in fall and spring), so I could remove the wings and take up less space in a shared hangar

Are there former RV builders here who can compare what it is like to fly a Sonex to fly or build a RV? Any feedback would be appreciated...

[SvingenB]

Regarding flying I have too little experience in both to say something informative. The Sonex behaves similar to an RV in the air though. I am half way through building a RV-4 and almost finished a Onex (hope to fly it this year). The Onex is a factor 10 faster to built compared with the -4, I have the pre-fabricated angle option. But, the -4 is also a factor 10 more work than the newer CAD/prefab -7/-8 etc.

The one single thing I don't like about the Onex, is the Aerovee.
(The rest was removed and can be read on the original thread)

[Gripdana]

I flew my Areovee powered Sonex for the first time yesterday. It performed very good. As far as the kit goes the build was easy to do. All the parts were well marked and matched. All the Aero conversions parts fit very good. It is very clear that Sonex has done their homework on making the kit a complete package. I like the fact that I got to build the engine as it gives me better insight to maintaining it. The Aeroinjector was easy to tune. I followed the instructions exactly. The price point for the package is right on the mark considering the amount of R & D that goes into getting a product like this on the market.

[chris]

Things got off topic so I split the content without answers to the Aerovee Opinion thread and will leave this one open and unlocked for responses to Kevin.

[kevinh]

Thanks all for the good replies. I'll probably end up building one - still thinking/reading.

[wlarson861]

You will love the build on the Sonex compared to the RV. Being able to do everything by your self is great. This little plane has a lot of capabilities even though smaller than other designs. I have enough space for a few days of clothes for my wife and I for a long weekend. We have gone overnight a few times and loved the utility of the Sonex. The build is much easier than any plans I have looked at in the last 30 years.