Sonex Adventures of N76ET

[wlarson861]

I wrapped my exhaust and found it helped lower the temps inside cowl. I never had any problem with it as far as reducing power, in fact the most noticeable change was an increase in EGT readings. When I turbo charged the AeroVee the wrap came withe kit and was added immediately. It doesn't seem to have any effect on the performance, just heat reduction.

[Bryan Cotton]

Cool trip Jake! Thanks for the writeup!

[Darick]

Great trip report! Thanks Jake. Stories like this helps to keep our dreams alive.

[vwglenn]

Fantastic Jake! Love that write up. Like Kip said. We should get the Atlanta contingent together someplace when you get back.

Safe journeys...

May the Force be with you.

[SonexN76ET]

Deleted and reposted

[SonexN76ET]

Well, there is nothing quite like flying your Sonex down to the beach! I now have flown my Aerovee powered Sonex from the northern most point in the continental U.S. (International Falls, MN) to close the southernmost (South Florida). With each passing hour my confidence grows in my Sonex. These are great planes and well worth the time and expense of building.

On my flight down to South Florida from Atlanta I averaged 125 mph for each hour flown, that includes take offs, descents, and time spent in the landing pattern. GPS speeds at cruise were 135 mph on the way down, and 144 on the way back. I burned just under 5 gallons per hour at around 3300 to 3350 rpm at 2,000 to 3,500 feet. I have switched my Prince cruise prop for the standard Sensenich prop. My rate of climb has improved but my cruise speed has decreased.

The only issue I had was minor with my number one cylinder head (pilot's side rear most) runs a little bit hot still. When taking off on a day in the high nineties it was tough keeping it below 400 degrees. I will try a few things to get it to come down a bit in the next few days.

I limited each of my legs to 2 hours. That left me with at least 4 gallons still in the tank. My Tricycle gear aircraft with the older style tank only holds 15 gallons.

Talking about fuel tanks, I recently bought a new fuel cap from Peter Anson. These replace the old rubber style milk jug caps that came with the tank. I can not say enough good things about Peter's fuel caps. They work great, I have no seepage, and no fuel odor.

When flying in the warm temperatures, I noticed I needed a little more ventilation. I have only one of Van's NACA vents in my cockpit right now. I need to add a second one so I ordered one of Peter Anson's NACA vents. I am looking forward to installing it and getting some more air in the cabin.

If you are building, keep at it, you will soon be able to enjoy flights to the beach and to visit loved ones as I am doing with my Sonex. If you are flying a Sonex, get out and fly some more while you still can. The more you fly the more comfortable you will get with your plane. Time, age, health, cost, and regulations will someday catch up to us all. Enjoy flying now while we still have this incredible freedom. Fight to keep it alive and shared with others.

I will update you on my efforts to lower my CHT.

This was a great trip and I enjoyed every moment of my flight.

I love my Sonex!



Jake

[andrewp]

Awesome post! Thanks for sharing.

AP
#618

[lgsievila]

Nice write up Jake-is that my old prop?

[SonexN76ET]

Since I was not on this site much when I was building, I thought I would share a couple of memorable construction photos.

Here is my wife preparing the Aerovee engine block for assembly:



Here is my wife polishing the plane and prepping for paint:



Here are my kids planning some nose art:



Here is the finished product:



Jake

[NWade]

I have switched my Prince cruise prop for the standard Sensenich prop. My rate of climb has improved but my cruise speed has decreased.

Jake -

The pics look great and I'm glad you're having fun with her! I'm looking forward to doing the same with mine, hopefully soon.

Quick question: Can you elaborate on why you switched away from the Prince Prop? Can you say how much climb rate you gained moving from Prince to Sensenich?

Thanks,

--Noel
Sonex #1339