scratch building the engine mount

[n502pd]

OK, here I go again...trying to save some future gas money. anyway, is there anyone here who has actually built their engine mount with or without a jigg? If you used a jigg, how did you build it(the jigg) and how did it(the mount) turn out ..square and everything in the right places? I am not a licensed welder, but am a fair one. I gas weld, and have completer everything else in 4130 with good results, according to the tech coulselors. Opinions pro and con? thanks! :)

[MichaelFarley56]

Hey Joe,

Just as another option, I've seen a few people sell AeroVee mounts online at places like www.barnstormers.com and other Sonex places. In fact, there was a Jabiru 3300 mount for sale in the flea market at Oshkosh this year, and I thought someone was selling another at Crossville.

Anyway, it's not uncommon for someone to pick up at Sonex kit with an AeroVee mount but want to switch to a Jabiru. If you're not in any hurry, you may be able to watch the internet for a while and find a mount someone wants to sell. You could certainly post something on the Yahoo forums as well, just to see if someone has a mount sitting around.

Just a thought!

[n502pd]

Thanks Mike for the hints. I am trying to sort of stay away from yahoo...long story at this end. I do have barnstormers set up to send email to me when ever anything related to sonex comes across. I do look on ebay from time to time. No luck finding anything there at all. Do you search with specific format, or words or wording,or just get lucky? It sounds like you dont like my making the mount? And I probably will agree with your reasons, but being the cheap so and so I am, it may not deterr me! Ha!

Were you at Crossville this year? thanks much for the reply!

[MichaelFarley56]

It's not that I have anything against making your own. At my local aiport, there is a homebuilder that has made close to a dozen custom engine mounts for different homebuilt airplanes, and having seen the method, it seems like a fairly simple deal. Like most things, you just need to go slow and take your time. My concern would be, given the speed of the Sonex, everything really needs to be lined up exact as welding things just a little off may affect the performance and handling of the completed airplane. Plus you also have the gear legs plugging into the mount so those sockets need to be lined up.

For me, it's more laziness that prompted me to suggest finding an unused mount! Generally I'll just get onto Barnstormers and search for anything that has 'Sonex' in the title and see what there is.

I was at Crossville, yes. I flew down in my Waiex in a 2 ship flight with Mark Waldron on Friday morning, and left on Saturday afternoon. It was a great weekend!

[n502pd]

Those are some of the very reasons that caused me to ask here. I am concerned that I could make it straight and true, and that the gear attach points would be good enough. sort of talking myself out of doing it! But, I will let this run for a bit and see what pops out.

I think we met eye to eye. The wife and I drove in and really had a great time!

[MichaelFarley56]

Hey Joe,

I certainly hope so! I'm terrible at names so if we did, my apologies for not remembering better. I was fortunate enough to meet a lot of new faces over those two days. My Waiex has the dark blue nose and trim around the canopy, along with the dark blue leading edges. I was the 6'3", 230 lb, 31 year old that was running around having the time of my life!

If I were you, I'd play it by ear; hang tight and keep your eyes open for a used mount, and then as the time approaches where you need one, if you haven't found one then think about fabricating one. Where are you at on your build?

Good luck!

[n502pd]

Yeah, I remember the plane, but not so sure if we connected. sorry about that! I was an old grey haired( one of many I guess) finally getting my first ride from Mike McCellen fron Valdosta Ga. it was a blast, and I am sure I will do fine in an AeroVee powered one, although his was Jabby 6 powered.

Good advice. I will do just that, and maybe Santa just might be good to me(again) this year!

Look at my site log,
mykitlog.com/josephnelsen

essentially done with the fuse, tail feathers, all control surfaces, and had started on the avionics and panel wiring, but am currently stalled with many other house projects and a leaky gas tank on one of the trucks I/we use to pull the RV.

I dont want to make this thread a conversation about non technical stuf...there is one of them already!

Thanks Mike!