ONEX NEEDS SPEED

[flyingbear]

Yes, just cruising around and enjoying flght is fun. That is one of the reasons I fly early morning- I am pretty much all alone. Nice.I went up to 4500 feet agl the other day and was at 7200 density alt. I was seeing how far I could lean it out etc.and checking the speed.

I will get to the brakes and I am sure there is something I can do to make them work better because they are not even nearly as good as guys say they should be. I am going to try to get a greater area of the braking surface to make contact. I do not know what else it could be. I flew a Tcraft that had virtually no brakes so I am used to planning ahead.

I really do like flying the ONEX and may sell my Thatcher CX5 after a while since I never fly anyone anymore. I am currently getting the aluminum polished a little better but it is slow because the guy who had the project let it go so long and it pitted. I am getting there though. ( is a Onex 6061-T or 2024?)

Glad you had a nice relaxing flight.

Glen

[pappas]

The Sonex is 6061-T6. My experience with it is that the initial polishing is harder on the 6061, but it stays polished longer and is easier to recover the shine if repolishing.

2024 is easier to polish initially, but dulls faster and is harder to re-polish. In any case, it is a messy job. Wear old throw-away clothes or a hazmat suit!

[WesRagle]

HI Glen,

Like Lou said, it's 6061 T6. Did you try using some No. 7 Rubbing Compound on the tough spots like we talked about?

Ref. https://sonexbuilders.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=704&start=30#p39058.

I didn't have a lot of problems getting a shine on the Onex. It was much harder to get a shine on my old Sonex. I had to use #7 on the entire airplane to get the shine started.

You might want to read that entire thread. If nothing else at least you won't feel alone in having some difficulty getting the shine you want.

As for the brakes, I don't know. Did you get some grease on the pads? I assume you have the new machined brake drums.?.? It's going to be something simple when you figure it out. Looking at the system, it has to be simple, right :-)

Good Luck,

Wes

[flyingbear]

My brakes are bintage 2013 so maybe I need the newer machined ones.

[WesRagle]

HI Glen,

Do your drums look like this or not?

https://www.sonexaircraft.com/eshop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16446&substring=brakes

Wes

[flyingbear]

I have not taken them apart but I do not think anything on them is black in color. Since my kit was circa 2013 I feel sure I have the old ones. Do these make a big difference???
Thanks Wes
Glen

[WesRagle]

HI Glen,

The machined drums have been available for a very long time. Per the description the drums are no longer black.

Zinc-Plated finish (discontinued black oxide finish shown). Bolt-on upgrade. As a set, these drums weigh 14.8 oz. more than the standard Azusa 2211 brake drums.

But, they look the same just a different color.

I don't know whether or not Sonex supplies the machined drums as a matter of course if hydraulic brakes are not specified at the time of kit purchase.

I assume the machined drums are better than the standard drums or Sonex wouldn't offer them.

Wes

[GraemeSmith]

I think Graeme added a small fairing at the flap-fuselage intersection and saw good results with tufts. This would be a drag reduction.

That was Mike Smith at 6B6 - Minuteman - just up the way from me.