Transporting a Onex to the airport?

[SvingenB]

First, I have a really nice hangar that I dont even pay half of 3K a year, and I am on an expensive rent field, and one of the higher priced hangars there. The field I want to be at is less than a grand a year, tie down spots are really low cost...

As for transporting it. I still say it is not going to take off like everyone thinks. Having to load, then drive to the airport, try to find access (around here anything with a decent runway is fenced and gated) then you have to find somewhere to park the trailer at the airport that is out of the way, then unload, then preflight and fly. Land, fold everything up, re-load and drive back home and then if you want it in the garage out of the weather unload again...Not to mention if you need the extended tips it won't even fit in a std garage anyway. Plus you have to worry about dings from rocks and other road debris. Up here in Wisconsin no way I would take it on an open trailer with all the salt spraying up off the road in the winter months. We have salt from Nov until March. So that would eliminate 4-5 months of flying...Also you cant haul it at highway speeds on an open trailer. I guess if you want to make a custom enclosed trailer that it will fit in to avoid those problems it is going to cost a lot, I will stick with the sonex and a hangar.

The transportability of the Onex was one reason (of several) for me to purchase a Onex kit. I see it more as a season thing, the same as with boats. In the winter I can just roll it onto a trailer and bring it home for fixing and modifications. Then in the spring, I can bring it to an airfield. The foldable wings makes hangar rent that much cheaper, but maybe more important; much easier to find, and it takes less than a minute to fold/unfold so that is a no issue. A small tent is really all that is needed.

[BK9977]

I agree that the Onex wings are easy to fold. I agree that for some people trailering may be a ok option. However, as mentioned with the sonex/waiex and the gliders those people either pull the wings off and store them with the length of the plane or like the Panther the wings fold back, that way you can buy an enclosed trailer it will fit in without expensive mods. The problem with the Onex is that the wings fold upward and they are taller than any standard trailer.

Pretty sure I remember Mark at Sonex saying If you want to trailer at highway speeds you have to remove the outboard panels...At that point I may as well just remove the wings from a sonex/waiex. And if you do have to remove the panels from the onex I would assume you need to have another person there to help. At least if I do that with a sonex/waiex I can take them for a ride for helping, Onex not so much.

Also, I cant see having an airplane I cant fly over the cold months because I cant trailer it without getting it full of salt. That is the reason I choose to build a plane instead of a boat, because I can use it all year.

I do think that if a couple guys go in on a hangar the folding wings are great so you can stuff a bunch of planes in a hangar.

[Onex107]

My hangar rent in Peoria, IL is $160/ month in a heated hangar with a bathroom. I wouldn't trade that for a trailer and the garage I built it in. That would make my wife mad. If you are serious about trailering, I would make the folded wing locking spacers for both spars and to keep the wings from wind I would make a support system that puts end caps over the wing tips and ties them to each other and fore and aft to the trailer. The wings are pretty flexible when they are up.

[nwyooper]

Haven't looked at this site for a long time so I haven't seen all the comments. First of all, I do have a hangar that I share with another Onex and RV4. I only use the trailer if I want to bring my plane home to work on it in a heated shop in cold weather-takes about 1/2 hour on the back roads. Also I have had it in a couple of parades and car show etc to get exposure for our EAA Chapter. Also have hauled my friend's Onex back and forth to the paint shop, etc. When I posted the video I was by myself and it goes much faster with 2 people- in fact it is light enough on the back end that one person can easily lift the whole thing up while the other slides the support tube in place as the main gear is forward of the pivot point on the ramp. Be a naysayer if you want.

[mike.smith]

BK9977. I think you've done a good job of ruling out your options of trailering a sonex/onex. I just want to say that, for myself, it's still a viable consideration, especially since the lowest hangar/covered space rent at an airport for me within 50 miles of my home is no less than $300/month.

I specifically bought a Waiex because it will fit in an enclosed trailer, giving me the option to hangar my plane wherever I need to, in its trailer. Whether this is the solution I choose is yet to be determined (I'm still building), but I'm keeping my options open.

It's $500/month if I were to get one here outside of Boston (and rent is reportedly going up)! It's $110/month just to tie my Sonex down outside in the elements. I absolutely see the value of something like a Onex, whether it's to share a small T-hangar, or to trailer it back and forth.