sight picture (over the nose)

[Tony4aro]

Sent a PM back.... didn't see your message, and I'm not sure if mine sent either.

[DCASonex]

Would you mind sharing the model so I could print a set of stops?

I also made my own flap stops, just used a couple of nylon bolts for toilet seats, found in hardware store. Peter's stops look to be well done, but I did not like the small concentrated contact area of the bolt heads so used them to find right position, then made solid stops to match the dimensions. Solid stops mount to the overhanging trailing edge of top wing skins and contact near the bend line on the flaps so do not put point contact on areas below that bend line. Solid stops can be plastic or even hardwood.

David A.

[jklPDXPilot]

Brock, where do you fly out of? I see Woodland and Scappoose freqs on your radio in the picture.

I fly out of Scappoose and am considering building a Sonex.

Would you be open to showing me your plane?

James

Sure James, come on over. PM sent.

As a followup on the sight picture I've made a few rigging changes that I think will solve things. I first started by tickling down the flaps switch (while in flight). Just a slight change made all the difference in lowering the nose. Then back at the hangar I looked closely and noticed that the flaps were up from the ailerons about a 1/2". When I set them up I did my best to align with a straight edge on a curved wing like the plans say but straight and curved don't agree. So this time I zeroed my electronic 6" protractor on the trail of the wing in front of the flaps then compaired to the trail edge of the flaps. The difference was 2 deg. So after turning the heim joints out 1-1/2 turns I had the flaps angle matching the wing and they also aligned evenly with the ailerons. How about that! I've not flown since as I'm replacing the AeroInjector with a Rotec carb.

The second thing I did was to print four of Peter's flap stops (pireted them from pictures and descriptions, hope you don't mind too much Peter). So with these installed, the flap comes up to where they should be and no higher. Again, waiting for the Rotec installation to go test it all out.

Brock,

Never got your PM. I sent one to you, but never heard back and am seeing other posts of missing PMs. Maybd a forum issue?

In any case, would still like to connect.

James

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

[BRS]

.

Brock,

Never got your PM. I sent one to you, but never heard back and am seeing other posts of missing PMs. Maybd a forum issue?

In any case, would still like to connect.

James

Second pm sent, check and let me know via here. -brs

[mike.smith]

I'm 5'-11". In level cruise flight (90-95 kts) my nose is just below the horizon. I have a vertical fuel vent that sticks up above the cowl, and level flight usually puts the horizon in the middle of that vertical vent. The Sonex has a long nose, so it never has good visibility over the nose.

[Skippydiesel]

The problem with most of the replies is that they are all subjective - no actual data.

For a truly informed opinion:

Air speed/altitude would have to be consistent - I nominate 125knots / 5,000ft ASL - should be achievable for most Sonex
Pilot view must also be consistent - this is a hard one. The vertically challenged (like myself) can sit on cushions to achieve the view/perspective of the 6 ft person so perhaps a fairly consistent position like head must be 25 mm/1 in below standard canopy/hatch (might cause some issues in the landing flair).
Then there is the measuring device - I nominate a digital level/protector , zeroed before TO and using the cockpit rib on the hinge side of the canopy as the most accessible/consistent location for fuselage cruise flight angle.
Minimum of 10 replications - averaged for a reasonable assessment of fuselage angle of attack in cruise mode.

Other influencing factors like load distribution, TO weight. temperature are all in the too hard basket

[Bryan Cotton]

125 kts - 5000 ASL is way out of my performance zone!

I'd nominate 100 kts - 2500' MSL.

I'm actually pretty happy with my subjective assessment.

[Skippydiesel]

The 2500 ft is OK

At 100 knots my Sonex will have a fairly pronounced nose high - how come you cruise at this air speed?

I am sure we are all "happy" with our Sonex's but question is does it cruise nose high?

[Bryan Cotton]

At 100 knots my Sonex will have a fairly pronounced nose high - how come you cruise at this air speed?

At WOT I can do 120 kts on a good day. In the winter I can run 110 at 3150 or so. In the summer that falls to less than 100 kts. My Waiex is not nose high at 100 kts that I can tell.

[Skippydiesel]

My apologies - still new to Sonex. Thought that all variants where good to at least 130 knots