Sonex High Wing

[ASchlem]

Are there any new developments?

[lakespookie]

Sonex is doing an EAA Homebuilder week presentation i suspect you can get an update there i would signup for that.

[Eric W]

Anyone see the Homebuilder week presentation? Any updates on the High Wing?

(not replying to the original HW thread as it had morphed into a discussion of individual mods to the low wing + weight considerations)

Thanks!

[BobDz]

The prototype is supposed to be at Airventure

[Eric W]

Thanks Bob. I was there last year (2023) and did the factory tour. My son will be with me this year, so I'll probably do the factory tour again so he can see it.

Will be good to see the prototype, and try it for size, if they're able to. I sat in the Onex prototype before whichever Oshkosh was the first one they had that - I also sat in the revised-turtledeck 2-seat jet at the factory last year, so I expect they're pretty open to getting people into their products and getting our feedback.

[BRS]

Just bumping this thread to keep it alive.

Has anyone heard if the HighWing will be flying and at OSH? Seems Sonex is keeping tight lipped about progress.

-brs

[Bryan Cotton]

https://www.sonexaircraft.com/highwing-update-060724/

[Skippydiesel]

Fuel capacity at 113 Litres, is good for Australian conditions.
Max weight 680 kg will fit right in with our new, 760 kg Category G class.
Baggage at 41 kg ? Given the 372 kg empty weight, subtracted from max weight 680 kg, leaves a max load of 308 kg - subtract max fuel, 84 kg, leaves 224 kg. Two 90 kg pilots leaves 44 kg baggage. Leave one pilot at home :)
No projected cruise or stall figures ?????

[Bryan Cotton]

[Eric W]

Some quick comparisons based on my actual Sonex / 3300 and what was said in the interview:
Sonex gross weight 1150 lb, empty weight 660 lb, payload 490 lb. So 2 people and a just over half full tank (was how I usually ran it), no baggage at all.
HW gross weight 1500 lb, empty weight 820 lb, payload 680 lb.

So there's 160 lb more airframe and 190 lb more payload. Most all of that more airframe weight is structure, because the engines are about the same. From the Hornets' Nest update, the increased structure weight is understandable - adding a 2nd-layer baggage floor, adding a 2nd-layer (not in the low-wing Sonex) internal "ceiling" box structure, and the whole airframe just a little bit bigger all around. The extra shoulder-room width should make a big difference.

I'm guessing they won't be going with the Ti rod main gear legs - at least not at the same diameter as Sonex. I never had a problem, but one of the subsequent owners of my airplane bent at least one of the main gear legs, and I've heard of other instances of this.

Another comparison - I had that Sonex flying for $32k in 2008. With the highest-cost big engine. I did build "from plans" and scrounged a good portion of the welded parts from other builders who changed their gear / stick choices, etc. It did not have an autopilot or any sort of screen-based instruments. Just a couple of steam gauges and the minimal com & xpdr.

In the interview, where the Kitplanes reporter put text for the Xenos quick-build kit price, when they were talking prices, I heard this differently in the 2023 webinar. I heard that the kit was projected to cost along the lines of the Xenos you-build-it-all kit price, not a comparison with the "quickbuild" kit price. I'm a build-as-much-myself as they'll allow kind of customer.

Anyway, it seems to be giving what I'd be looking for: more payload than Sonex, high wing for easier in and out (plus the look-down for photos with no strut is nice). I think the addition of the internal "ceiling" will minimize the feeling that you're sitting behind / below the spar pass through section.

Thanks for the updates, and I'm looking forward to trying on the prototype in only about 6 weeks!