Desert Sun & Fun - The Mojave Experimental Fly-In (12 Pix)

Stars and stripes! Close-up of Dick Rutan's beautiful Berkut  (photo:Craig Spirko)

(click any pic to enlarge)
 

 The Mojave Experimental Fly-In last Saturday drew a diverse collection of aircraft under a typical sunny desert sky. It's pretty cool to see these aircraft gathered in front of the hangars of some of the most cutting-edge experimental aerospace companies in the world!

 I wasn't able to attend the event as I had hoped, but AirPigz follower Craig Spirko did and shared some pix of the event for y'all to see. I've included a couple images from the official Mojave Fly-In website as well... there's a nice post there too you might wanna check out.

(click any pic to enlarge)

Wide view of the Berkut and its awesome paint  (photo: MojaveFlyIn)

I think this one is self-explanatory!  Scaled.com/careers  (photo: Craig Spirko)

Lots of windmills, and a little Christen Eagle  (photo: Craig Spirko)

Click to read more ...

Video: Sweet Sonex Shows Off Fab Smoke System - Smoke On!

 This recently uploaded video from youtuber tomhuebbe is cool on many levels... beautiful aircraft, excellent video with great editing, and a really sweet smoke system on that tri-gear Sonex! The only way it could've been better was if it was a taildragger with a Y tail, a la Waiex.

(disclaimer: this statement reflects my own personal bias toward aircraft that have their landing gear configured in the old fashioned, out dated, difficult-to-fly, and obviously much more beautiful 'taildragger' arrangement. This opinion is my own and is not meant to belittle or in any way put down a pilot or builder who chooses the easy way out and drags his pitiful little nose. I also have an extreme fondness for aircraft with unique and exciting design components, and a Y shaped tail with a really small little rudder placed at the end of the fuselage wins out over a run-of-the-mill, uninspired, plane-jane standard tail any day. But again, I don't mean to snub anyone who chooses to tip toe down the middle of the road and selects a boring tail on their aircraft. It is still a free country... for now anyway : )

Screenshot from this awesome video of a smoke-system equipped Sonex

Gentlemen...Charge Your Batteries! (EAA $60K Electric Flight Prize)

Click pic to go to the EAA page on the Electric Flight Prize

 And ladies too… the EAA’s 2011 $60,000 Electric Flight Prize is for men and women of course, but it’s not for the internal combustion engine - electric only need apply. And if you’ve got a great flying electric airplane (or one in the works) then you’ll wanna be applying to see if you can snag some of that prize money! It’ll all be here before you know too as the deadline for applications is July 1, 2011 and the actual competition will take place during Oshkosh (July 25-31) from Tuesday July 26th thru Friday July 29th. You can get full details and apply via this EAA page on the Electric Flight Prize.

 Electric propulsion systems are advancing rapidly, and a competition like this is sure to help push that advancement along. Only the 12 most viable entrants will qualify to compete for the Electric Flight Prize… and while there might not even be 12 entrants stepping forward, I’m hoping that there are more projects in the works than we might think. This is such a great opportunity for even the little guy to wow the world with some great and innovative ideas. The competitions are open to anyone with an electric powered aircraft who has flown at least 40 hours and has an airworthiness certificate.

 The competition will include four different categories:

Endurance - A timed event to determine which aircraft can stay aloft for the longest time in standard configuration (i.e., without additional battery packs). The clock will start when the aircraft crosses a defined start line, and will end when the pilot taxies across a finish line (locations of start and finish lines will be confirmed at pilot briefing). Competitors will be expected to land with a 10% battery reserve, and anyone unable to taxi across the finish line will be disqualified. All takeoffs will establish aircraft in a racetrack pattern above Wittman Regional Airport at a constant altitude. (Event to be held Tuesday, July 26)

Possible Electric Flight Prize entry? Electric Cessna 172 project from Bye Energy

Click to read more ...

Oshkosh 2010 Pic Stream #3 - Getting Settled In (16 pix)

 Check out that long morning shadow coming off that Luscombe! Tuesday started with loads of sunshine and stayed that way most of the day. Some overcast appeared for a while in the afternoon, but it was a good day for weather.

  Mid morning had lots of activity going on at AeroShell Square. Here, Art Nalls tells a very interested crowd about his Sea Harrier. This is the only privately owned flyable Harrier jump jet in the world. 

The airplane is scheduled to put on some flight demos thru the week, and I'm sure it will attract a lot attention. I also talked with Art and we're working on doing a podcast before too long. I'm sure it will be fascinating to get the story behind the journey of pilot and airplane to reach this point.

  How'd you like to have a grandpa who would make this for you?! As I worked my way around all the goodies on AeroShell Square, I spotted this ultra-cool DC-3 wagon with some pretty happy kids in it. Tho I think they might have been getting tired waving to all the people looking at them... they were very popular!

Click to read more ...

A Beautiful New Waiex (HOTY) Makes First Flight

Kip Laurie's gorgeous new Waiex with Jabiru 3300 power   photo: Sonex Aircraft

First flight for Waiex N111YX was on May 20, 2010   photo: Sonex Aircraft

 It’s kinda funny that just yesterday, in the Grand Slam Homebuilt post, I was saying how a lot of people don’t find the Sonex airplanes to be ‘electrifying’… and then this hot orange Waiex hits the scene!  It was built by Kip Laurie from Atlanta, Georgia, and the first flight was less than 2 weeks ago on May 20, 2010.  You may already know that I’ve been a fan of the taildragger Waiex for quite some time now, and even named it homebuilt of the year (HOTY) at the start of 2009!  BTW, a 2010 HOTY will probably be named at the end of this year : )

 I think the taildraggin’ Sonex is a fine airplane, but when you trade the straight tail for the V (and that tiny little rudder at the tail post!) I think an ‘ok’ airplane turns into a real hotty.  And Kip’s airplane, with that simple but awesome paint really brings the Waiex to life. 

 The fact that this little airplane can be built for under $30K puts it very close to Grand Slam status, but in my mind, that’s ultimately reserved for a single-seat airplane that can slash build and operating costs to about half of that.  It looks like the Onex (single-seat Sonex derivative) won’t be far from that, but it’s gonna need a V-tail option to have a chance of being electrifying.  So far I don’t see any mention of a V-tail for the Onex, but they are still very early in the development process. 

 But the real point here is that Kip’s orange and white Waiex is one fantastic looking airplane - great job!

AirPigz Podcast #3 - Interview With John Monnett Of Sonex Aircraft

Listen right now thru this player

Powered by Podbean.com

Download this episode (right click and save)

Sonex Aircraft president John Monnett at their Oshkosh, Wisconsin headquarters

 I met up with John Monnett at the Sonex Aircraft headquarters on the Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on Friday, February 20, 2009.  The 53 minute podcast gives some nice insight into the design philosophy behind the Sonex and Waiex airplanes which produces a flying machine that has both excellent low and high speed qualities... while also being extremely affordable and relatively easy to build.

  We also go over how John got involved in aviation, including the early years of primitive and expensive RC modeling.  And we talk about some of the influences that lead him to design the Sonerai airplanes back in the 70's.    John covers what the 'Sonex Workshops' are all about and why anyone considering building any kind of metal airplane can benefit from them.

 We talk quite a bit about the 80hp AeroVee VW conversion engine that they build.  It's the base engine recommended for Sonex airplanes, but also is very well suited to any airplane project in need of a lightweight and reliable powerplant.

 Lastly, John gives some interesting details on their development of a custom-built electric motor, controller and battery pack for making practical electric flight a dream that might actually come true!

Sonex, Waiex, and Xenos airplanes in the Sonex Aircraft showroom

The "Y" tail Waiex in flight

 

Typical AeroVee engine installation in a Sonex

John Monnett's AeroConversions modified VW engine: AeroVee 2180cc, 80hp, 161lbs. 

Sonex engineered and built electric motor, controller and battery pack nearing reality

 

On 1-7-09, the Waiex won the tongue-in-cheek AirPigz Homebuilt Of The Year award

7th Day Of 2009 And We Name Waiex 'Homebuilt Of The Year'!

Photos from Sonex Aircraft - go there for tons Sonex/Waiex info too

Yeah, I know it’s only a week into the new year, but given the outlook for 2009, we need to start it all off with a winner… and here it is! 

 The Waiex (say Y-X) from Sonex Aircraft is the 2009 AirPigz ’Homebuilt Of The Year’ (HOTY). 

 It wins this award because it mixes the best of everything: speed with efficiency, safety and great looks, along with ease of building.  When you also add in what the everyday sport pilot’s real needs are, which include stretching the dollar as far as possible, nothing beats the overall value the Waiex has to offer. 

 This airplane is so totally accessible to the ’average’ guy.  If you start with the Waiex kit, and you work disciplined and don’t go crazy adding expensive and heavy stuff to this little cutie, you can realistically expect to be flying in about a year, and do it all for right at, or just a tad north of $26,000!

 A 2-place proven design that can cruise up to 150mph for about the price of a nicely equipped 4-door Jeep Wrangler… that’s awesome!  This is definitely the year that we need a truly effecient, attractive, and best of all, affordable airplane. 

 The Waiex is basically identical to the better known Sonex (conventional tail) version, but the Y tail just seals the deal for me by having that “hey, look at me” attitude.  Performance is essentially the same for the two, and either can be built as a taildragger or with tricycle gear.  And in case you haven’t figured it out yet, it really is a ’Y’ tail instead of a ’V’.  The tail cone is actually a nifty little ‘stubby rudder’ - love it!

 Performance?  Even if you go frugal in the Waiex with the 80hp AeroVee VW engine (which runs 100LL or Auto Fuel), you can still expect high speed cruise of 150mph at 8,000’.  It’s not all speed tho.  That nice thick wing also yields a stall with flaps down of just 40mph.  Almost a full 4:1 speed ratio… absolutely amazing!

 Sonex Aircraft also has a reputation of being a company that cares about builders and always supplies a top notch kit. 

 When you mix it all up and pour it over tough economic times, the Waiex stands out as the best overall airplane for the day.  That’s exactly why it’s the 2009 AirPigz ‘Homebuilt Of The Year’ (HOTY).