Onex vs Sonex

Side-by-side specs, range, and operating costs.

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Onex
20.8 × 16.4 ft 4.4 ft tall
1× Piston Fixed Unpressurized
Sonex
22.0 × 18.1 ft 4.7 ft tall
1× Piston Fixed Unpressurized

Flight Profile

Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.

Tap legend to isolate

Arc represents the climb-cruise-descent profile based on published service ceiling and range. Climb rate annotated on ascent. FL180 (18,000 ft) shown for reference.

Mission Performance

Stall, approach, cruise, range, ceiling and climb: best values are at the top.

Mission performance specifications
Specification OnexSonex
Stall speed 43 kt40 kt
Approach speed ——
Cruise speed 135 kt130 kt
Range 465 nm350 nm
Service ceiling 16000 ft16000 ft
Rate of climb 900 fpm800 fpm
Fuel burn 4.0 gph4.0 gph

Each axis is scaled independently across the compared aircraft and printed in its own units; every vertex sits at the published figure. Higher is better on all axes: Stall, Approach and Fuel Burn are inverted (lower = higher). A missing figure breaks the line at that axis.

Fuel Burn & Range

Range, endurance, and what the fuel costs by the hour.

Onex Avgas
4.0 gph
Baseline
465 nm range 33.8 nm/gal 15 gal usable $26 fuel/hr 3h 45m endurance
Onex: 4.0 gallons per hour at cruise, 465 nautical mile published range, 3 hour 45 minute endurance, 33.8 nautical miles per gallon.
Sonex Avgas
4.0 gph
Baseline
350 nm range 32.5 nm/gal 16 gal usable $26 fuel/hr 4h 00m endurance
Sonex: 4.0 gallons per hour at cruise, 350 nautical mile published range, 4 hour 0 minute endurance, 32.5 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed

Bars show published still-air range. Endurance is usable fuel divided by the published cruise burn. Estimates only. Always verify against the POH.

Runway Performance

Density altitude adjusted estimates

Outside Air Temp
0°F57°F115°F
Field Elevation
SL4,0008,000 ft
Density Altitude

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing ground roll

Base distance DA penalty
Scale: 6,000 ft

FAA 10%/1,000 ft DA rule of thumb (FAA-H-8083-25B). Turboprops and jets are less sensitive in practice. Always verify against the POH.

Estimated Operating Costs

Scale:
Onex Avgas
$44 /hr
Baseline
Onex: $44 per flight hour — fuel $26, maintenance and reserve $18.
Sonex Avgas
$44 /hr
Baseline
Sonex: $44 per flight hour — fuel $26, maintenance and reserve $18.
Onex Piston
$3,564 /yr Baseline
Onex: $3,564 per year — insurance withheld, hangar $2,964, annual inspection $600.
Sonex Piston
$3,923 /yr Baseline
Sonex: $3,923 per year — insurance withheld, hangar $3,323, annual inspection $600.

Estimates only. Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Each bar stacks your selected occupants against full fuel and the aircraft's useful-load limit (the black line). The open gap between them is spare payload. Add an occupant and the gap closes; once it's gone, fuel has to give.

lb

+ lb / pax

×
1
Onex
1 / 1 seats 15 / 15 gal fuel 260 lb wet payload 350 lb useful 950 lb MTOW
Sonex
2 / 2 seats 16 / 16 gal fuel 434 lb wet payload 530 lb useful 1,150 lb MTOW

Occupants at 190 + 30 lb each. Fuel at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: · two fingers to move map

lb

+ lb / pax

×
1

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