Range Map
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Payload vs. Range
Fuel on board
Cargo
nm
Range
Trip Preview
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We do not have a cruise speed on file for this aircraft, so there is no honest time or cost to give you for this leg.
En route
Fuel burned
Direct cost
Fuel cost
Tanks run dry about past before at this burn.
Mission Profile
Estimated Ownership Costs
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About the Sonex
Overview
The Sonex is a two-seat, side-by-side experimental amateur-built (E-AB) sport aircraft from Sonex Aircraft of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, first flown in 1998 and sold today as the updated Sonex-B kit. It is an all-aluminum low-wing monoplane offered with either the standard 80 hp AeroVee 2180, a Volkswagen-derived flat-four, or the optional 120 hp Jabiru 3300. On the AeroVee it cruises around 130 knots on under 4 gallons per hour with a clean stall near 40 knots; the Jabiru raises cruise to about 150 knots and the ceiling to roughly 23,000 feet. It can be built with tailwheel or tricycle gear and is stressed for light aerobatics.
The Sonex is aimed at the budget-minded builder who wants a fast, economical two-seater and is willing to build a kit rather than buy certified. Against a used certified two-seat trainer such as a Cessna 150 it concedes a type certificate, IFR capability and resale liquidity but flies far cheaper and stores in a garage; within its own family it is the mainstream two-seater between the single-seat Onex and the long-wing Xenos motorglider, and it shares its airframe with the Y-tail Waiex. The engine choice frames the decision: the AeroVee keeps costs at the family’s lowest, while the Jabiru buys speed and altitude for a higher fuel burn and purchase price.
Key Features for GA Buyers
- Two engine options. The standard 80 hp AeroVee 2180 is Sonex’s own VW-derived kit engine and the economy choice; the optional 120 hp Jabiru 3300 adds cruise speed and a higher ceiling for more fuel and cost.
- Low operating cost. On the AeroVee the Sonex burns under 4 gallons per hour and runs on avgas or automotive mogas, holding its direct operating cost to about $44 per hour.
- Aerobatic capability. The airframe is stressed for light aerobatics, uncommon at this price and useful for building stick-and-rudder skills.
- Sport Pilot eligible. A clean stall around 40 knots and a light gross weight let the AeroVee-powered Sonex be flown on a Sport Pilot certificate.
Trade-offs
- Owner-built quality varies. As an amateur-built kit, its finish, rigging and systems reflect the builder; a used example rewards a careful pre-buy and a look at the builder’s log.
- Two seats, modest payload. With two adults and fuel the Sonex is near its useful load, and baggage space is limited.
- No published TBO on the base engine. The VW-derived AeroVee carries no certified time between overhauls, so overhaul reserve is a planning judgment; the Jabiru does publish a TBO but runs at higher cost.
- VFR sport role. It is a VFR sport two-seater, not an IFR or cross-country hauling platform.
See Also
- Waiex – the same airframe with a Y-tail. Compare
- Onex – single-seat folding-wing Sonex on the AeroVee. Compare
- Xenos – two-seat Sonex motorglider. Compare
- Sonerai II – Monnett’s VW-powered tandem racer, the line’s ancestor. Compare
Technical Specifications
Dimensions & Weights
- Height
- 5 ft
- Length
- 18 ft
- Parking area (ft²2)
- 739 ft²
- Max Takeoff Weight
- Source: manufacturer figure 1,150 lbs
- Max Landing Weight
- 1,150 lbs
- Useful Load
- Source: manufacturer figure 530 lbs
- Fuel Capacity
- 16 gal
Performance
- Cruise Speed
- Source: manufacturer figure 130 KTAS
- Never-Exceed (VNE)
- Source: manufacturer figure 171 KIAS
- Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
- Source: manufacturer figure 118 KIAS
- Stall, Clean (VS1)
- Source: manufacturer figure 40 KIAS
- Range
- 350 NM
- Service Ceiling
- 16,000 ft
- Rate of Climb
- 800 fpm
Engine
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Sources
Where the figures on this page come from. Sonex specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.
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