Sonex Aircraft
{{Short description|American homebuilt aircraft manufacturer}}
{{for|the Mexican band|Sonex (band)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Sonex Aircraft, LLC
| logo = SonexLogo.png
| logo_size = 200px
| type = Private
| foundation = 1998
| founder = John Monnett
| location = Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Jeremy Monnett
{{small|(Former CEO)}}|Mark Schaible
{{small|(CEO)}}}}
| industry = Aerospace
| products =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| num_employees = 9
| parent =
| divisions =
| subsid = AeroConversions engines
| homepage = {{URL|sonexaircraft.com}}
| footnotes =
}}
Sonex Aircraft, LLC is an American kit aircraft manufacturer located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, producing kits for four all-metal homebuilt monoplanes. The company was founded in 1998 by John Monnett, who has designed the Monnett Sonerai sport aircraft series, Monnett Monerai sailplane, Monnett Moni motorglider, and Monnett Monex racer.
History
File:19-5409 Monnett Sonerai IILS (8543451673).jpg IILS]]
The company opened a flight center and a {{convert|5,600|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} parts distribution warehouse in 2006.{{cite web |title=Sonex Aircraft News Archive January-February, 2007 |url=http://www.sonexaircraft.com/news/newsarchive72.html |website=Sonex |access-date=29 July 2024 |date=January–February 2007}}
In 2013, the FAA National Kit Evaluation Team (NKET) approved fast-build "51% rule" versions of the Sonex, Waiex, and Onex.{{cite web|title=Sonex Offers Quick-Build Kits Featuring Prebuilt Major Assemblies|url=http://www.eaa.org/news/2013/2013-07-17_sonex-offers-quick-build-kits.asp|access-date=July 22, 2013}}
Jeremy Monnett, the son of founder John Monnett Jr. and CEO, was killed in an airplane crash in 2015.[https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2015/june/03/sonex-ceo-jeremy-monnett-killed-in-aircraft-accident Sonex CEO Jeremy Monnett Killed in Aircraft Accident] AOPA, June 2015
In June 2018, John Monnett announced his plan to retire and sell the company.{{cite web|url = https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Sonex-for-Sale-230936-1.html|title = Sonex For Sale|access-date = June 8, 2018|last = O'Connor|first =Kate |work = AVweb|date = June 6, 2018}} In January 2022, Sonex employee and general manager, Mark Schaible, purchased the assets of Sonex Aircraft LLC and Sonex Aerospace LLC, forming them into a new company, Sonex LLC. Schaible will be owner and president of the new company.{{cite web|url= https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/long-time-employee-acquires-sonex-assets-all-staff-retained/|title= Longtime Employee Acquires Sonex Assets; All Staff Retained|access-date= 5 January 2022|last= Phelps|first= Mark|work= AVweb|date= 4 January 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220105165833/https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/long-time-employee-acquires-sonex-assets-all-staff-retained/?MailingID=805|archive-date= 5 January 2022|url-status= live}}
In December 2019 the John Monnett-designed Sonerai was acquired by Sonex Aircraft.{{cite web|url = https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/sonerai-kit-aircraft-comes-home/|title = Sonerai Kit Aircraft Comes Home|access-date = December 15, 2019|last =Cook |first =Marc |work =AVweb |date = December 30, 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200102224123/https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/sonerai-kit-aircraft-comes-home/|archive-date =January 2, 2020 }}
The company rolled out a prototype highwing aircraft in 2024.{{cite news |last1=Fores |first1=Kerry |title=Sonex Rolls Out Highwing Protoype |url=http://www.kitplanes.com/sonex-rolls-out-highwing-protoype |access-date=29 July 2024 |work=Kitplanes |date=21 July 2024}}
Products
=Aircraft=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Model name
! First flight ! Number built ! Type |
|---|
| align=left| Sonerai
|align=center| 1971 |align=center| |align=left| Single piston engine low-wing homebuilt airplane |
| align=left| Sonex
|align=center| 2000 (customer built) |align=center| 500 by 2014{{cite journal|journal=Sport Aviation|date=January 2015|page=14|title=Sonex reports 500th completion}} |align=left| Single piston engine low-wing homebuilt airplane |
| align=left| Waiex
|align=center| 2003 |align=center| |align=left| Single piston engine low-wing homebuilt airplane |
| align=left| Xenos
|align=center| 2003 |align=center| |align=left| Single piston engine low-wing homebuilt motor glider |
| align=left| Onex
|align=center| 2011 |align=center| |align=left| Single piston engine low-wing homebuilt airplane |
| align=left| ESA
|align=center| |align=center| |align=left| Unbuilt single electric engine low-wing homebuilt airplane |
| align=left| SubSonex JSX-1
|align=center| 2011 |align=center| |align=left| Single jet engine low-wing homebuilt airplane |
| align=left| SubSonex JSX-2
|align=center| 2014 |align=center| |align=left| Single jet engine low-wing homebuilt airplane |
| align=left| Teros
|align=center| 2015 |align=center| |align=left| Single piston engine low-wing unmanned aerial vehicle |
| align=left| Sierra Hotel
|align=center| |align=center| |align=left| Single piston engine high-wing homebuilt airplane{{cite web|url= https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/sonex-introduces-sierra-hotel-highwing/|title= Sonex Introduces "Sierra Hotel" Highwing|access-date= 17 February 2023|last= Cook|first= Marc |work= AVweb|date= 16 February 2023|archive-url= https://archive.today/20230217141118/https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/sonex-introduces-sierra-hotel-highwing/|archive-date= 17 February 2023|url-status= live}} |
=Engines=
Company subsidiary AeroConversions manufactures the AeroConversions AeroVee Engine, a custom aircraft implementation of the Volkswagen air-cooled engine.
Hornet's Nest
File:Sonex Aircraft Sonex (G-CIDX) at Cotswold Airport England 18Jun2016 arp.jpg, Gloucestershire, England, 2016]]
The Hornet's Nest is the research and development arm of Sonex LLC.
=E-flight=
At AirVenture 2007, Sonex Aircraft announced a project to work on innovative technologies in aviation. The E-flight projects includes using an electric motor, ethanol-based fuels, and other power plant alternatives.{{cite web
|title = Another Secret Is Out
|url = http://airventure.org/2007/news/070724_sonex.html
|access-date = July 24, 2007
}} In December 2010, an all-electric Waiex was test flown from Wittman field in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The aircraft was flown with a {{convert|54|kW|hp|0|abbr=on}} brushless DC electric motor, managed by a newly designed controller. Power is from a collection of 14.5 kW-hour lithium polymer batteries, giving the aircraft an endurance of one hour at low-speed cruise or 15 minutes of aerobatics.{{cite web|title=Sonex electric-powered Waiex makes first flight|url=http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2010/101206sonex.html|access-date= December 6, 2010}}{{Cite news|url = http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/sonex_waiex_electric_motor_aircraft_first_flight_203741-1.html|title = Sonex Flies Electric Airplane|access-date = December 6, 2010|last = Pew|first = Glenn|date=December 2010| work = AvWeb}} This was the beginning of the development of the Sonex Electric Sport Aircraft.{{cite web|url = http://www.sonexaircraft.com/research/e-flight.html|title = Sonex Aircraft Hornet's Nest Research and Development|access-date = October 21, 2011}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Sonex Aircraft Sonex}}
- {{Official website|http://www.sonexaircraft.com/index.html}}
{{Monnett aircraft}}
Category:Aircraft manufacturers of the United States
Category:Aviation in Wisconsin
Category:1998 establishments in Wisconsin
Category:American companies established in 1998
Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1998