Sonex* 3rd Build 1


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Following the starting small strategy I outlined in the build 2 page, I have collected approximately 90 parts from the scrap left over from prior builds.

Put together around Thanksgiving 2004.

More of the parts-from-scrap collection.

Other items laid out on remaining scraps using the dimensions from planning spreadsheets on the Yahoo groups. 4/10/05

Final cutting has to wait for plans to arrive.

It's been a while since I have actively updated the website. Since the last build, I got married, so I am learning to understand that one can't just go start building something like this without serious discussions.

This build had to pass a planning review, including a schedule and budget. We have to know what we're getting into.

The recent sales of several Sonex on Barnstormers for roughly 20% over materials and parts costs is encouraging.

So on 4/3/05, the decision was taken to go with another Sonex build. Plans ordered 4/4/05, along with a few tools and a small quantity of metal.

Metal includes a 6x12 of .060, two 1'x2' of .090, 1 1'x2' of .125, 1 1'x2' of .190. 4/10/05

Your quantity will vary because I had some parts already.

Another reason the .125 is not larger is because I plan to buy the .125 spar doublers precut from Sonex. Saves buying a big piece, a lot of layout time, and a lot of cutting time.

In the meantime, the cardboard-bird is keeping me busy. I laid out the plate parts in cardboard to plan the size of metal to be ordered. The two spreadsheets I found online have some conflicts, so the planning is not exact. I know there will be some scrap because the spreadsheets call out all parts as if they are rectangles when many are triangles that can nest into each other.

Keeping the starting small strategy literal, for right now no part will be larger than 24". So if this needs to be put away for a while or moved, the plans set is the largest item.

Also will be interesting to see how it goes creating all of the plate parts at once, then moving on to the angle stock.

I don't expect to make the even moderately large buys of the pre-bent metal kit, rivets, spar caps, and hardware kits for quite a while. Plan is to get into sheet stock parts after the angle stock parts.