WELCOME!
This website is to log my progress while building a Sonex airplane. I purchased the plans for
Sonex S/N 767 and began construction around Christmas 2004. I would like to keep my costs down
and am currently considering the AeroVee engine. I'm leaning strongly towards tricycle gear.
I've finally settled on using an AeroVee engine and going with the tricycle gear. I know,
everyone thinks a Sonex should be built with a tail wheel but I like the tricycle gear and I'm
sticking with it.
Builders Log Entries
Drive Horn Template
Type of Work: Construction
Category: Rudder
Manual Reference: SNX-T13-03
The drive horn shown in the plans has no dimensions but is drawn full scale. I decided that the quickest way to make this part was to start with a template. I used a piece of drafting paper to trace the drive horn from the plans. I then glued the drafting paper to a piece of bristol board and cut it out. This provided a rigid template that I could trace for the final shape on the aluminum.
I traced the shape onto the aluminum and used the band saw to cut out the rough shape. Next, I started the sanding.
More Work on the Drive Horn
Type of Work: Construction
Category: Rudder
Manual Reference: SNX-T13-03
I continued working on the drive horn today. I center punched and drilled all of the pilot holes, completed the sanding and used scotch brite to clean up the part. I filed the bevel on the one edge as indicated. This appears to provide some relief when the horn is riveted to one of the ribs for the rudder.
With all of this work completed I started to setup for bending the drive horn.
Finishing Up Rudder
Type of Work: Construction
Category: Rudder
Manual Reference:
It's been a while since I made an entry in my builders log. Work has been very slow but I am trying to get back at things and get back to recording my work.
Today I was working on my rudder. I spent time deburring the ribs for inside the rudder. I found that a tongue depressor wrapped in sand paper works well to break of the burr on the inside of the flanges. After getting everything deburred, I began the riveting process. I started by riveting in the center rib then the hinge. Next, I reveted the rudder drive horn assembly. I left the drive horn assembly and the top rib off so that this area could be inspected as part of my precover inspection.
Completing Riveting on the Rudder
Type of Work: Construction
Category: Rudder
Manual Reference: SNX-T08
A couple of rivets at the lower rib needed to be pulled by hand as they seemed to interfere with the rivets holding the control horn. By using a hand puller I was able to ensure that the head was seated properly as I slowly pulled the rivets.
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