Introduction and some questions

[rwthomas1]

Hello all,
I have just purchased a partially built Sonex. It is about 70-80% completed kit, painted, tri-gear, dual stick with Aerovee. Mike Smith has offered advice, and Keith Macht was kind enough to inspect it for me and gave it a thumbs up. Found some mouse damage in one of the flaps, so that will need replacement, however all else looks good and complete.

So the questions: I had been looking at Sonex's and building for 10 or so years, and this deal came along. Had I built it, probably would have gone taildragger and a 6 cylinder on the nose. So the dilemma now is complete the aircraft as built, or modify...

Aerovee/tri-gear
Pros-
I have almost every part already, complete engine, prop, cowl, carb, etc. It is really just assembly, and tweaking.
Cons-
The Aerovee has nickasil cylinders on it, and it is "tight" when rotated. I have been advised to change the cylinders, and the "tightness" is likely the crankshaft endplay/thrust bearing adjustment done incorrectly. Its a simple engine, so fixing this stuff should be straightforward. And its obviously not a taildragger.....

6 cylinder/taildragger
Pros-
More power, better when hot-n-heavy, taildragger! (yes I have the endorsement) Conversion to taildragger looks to be pretty straightforward, and the required new engine mount might as well have a larger engine bolted to it.
Cons-
Obviously this will take much more time, and money. Conversion of the tailwheel shouldn't be too hard as the empannage is fitted but not installed, and the bottom aft fuselage skin is not installed yet. Need engine, prop, mount, tail and main gear, etc.

I'm really on the fence about it. Avionics, finishing, etc. will have to be done either way so I'm not considering that stuff. One of the main considerations is obviously cost. Is the compete FWF Aerovee stuff saleable? Is there a scratch builder out there who would want it? I have no idea. I would have a problem removing a perfectly good, workable engine just because I "want" a taildragger and more power.

I'm curious to hear what the group would have to say about this decision. I'm a longtime lurker, new owner, and while the decision is ultimately mine, I do appreciate the thoughts of those who have gone before me.

Thanks, RT

[Bryan Cotton]

Welcome to the forum! My opinion: if you can afford it, build the configuration you want, and sell the other parts to recoup what you can. If budget is a concern, then what you have is still cool.

[Titanium Cranium]

I guess a few other factors to consider would be the flying budget (hourly costs of operation) you are looking for, maintenance/repair costs, and the conditions you plan to fly in. I have a tricycle gear with an Aerovee. I specifically wanted the Aerovee because the maintenance and operational costs are cheaper than just about anything else out there, and a major engine repair isn't going to be insanely expensive. It's not as fast as the Jabiru, but has a respectable cruise speed, it's reliable, it's easy to get parts for, it's easy to take care of, and it's affordable to rebuild when needed. As for the conditions you fly in, I've been told by quite a few Sonex tail-dragger pilots that any crosswinds over 10 kts can make landings a bit sketchy, and many don't fly in any crosswinds greater than that. For me, I like to fly whenever I have the chance, and that often involves strong crosswinds. I've found my tricycle gear is very capable in difficult winds. I've landed in 90 degree crosswinds at 17 kts and still had some rudder left for more, so the tricycle gear can give you more flying time based on its capabilities over the tail dragger.

[wlarson861]

I'm with Bryan. build what you really want, now is the time to go towards that goal. I built a taildragger with an AeroVee and found everything Tom said above to be true except the crosswind issue. I fly with a crosswind routinely at my home airport, never been a issue yet. In the first year of flying I found I didn't have enough horsepower for the hot short field operations I sometimes faced. I went turbo and we all know the problems the turbos went through. Being frustrated I bit the bullet and converted to a Jabiru 3300. The cost to retrofit was around $25000. If I could have afforded a Jabiru in the beginning I would have saved a lot of money in the long run. The Jabiru was what I wanted but decided to go with the less expensive route. So my point is back to Bryan, build what you really want the first time and you won't have to spend more money later to get what you really wanted all along.
As far as resale of the parts you have (engine ,mount , prop etc. )yes there is a market for them if you price them right. When removed, my AeroVee had a little over 400 hours, I sold it and the prop for about 1/2 of the new price. Your zero time engine and prop should get a small premium over that(IMHO).

[Sonex1517]

I’ll echo Bill here.

I built a Sonex taildragger from a kit and it is very easy to fly and handle, even in a crosswind.

I also went Turbo AeroVee, a decision I genuinely regret. I removed the turbo and went with the normally aspirated version until I had an emergency landing this past June. Now, like Bill, I bought a new Jabiru 3300 Generation 4 with a new mount and prop.

It would have been cheaper and more efficient to install the Jabiru when I built it.

[MichaelFarley56]

Welcome to the forums! And congratulations on your kit purchase. Like so many others have said, you will live your finished airplane regardless of configuration. They’re a blast to fly!

Without question, build the airplane how you want it configured. If your heart is telling you big engine and taildragger, then do it. You don’t want to spend your time thinking “I like it, but I wish I would have...” build what you love!

For what it’s worth, I do normally recommend at least a little thought based on the intended missions the airplane once it’s done. Do you want to carry passengers on a regular basis, fly out of high density altitudes, or go on long cross countries? If so, a Jabiru 3300 is a smart idea. Are you going to be flying mostly solo, low altitudes, and just local sightseeing missions? If so you may be just as happy with the AeroVee. At the same time, do you want to travel on a schedule, take some weather considerations (crosswinds) out of the equation, or let others transition into and fly your airplane? If so, tri gear May be best. If you want to fly on the days with less crosswind (especially the Waiex) and use grass strips more often, the tail dragger may be your choice.

I built my Waiex as a taildragger with an AeroVee and I love it, but remember my mission is local fun missions, by myself, on nice days. I didn’t build it as a serious cross country machine, and I need to be careful taking people with me. Regardless, it’s a blast to fly!

[rwthomas1]

Thank you gentlemen for your thoughtful responses and advice. Taildragging six shooter it is! Because I only live this life once. Someone is going to get a screaming deal on a complete aerovee, mount, gear, cowl, carb, prop, etc. etc. I'll update when I can. RT

[tx_swordguy]

Good choice. I have a taildragger early jab 3300 sonex and love it. Although it has had a couple of issues recently (scored cylinder on a 360 TT engine that was supposedly rebuilt at 200) it is never the less a simple engine to work on. Down side is only one place to get engine parts in USA. If you have them do work for you stay on top of them and don't assume they are doing it. I needed a replacement cyl and they sent me a serviceable used cyl that was honed and painted (I am fine with that it just took 2.5 weeks to get it after sending mine in. They also couldn't find the cylinder I sent for 2 days and after 3 phone calls but it worked out in the end).They are busy. I am back up and running and love it. Just watch the cyl temps
Mark