Sport Trainer, Sport Acro Take Flight

Sonex Aircraft, LLC flew two new factory prototype aircraft in the month of August. Sonex Sport Trainer S/N 0007 made its maiden flight on August 3 with Sonex CEO Jeremy Monnett at the controls (shown below).

On August 9, the Sonex Sport Acro (Sonex S/N 0008) took to the sky for the first time with Sonex founder and President John Monnett behind the stick.

The Oshkosh, WI-based planemaker tells ANN both planes have been ready to fly since April of this year... but FAA certification paperwork delays pushed airworthiness inspection on the aircraft out until just prior to EAA AirVenture 2007.

Both aircraft will be used for E-Flight Initiative testing of ethanol fuels and other efficiency enhancements. The Sport Acro will be put through the paces of IAC Primary and Sportsman class aerobatic routines as part of its flight test program, to prove the aircraft's suitability for entry-level competition.

During the August 9 Sport Acro test flight, John Monnett performed initial evaluations of the effectiveness of the aircraft's enlarged ailerons, rolling the aircraft at near-full-rate to high bank angles of less than 90 degrees.

"It rolls like a Sonerai I!" Monnett reportedly commented after landing.

Sonex says the enlarged Sport Acro ailerons will be available for any Sonex or Waiex airframe... but the true Sport Acro configuration, optimized for entry-level aerobatic competitions, will probably utilize the single-pilot cockpit configuration shown in the photos above and below.

The Sport Acro cockpit will also sport a fuselage cross-tie bump-out to accomodate a parachute, along with the enlarged single pilot rudder pedals.

FMI: www.sonexaircraft.com