Sonex Joins In The Development Of An Extended Range, High-Altitude Mission UAV

It’s not uncommon for those that home-build their own personal airplane to also be involved in RC model airplane flying. Now, it appears that the connection between homebuilt planes and remote control airplanes, as in UAV, is getting closer.

Sonex Aircraft is has announced that a formal Business Collaboration Agreement has been signed with Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation (NASC) for research, engineering and production of Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs), beginning with a Xenos-based line of aircraft dubbed "Teros."

As the next addition to NASC's line of UAVs, which includes the TigerShark and Mako series of aircraft, the Teros will be an AeroVee Turbo powered aircraft based on the Xenos Motorglider design that is capable of carrying significant fuel and mission payloads. The Teros is intended to provide extended range, high altitude performance in a wider range of environments and performing even more challenging missions than NASC's existing TigerShark series.

Sonex and NASC officials selected the name "Teros" for this new line of UAVs as an extension of the name "Xenos" in the Greek language. While Xenos can generally be interpreted as a traveler with a diversity of roles, Teros is interpreted as a guardian who "watches over."

Ship sets of Teros aircraft will be produced by Sonex Aircraft, LLC at their Oshkosh, WI headquarters and delivered to NASC for integration and operation as UAVs. The first prototype Teros is slated for delivery to NASC in June of this year.

Sonex Aircraft has been a long standing manufacturer in the experimental kit aircraft industry, providing a series of sport aircraft along with the AeroConversions line of products, which include the AeroVee engine, AeroVee Turbo, AeroInjector and ancillary aviation products. Of course, Sonex will continue to supply their kit built Sonex Waiex, and Onex sport planes, the Xenos sport motorglider, and the SubSonex Personal Jet.

(Image rendering of the Teros provided by Sonex)

FMI: www.SonexAircraft.com and www.AeroConversions.com