Thinking about adding an engine.

I know a couple that fly a Kitfox to Florida and back for the winter. Nice plane.

Dan

Wonder if that's the 50% rule I hear about.

Appleseed wrote: In reply to 914Driver: Nope. I was referencing amateur build aircraft. Per EAA: A condition inspection is the equivalent of an "annual" for a type certificated aircraft. FAR Part 43 specifically states that it does not apply to experimental aircraft.

Yup. You need to build 51% or greater yourself.

There is maintenance that the owner can perform without an A&P signing the logbooks. Mostly preventative maintenance https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/pic-archive/aircraft-ownership/preventive-maintenance

Repairs and inspections must be signed by an A&P, many A&Ps will sign off on owner assisted maintenance.

The Luscombe is a fine ship, it does have a reputation for ground looping.

Regarding the Sonex, You’ve got good taste 914 Driver.

I’ve been a big fan of John Monnett’s designs (Sonerai, Moni, Sonex) for a long time. I read his autobiography a few years ago and I came away thinking very highly of him.

School teacher from Wisconsin that never formally studied aeronautical engineering – just developed his skill level over the years restoring planes. Worked his way up to designing some planes that people liked and opened a little kit factory. Hired a kid to sweep floors..kid turned out to be brilliant and wound up getting a MS in Aerospace Engineering from Stanford. Kid was so grateful to John for giving him a start in the business that he spent an entire summer doing the structural and aerodynamic design work for the Sonex wing at no cost...what a great story.

Anyway, do you think perhaps you’re attracted to John’s designs because he likes to us single wave canopies (i.e. one continuous arc rather than two arcs like almost all other powered aircraft) as are typically found on sailplanes?

I would say this however, don’t skimp on the engine…I talked to a Sonex owner a few years ago that had been running an aero conversion VW engine and he had experienced two sudden catastrophic engine failures…one put him into some crops around the Oxnard, CA airport that caused significant damage to the aircraft.

In reply to fanfoy: A good friend of mine built one of the first Sonex kits, so they might've been improved on by now, but he said it was a plane you always had to be on the stick for. Not hard, but not the most relaxing plane to fly. If I recall, he sold it to a guy who promptly flew it into a swamp in Florida, but that's beside the point.

The Sonex is a mild aerobatic aircraft, which means is slightly unstable. Like a hyperactive dog, it wants to do things. Unlike a tugboat Cessna, which will just keep flying.

I saw a kit plane called a Dragonfly on ebay a while ago. Needed some paint and chatchkas, but not horrible for the handy person. Guy neglected to put a reserve on it, sold for $2700.

Very cool ride but needs a lot of runway, disqualifying it from my list.