Sonex Jet

[jhall@jetav.com]

Interesting....

New class at Reno??

http://www.airventure.org/news/2009/090726_sonex.html

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Sonex Jet

A racing jet with a never-exceed-300-mph speed limit? May as well stick with the sport prop class. Anyone ever try to put a small turbojet in a Lancair yet (heh-heh).

They say "under $50,000" for the kit, but how much is the jet engine? Is that estimate including powerplant? if not, how much to put one in the air, avionics and all?

[JET1]

Re: Sonex Jet

naaa....us jet guys don't get no respect! plus the VNE kinda limits it...

[jhall@jetav.com]

Re: Sonex Jet

They say "under $50,000" for the kit, but how much is the jet engine?

The way I read this would be the completed project, engine and all. Engine comes from the RC world so would be relatively inexpensive.

[t-dub]

Re: Sonex Jet

Good luck doing 300 mph. Those engine's that they're talking about will maybe push an r/c to 300 mph! It's all speculation, as no testing (ground or air) has even been done yet..............A guy named Jim Bede did this about 38 years ago, with the BD-5j. Performance #'s with Juan Jimenez' BD-5j (which is the lightest BD-5j or BD-5 for that matter at 359 lbs.)were 300 mph with the Microturbo 022 "Cougar" that produces 225 pounds of thrust. The engines for the Sonex jet produce 170-200 lbs. and the plane weighs 330 lbs. Similar #'s but the aerodynamics of the BD-5j are much sleeker. I don't know, maybe it will do 300 mph, but i really think that's a bit optimistic.................

[t-dub]

Re: Sonex Jet

Here's the BD-5j.........

[JET1]

well those are fun...

Here's the BD-5j.........

but they have range of about the distance you can throw a rock!

[canadair]

Re: Sonex Jet

an ultralight turned into a jet... nice.
its not very attractive, it has an engine of questionable quality, and it has no real purpose.
Under 50K? maybe, but thats probably refering to any potential resale value, which would be probably half again, if that.
I dont mean to stifle creativity, but this seems to be an example of adapting an existing airframe to suit what is deemed "popular" these days, jets, with no thought to how suitable it really is.
There are so many great projects these days, restorations, rebuilds, new builds, and one offs, but in my opinion this is not one of them.

This is right up there with the "lease an unflown racer" proposal in terms of bad ideas.

[Apteryx]

Re: well those are fun...

but they have range of about the distance you can throw a rock!

The turbo-prop version, was/is a pretty good compromise of speed and range.

[Skyracer]

Re: Sonex Jet

Couldn't be much more impractical than this -

http://www.amtjets.com/gallery_real_plain.html

[Reno_Steve]

Re: Sonex Jet

If you want an even cheaper jet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AXuy2-YoQY&feature=related

And if that is still too expensive I saw a hang glider with two pulse jets attached. Dynajets are about $200 each.