What's up homebuilders!
Nick from Hampton, New Hampshire writing..
I have been lurking around this website for a while and decided to join up. First off i would like to thank everyone here, there is a lot off good knowledge and experience on these pages! I am probably a lot younger than the average homebuilder at 26, but i am not the type to think i know everything and am here mostly to learn. I wonder though.. any other builders out there in their 20's?
I am a mechanical engineer by degree.. but i have been working as a nuclear engineer for the past four years or so. Aviation has been love of mine since childhood, and since before i can remember i have always wanted to build something to fly in. I finally got to the point in my life where i can make it happen.
A few years ago i had a short stint where i came "this close" to starting construction on a gyrobee ultralight autogyro, but really underestimated the involvement that such a project would take at the time, and really overestimated my abilities too.
In the years since, apart from maturing and getting myself into a little bit of a better financial and life situation to start something, i did a lot of research into building something.. and i found the Sonex. It really does meet every goal that i have for now and i think it is a great first airplane to build. I would love to get into some more projects down the road.. maybe a Lancair someday!
Two months ago i attended Sonex Aircraft's little "buyer's weekend" and had a great time. I would highly recommend it to anyone else considering this airplane. I came away from that weekend with just about every question that i had answered.. save one thing that i did not really get a satisfying answer on (which is probably going to cause a lot of eyes to roll when i mention it).
onder:
The only major question left in my head relates to weather or not to include any type of corrosion protection on the interior structure. I have read a lot of opinions on the topic on this and other sites, but have yet to come across anything concrete enough to make up my mind. John Monett told me "no, don't bother", but added the same caveat to the end of his sentence that i have heard a thousand times: "unless you live right next to the ocean."
I do, in fact live within 2 miles of the ocean and i understand that there is a chemical reaction that takes place between a chloride ion and an aluminum oxide layer, but i also know that there are boats made out of aluminum (although i don't know how to compare one alloy to another). The way i see it, adding some corrosion protection will easily double the construction time of the airframe, and i am not convinced that it will serve any benefit other than increase the resale value some day. I cant find any hard data out there that relates proximity towards salt water, or ppm concentration in the air to corrosion rate vs. time!
Does anybody out there have any first hand experience with this? ever take apart a 20 year old wing that had nothing done to the inside of it and see everything falling apart? If doing this is the difference between my plane lasting 20 vice 10 years then i might start to look at it, if it is more like the difference between 50 and 100 years then i wont bother.
Anyone here also on the Sonex Talk yahoo page? I am very grateful for that resource as well, tons of good info over that way, but i have to ask.. what is the deal with yahoo groups? I find their layout so incredibly frustrating. The forum type organization like this site is the way to go, i don't know what yahoo was thinking whey they made them. It is impossible to search and organize posts to find what you need.. unless there is something i am missing i cant understand why every member hasn't run from there screaming and tearing their hair out, and then set up a proper forum to share ideas in. Has there been any talk about setting up a Sonex forum at all?
So i am building the Waiex, kit was deliverd last week and i am the lucky owner of Serial #142. I have started on a few little things here and there and can't wait to dive into this project with full force! This really is my life dream coming true!
Nick from Hampton, New Hampshire writing..
I have been lurking around this website for a while and decided to join up. First off i would like to thank everyone here, there is a lot off good knowledge and experience on these pages! I am probably a lot younger than the average homebuilder at 26, but i am not the type to think i know everything and am here mostly to learn. I wonder though.. any other builders out there in their 20's?
I am a mechanical engineer by degree.. but i have been working as a nuclear engineer for the past four years or so. Aviation has been love of mine since childhood, and since before i can remember i have always wanted to build something to fly in. I finally got to the point in my life where i can make it happen.
A few years ago i had a short stint where i came "this close" to starting construction on a gyrobee ultralight autogyro, but really underestimated the involvement that such a project would take at the time, and really overestimated my abilities too.
In the years since, apart from maturing and getting myself into a little bit of a better financial and life situation to start something, i did a lot of research into building something.. and i found the Sonex. It really does meet every goal that i have for now and i think it is a great first airplane to build. I would love to get into some more projects down the road.. maybe a Lancair someday!
Two months ago i attended Sonex Aircraft's little "buyer's weekend" and had a great time. I would highly recommend it to anyone else considering this airplane. I came away from that weekend with just about every question that i had answered.. save one thing that i did not really get a satisfying answer on (which is probably going to cause a lot of eyes to roll when i mention it).
onder:The only major question left in my head relates to weather or not to include any type of corrosion protection on the interior structure. I have read a lot of opinions on the topic on this and other sites, but have yet to come across anything concrete enough to make up my mind. John Monett told me "no, don't bother", but added the same caveat to the end of his sentence that i have heard a thousand times: "unless you live right next to the ocean."
I do, in fact live within 2 miles of the ocean and i understand that there is a chemical reaction that takes place between a chloride ion and an aluminum oxide layer, but i also know that there are boats made out of aluminum (although i don't know how to compare one alloy to another). The way i see it, adding some corrosion protection will easily double the construction time of the airframe, and i am not convinced that it will serve any benefit other than increase the resale value some day. I cant find any hard data out there that relates proximity towards salt water, or ppm concentration in the air to corrosion rate vs. time!
Does anybody out there have any first hand experience with this? ever take apart a 20 year old wing that had nothing done to the inside of it and see everything falling apart? If doing this is the difference between my plane lasting 20 vice 10 years then i might start to look at it, if it is more like the difference between 50 and 100 years then i wont bother.
Anyone here also on the Sonex Talk yahoo page? I am very grateful for that resource as well, tons of good info over that way, but i have to ask.. what is the deal with yahoo groups? I find their layout so incredibly frustrating. The forum type organization like this site is the way to go, i don't know what yahoo was thinking whey they made them. It is impossible to search and organize posts to find what you need.. unless there is something i am missing i cant understand why every member hasn't run from there screaming and tearing their hair out, and then set up a proper forum to share ideas in. Has there been any talk about setting up a Sonex forum at all?
So i am building the Waiex, kit was deliverd last week and i am the lucky owner of Serial #142. I have started on a few little things here and there and can't wait to dive into this project with full force! This really is my life dream coming true!
