Racegunz's Sonerai 1

[JuergenA]

Hi
yes, it have the wing mods.
the original builder Jim Hardy had build it light and I had made all changes in his and John Monnetts thinking: build it simple and light.
For all things you want to install, question to yourself: do I need it really? is there a option to build it lighter?
The engine is 2180cc with NiKi cylinders from Greatplains, no electrics, no folding wings.
Some details, you can find inside my picture gallery.
with best regards
juergen

 

[racegunz]

More work done top of left wing riveted complete, and drilled put in grommets for remote compass and pitot lines.

 

[racegunz]

Progress, remote compass mounted, wires identified, ran, left wing fold was a little more challenging than the right, (retro fitting the wing fold is a job that's for sure. I had to tweal the hangar a bit (1/8") or the tube would bind up pretty good, after that adjustment it works really nice. The fold will be necessary for me since I probably can't afford two hangars! Now I'll switch gears back to the fuselage and complete the rear carrythrough brackets (they will be re-done because of the incidence change) and fab up the torque tube and control parts. The wing riveting will now wait until the wife is game to be the bucking bar girl squashed under the bottom skins !

 

[Raceair]

Lookin' good!!…I remember the first time the wings went on mine, It was cause for a party…Ed

 

[racegunz]

Made some various small parts for the controls

 

[Raceair]

Nice parts….That's where the hours get buried. I remember with my Mong, working a whole day on a Saturday, and I could hold all the fittings I made in one hand…Looks Good!!!…Ed

 

[Pttim]

Pieces make parts, and parts make airplanes! Keep up the pace!

 

[racegunz]

Well since I have a lathe 18.00 a peice is just too much for less than a couple hours of machinery handbook and cutting stock set-up and turning these out.

 

[racegunz]

These were the most challenging parts for me, cutting a donut or in my case 4 because I welded two of the same side Was just difficult and I could not be satisfied with something less than a fine finished edge and a nearly perfect circle! Usually I'm not that picky but the first round of these were just not good lookin enough. Also some of my best tig work with the thin walled tubing parts.

 

[Raceair]

Nice Work….Looks good, I just got done making mine as well….Ed

 

[racegunz]

Just curious Ed how do you cut yours out?

 

[Raceair]

I used a fine toothed scroll saw that the neighbor has, on the inside radius, and a band saw on the outside radius. the belt sander, at the roller, smoothed it out….

 

[racegunz]

Figured as much, with all the tools I have a bandsaw is not one of them, although it is on my short list of things to acquire. The other is a new pair of glasses for this up-close welding I'm doing.

 

[racegunz]

So Sonerai 1 builders I am making the elevator push-pull tube and noticed the plans are saying 94 inches? In the neutral position I am measuring 86.5 hole to hole that's quite a bit shorter, have you all found the same? If you add up the measurements from station 4-stabilizer spar tube, it is real close to what I measured, so where did the 94" come from?

 

[Raceair]

The 94" measurement is bogus….must be a drafting error…I just measured the one on Beetlebomb and it is about 86 3/8"….Small variances can occur when the control column is set in the pillow blocks….You are right in the ballpark….Ed

 

[soneraifred]

Thanks for the "heads up". I'll get the plans corrected for future builder's. On our airplanes, I always come back to the old adage: "Cut to fit, weld to suit, and paint to match".

 

[racegunz]

Thanks guys, it was far enough off I figured either it was a bogus number or I had something very wrong

 

[racegunz]

Well I ran across a good deal on a pair of MC-1 matco master cyl. on barnstormers for less than the price of one new one. look to be in good shape, I already have a set of brakes and discs from some European kit plane that I will be converting to use on the sonerai, always good to have patience. ;D

 

[racegunz]

Hard to believe it was 2 years plus since I really worked on this project. with two job changes etc. etc. and I am now back at it. I just finished installing the aileron and wing tip to the left wing and will be starting on the right tomorrow. I could not drive rivets in the bottom skins no matter what I tried, I just could not do so by myself with quality results! So blind rivets it was.

 

[Raceair]

Good to hear from you, and glad you are back working on the airplane.....