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By Fareed Guyot, Manager - Electronic Publications, EAA 388642
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| Version 3.0 of the electric motor. Version 4.0 is currently being assembled. |
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| The conventional gear version of the Onex. Photos courtesy: Sonex Aircraft |
Editor's Note: The $60,000 Electric Flight Prize has been postponed until EAA AirVenture 2012.
Sonex's Hornets' Nest R&D section is finalizing the control systems for a new electric motor it will be using on its proof-of-concept electric-powered Waiex aircraft. The new motor, which is still being assembled, is the fourth iteration of the design and will have about the same power output than the previous motor and system but will have much more sophisticated control systems, according to Sonex founder and project leader John Monnett. The electric-powered Waiex will be competing in EAA's $60,000 Electric Flight Prize during AirVenture and while it's not a key test, Monnett said it (the contest) will help them meet some more of their program goals.
Slow and steady is the mantra in the Hornets' Nest as several projects are competing for the staff's attention. Finalizing the single-place, folding-wing conventional and tri-gear models of the Onex has been Sonex's main focus this month but two other high-profile projects soon may be moving forward. After a brief flight test last year, the SubSonex may take to the air soon, as well as continued flight tests for the Electric Waiex, which flew for the first time last December.
The unpredictable spring weather in Wisconsin has limited flight testing for many of the projects, but Monnett said that will change with the weather. Like with most of the Hornets' Nest projects Monnett said they will "continue to work on them and improve on systems as time and resources allow."
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