Sonex announced the successful first flight of its Highwing aircraft, which took to the skies for its maiden flight on June 30.
According to the company, its inaugural flight comes just under four years after the model was first introduced and a few weeks before EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Joe Norris, a member of the Sonex advisory board, piloted the aircraft during the flight, which was kept brief due to a passenger-side door latch issue. All engine temperatures remained in the green range, and the aircraft handled as expected, with only minor rigging adjustments needed.
The Sonex Highwing prototype meets target specs with an empty weight of 816 pounds. The standard version has a 26-foot wingspan, while a shorter-span aerobatic variant is also available. It supports multiple certification categories: In utility mode, it has a 1,500-pound gross weight and 680-pound useful load; in aerobatic mode, the limit is 1,230 pounds with no baggage, allowing for enhanced performance. The company also noted the specifications are subject to change in its July 1 update.
Sonex has announced that additional test flights will take place soon, with wheel pants and gear leg fairings installed. The company is currently accepting kit reservation deposits of $500, which are refundable minus a $50 cancellation fee.
What a vapid regurgitation of a PR blurb! Absolutely nothing added, no insights, apparently no research whatsoever such as a phone call to SONEX for specifics on the door latch issue: tongue return spring? doorframe flex? Which of the four or more engine options was used? Targeted customer base (From Door dimensions and no struts, that seems to be overweight boomers with bad knees = a big share of the sport pilot population)? even notice that gross weight kicks it out of the current LSA category and implies high confidence that (despite the selfish delaying tactics of industry lobbyists like Dan Johnson and Roy B., trying to add commercial ops, lower CFI standards, And other niche regs sought by their clientele but of little or no use to 96% of the potential LSA audience) MOSAIC will be approved for higher weights and speeds this year.
Engine was a ULPower 350, when I visited in April.
I suspect the change of administration has more to do with the delay of MOSAIC than the actions of individual lobbyists. As of the end of 2024, the framework of MOSAIC had been pretty well established.