Sonex Aircraft has announced that it is now offering plans and parts for Sonerai I, Sonerai II and Sonerai IIS aircraft. The Sonerai was designed by Sonex founder John Monnett for competition in Formula Vee air racing. The single-seat Sonerai I was introduced at the 1971 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) fly-in convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and flew for the first time the same year. The two-seat Sonerai II came onto the scene in 1973 followed by tricycle geared, stretched and low-wing variants.
“Available since 1972, thousands of Sonerai aircraft have been built over the past 40+ years,” said Sonex. “Supported most-recently by Fred Keip, Sonerai Newsletter editor for many years, John Monnett and Sonex Aircraft, LLC are now selling and supporting Sonerai aircraft directly as a plans-build only aircraft project.”
Featuring a folded-wing design, the Sonerai I cruises at 150-170 MPH depending on engine choice, has a range of 325 miles and useful load of 260 pounds. Sonex is offering Sonerai plans for $145. According to the company, build costs are estimated at around $21,340.
