QUEENSLAND ULTRALIGHT ASSOCIATION MAY 2011 NEWSLETTER
Watts Bridge Memorial Airfield, Silverleaves Road via Toogoolawah, Qld
www.qua.org.au www.wattsbridge.com.au
Who needs a hangar? This plane fits in the garage. Its the
The Onex (the latest design from the Hornets Nest)
Length: 16' 5" [5.00 m] Wing Span: 20' [6.09 m] (Option for 18'9" [5.72 m]) Wing Area: 84.4 sq. ft. [7.84 sq. m] (Option for 78.0 sq. ft. [7.25 sq. m]) Tail Configuration: Conventional Tail Height (Std Gear): 53" Tail Height (Tri-Gear): 71" Tail Width--with tail tips: 77.5" Total Width w/ Wings Folded: 94" (interior width required for enclosed trailer) Main Gear Width: 62" (with wheel pants) Air Foil: 64-415 Primary Structure: 6061 aluminum Cockpit Width: 27 in. Fuel Capacity: 15 US Gal. [56.8 Liters] Stall Speed (full flaps): 45 mph [72.4 km/h] Stall Speed (clean): 50 mph [80.5 km/h] Max Flap Extended Speed (Vfe): 110 mph [177 km/h] Maneuvering Speed: 151 mph [243 km/h] Never Exceed Speed (Vne): 216 mph [349 km/h] Performance Empty Weight Power Loading (GW/HP) T.O. Distance Landing Distance Service Ceiling (calculated) Aerobatic Category Gross Weight Baggage (Max) Useful Load Positive Load Factor Negative Load Factor L/D CG Limits 80 hp 2180 AeroVee 600 lbs. [272.2 kg] 11.ft 500 ft 16,000 ft 80 hp 2180 AeroVee 950 lbs [430.9 kg] 20 lbs 350 lbs +6.0 Gs -3.0 Gs 10:1 20-32% Wing Chord
*Note: Meets FAA Sport Pilot Regulations at maximum continuous power at Sea Level, as required. Read More.
Gatton Air Park Fly-in, 29 MAY 2011 Come and inspect our unique hill top residential aviation community. Everyone is welcome. There will be a hot breakfast courtesy of the Gatton Lions Club from 0730 Sunday. Saturday night camping will be available under-wing or in hangars with shower & toilet facilities. There will be a BBQ on Saturday night and the use of a courtesy vehicle. There will also be a $200 award for the longest flight. The airfield details in the ERSA. For more information, phone Martin on 696. Fuel Line Clamps This month the newsletter looks at clamps. As far as I know, there are three basic types of fuel line clamp. Firstly, there is the nut and bolt type (see Photo 1). This is probably the most commonly used type. Its advantage is that the thread is finer than the other types and so it is easier to tighten. Also, there are two or three full rotations of the thread engaged. Another advantage is that the underside is smooth, so it does not impress the hose with screw slots. However, two disadvantages are that they sometimes do not have chamfered sides (the Tridon clamp in the photo does have a chamfered edge, however), and can therefore leave an imprinted edge line on the hose. Another disadvantage is that, when secured, the ends of the bolts stick out quite a distance and can possibly interfere or rub against other parts. One other thing to mention is that I had one of these come loose on my plane (the nut and bolt disappeared altogether). Luckily it was on the vacuum side of the pump. I didnt install it, though, so it may not have been put on so well. The second type of clamp is the scaled down radiator type. These have improved a lot lately. The best ones are all stainless with chamfered edges and smooth inner surfaces, using either an extended tang (see Photo 2) or having the thread slots raised instead of cut through. I am currently replacing my nut and bolt type with Tridon MP000s (see Photo 3). These clamps are very compact (the perfect size for inch hose. Also, they have three-way drives (slot, Philips or hex nut). At this stage, I think they are excellent, but time will tell. The third type is the screw-less crimp clamp (see Photo 4). This type of clamp requires a crimping tool to install and remove, so access is an obvious issue. Also, they have to be very carefully installed, because there is a possibility for the hose to crimp with the clamp, leaving a minute air/fuel passage to the atmosphere. Mike Smith told me that when he worked for Mercury Marine, he had no end of trouble applying these clamps successfully. Eventually, he stopped using them. I have noticed lately that marine shops have introduced a new style of wrap around screw-less clamp which bears on the hoses whole circumference. 1. Nut and bolt clamp 2. Extended tang 3. Tridon MP series 4. Screw-less crimp type

All clamps need to be installed behind the raised end of the fuel tube (ie, not over it). They should be secured reasonably tightly. Smooth, chamfered clamps like the MP000 will not cut the hose, so the limiting factor is the integrity of the clamp (and common sense a normal screwdriver used in one hand easily supplies enough torque, especially for the nut and bolt type). The newsletter is interested in the views of QUA members, particularly our LAME members in regard to fuel line clamps and their application.
Theyre at it again! (Story and photos by Mal McKenzie)
The Ratcliffe boys are at it again with a new project. Not content with building a Zenair CH701 and a CH 650 with Ian and Danny, plus doing the engine conversions of a Suzuki and Corvair, David and his brother Peter have imported a Zenair 750 STOL kit. A week since the big box was delivered and the fixed stabilizer has already been riveted together! Work continues with the assembly of the elevator. Next item for the workbench will be the assembly of the wing slats. The bulk of the airframe assembly is expected to take twelve months. Another Corvair engine conversion is to be done for the new plane as soon as the engine components arrive. The photograph at left is of David and his brother Peter working on the CH 750 elevator. Before the kit arrived, David and Peter added another four metres to their garage to accommodate the longer 750 fuselage. Now, thats dedication for you! Test flying continues with the Suzuki powered CH 701. The CH650s Corvair engine is close to having its first engine run. In fact, it may have taken place over Easter. Peter with a metal component for the elevator. Fuselage bulkheads as supplied in the kit.
Sense is starting to reign at Redcliffe. (This report from Helena Horten) Tony from the Redcliffe Aero Club is finally showing some financial commonsense. He has been listening not just to me (Helena) but also to Zane Tully, new RAA Ops Manager and ex owner of ProSky at YCAB. He has put this beautiful Tecnam online at Redcliffe aerodrome (Easter onwards). The club has bought the demonstrator and it will be delivered after Temora. It is VH registered and the club will do PPL conversions in it. However, they are planning to buy at least one RAAregistered Tecnam after that. The private hire rate will be $150/hr. There will be an introduction at the club on the Saturday after Easter (Inglewood Weekend) with free flights + BBQ. Check out their website. http://www.redcliffeaeroclub.com.au

From QUA Secretary, Mal McKenzie: Last month, I received the RAAus Financial Report for the 2010 financial year. So far RAAus has provided information as requested. The financial report does not show the current state of RAAus finances for the 2011 financial year. However, what has been provided makes interesting reading. A quick analysis shows the following: At the start of the 2010 financial year RAAus had a surplus of $ 200,151 in funds. By the end of the 2010 financial year this surplus was $64,772. If the staff leave provisions of $106,329 are taken into account, however, the RAAus has clearly spent well beyond their income for the 2010 financial year. The RAAus has been using the staff leave provisions to stay financially viable. I will be very interested in purusing the financial report for the current financial year. Clearly RAAus needs to operate within their financial budget or increase their income quickly. The planned fee increases will provide the income needed if RAAus can curb it's excessive spending habits. At this stage, though, RAAus members are having to pay extra to keep the RAAus financially viable. But it is not a time to start the blame game. All we can ask is that the RAAus Board learn the lessons of being financially responsible towards RAAus members and take appropriate action. Mal
That time of year again QUA fees are due. Still a bargain at only $50! Send your hard earned cash to Ian Ratcliffe, our venerable treasurer (so he can enjoy his next holiday). Clubhouse in hot water! Our esteemed and hard-working president, Peter Ratcliffe, reports that we now have hot water at the club house. Many thanks, Peter, and thanks also to those who are helping Peter with the work. Wanted Your Vote! Yes, it is very important that you exercise your franchise in the 2011 RAAus Board election. You have until 4pm Tuesday 31st May 2011. I believe that John McKeown is running for one more year and he has this newsletters total support. The feedback I have been receiving from the Temora RAAus meeting is all positive. Current board members have admitted to having gotten it wrong as regards the secrecy agreement pushed by the executive at a previous meeting. John McKeown was the only board member who refused to sign that spurious agreement. It was John who also took the time to bring it and other things (like the RAAus financial position) to our attention. It was John who helped me get the airworthiness notice out on the Sapphire (to the benefit of other Sapphire pilots and prospective owners). So, do yourselves and your sport a big favour and vote tomorrow. The form is on page 12 of the April Recreational Aviation magazine. Other Aviation Dates May 6-8 Birdsville, QLD, Birdsville Bronco Branding May 7 Temora, NSW, Aircraft Showcase - Forward Air Control May 7 Scone, NSW, Fly-In BBQ Lunch May 7 Wentworth, NSW, SSAC Wings Night May 14 Deniliquin, NSW, Aero Club Dinner with Major General John Cantwell May 14 Jindabyne Airfield, NSW, Seaplanes Australia Open Day May 14-15 Bankstown, NSW, Sydney Aviation Model Show May 14-15 Maryborough , QLD, Wings Warbirds and Wheels May 14-15 Archer Falls (Kilcoy), QLD, Wings of Life May 15-21 Yarrawonga, VIC, Megafauna Flyers Fly-Away May 20-30 Darwin, NT, International Comanche Society Kimberly Cruise May 21 Temora, NSW, Aircraft Showcase - Pacific Theatre May 21 Watts Bridge, QLD, All-In Fly-In May 21 Dunwich, North Stradbroke Island, QLD, Straddie Breakfast Fly-In May 21 Kyneton, VIC, Australia's Biggest Morning Tea May 21-22 Childers Airport, QLD, Wings & Wheels May 21-23 Goolwa, SA, 2011 Cardinal Fly-In

The next QUA meeting is on Monday 9th April at Archerfield at 7.30pm, followed by supper.
PRESIDENT: Peter Ratcliffe 0418159429 TREASURER: Ian Ratcliffe 0418728238 Email: SECRETARY: Mal McKenzie mmc80789@bigpond.net.au
NEWSLETTER EDITOR: Arthur Marcel Email: a.marcel@optusnet.com.au QUA Inc TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: George Perez 0423536
MINUTES OF APRIL 2nd 2011 GENERAL MEETING
MEETING OPENED APOLOGIES VISITORS MEMBERS PRESENT MINUTES OF FEBRUARY MEETING PRESIDENTS REPORT 10.37 am Arthur Marcel, Neil Bowden, Mary Clarke, Danny Fowler, Ivor Parsons Ron Dunn Sixteen. No business arising. Motion to accept minutes as correct proposed. Proposed Peter Ratcliffe Seconded David Ratcliffe Motion carried.
Thank you to Deb & Ralph for planting the trees around the clubhouse. Work continues on the clubhouse with six sheets of gyprock installed this morning. Power points and more gyprock to be installed, plus the HWS when the plumber is available. Opening Balance $ 9,566.75 Deposits $ 236.22 Withdrawals $ 152.71 Closing Balance $ 9.650.26 The Whirlybirds are to be purchased for the hangar. Some correspondence with the RAAus Board. Our request for the last board meeting minutes brought a positive response. So far our approaches to the RAAus Board have been favorable to date. More airfield mowing being done due to the continuing rain. Coal mining exploration is in progress in the Brisbane Valley. This should not affect the airfield at this stage. It is anticipated that 100 million tonnes of coal could be extracted from a proposed mine near Toogoolawah. All In Fly In at Watts Bridge on Saturday May 21 st 2011. Brisbane Valley Christian Church has offered to do the catering for the fly in. Use of Hangar # 1 for catering purposes has been withdrawn by the owner. Marquees will be used to serve drinks and food from adjacent to the QUA Clubhouse.Proposal for the caterers to use the QUA Inc Clubhouse for food preparation. Proposed Richard Faint, seconded Jim Bowling Motion carried. Motion to send a letter of request to the RAAus to provide a current financial statement. Proposed Jim Bowling, seconded Ralph Percy, Motion carried. Request that the QUA Inc Newsletter not be used for political comment. Any political discussion can sent via the QUA Inc email link and webpage. QUA Inc Watts Bridge sign engineering report to be requested again by Ian Ratcliffe. Proposal to have the sign artwork & logo done professionally. Proposed Richard Faint, Seconded Bruce Clarke , Motion carried A CAB Wasp Ultralight has been donated to the QUA by WBMA to use for display purposes. If members are interesting in restoring the Wasp, it is in the QUA hangar. A TV and DVD player for the clubhouse has been donated by Mal. Jim and Rhonda have donated a microwave oven also. Helena has donated some camping gear and an electric fry pan for members to use at the clubhouse. A request by Sandy has been made for a quote to complete the clubhouse for the next grant application. Ernies thank you plaque still needs to be purchased. The new Civil Aviation Order 95.55 for 600kg recreational aircraft should be finalized in time for release at Natfly in April 2011.

TREASURERS REPORT

SECRETARIES REPORT

WBMA REPORT

SOCIAL REPORT

GENERAL BUSINESS

NEXT QUA Inc MEETING MEETING CLOSED
Monday 9th May at the Archerfield Terminal Building at 19.30 hours. 12.10 pm.

A Red-Hot WAIEX

First customer-built version a custom craft
and blue-striped freight hauler, a Cessna Caravan I Super Cargomaster, squats in front of me on the tarmac like an overdue pregnant guppy. A stainless steel tusk extrudes from the right side of the cowling where it directs hot exhaust from the Pratt & Whitney PT6 turbine engine underneath the area I will occupy. As I climb up the folding ladder into the right seat, I cannot help but stare into the abyss of the white-walled belly of this freight-hauling beast. I recheck my wallet before I strap in, making sure I have enough cash for the sit-down meal that never materializes. I soon learn that freight dogs dont have time to eat, at least not sitting or standing still.

Bonnie Bartel-Kratz

Jim Busha

he dirty faded gray-

Early morning sun highlights the flame details in the custom paint scheme of Drew Waterworths Sonex Waiex flying near Wisconsins Lake Poygan.

OCTOBER 2006

EAA Sport Aviation

A RED-HOT WAIEX

Jim Koepnick
The Y-tails handling characteristics are identical to the proven conventional Sonex tail, according to designer John Monnett. Drew chose the Sonex throttle quadrant and its AeroConversions Trim System, (the red disc on the panel) which balances elevator controls with spring tension. The leather was custom-crafted by an Appleton, Wisconsin, automotive interior shop. The canopy hinges at the passenger side, and features a locking pin mechanism at the pilot station. A view from the Waiexs six shows the Apple Kandy Red and chameleon flame paint to complete advantage.
was invited to fly with Drew Waterworth, chief pilot of Pacc Air, to experience, as he puts it, the glamorous side of air freight flying. Our route today takes us from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to Bloomington, Illinois, where we take on a measly 500 pounds of canceled checks. Then its on to Indianapolis, Indiana, where we exchange the paper for five pallets of John Deere tractor parts. We then head northwest to Rochester, Minnesota, where we bid farewell to our full load of green tractor parts as they are reloaded onto a twinengine Metro for destination unknown. There is an annoying similarity to the now empty belly of the Caravan and my grumbling stomach as we head back to Oshkosh. This is Drews life five days a week, arriving home each night on the back side of midnight. He flies the same route to the same airports with the same cargo. The only change is 46
The dagger-pointed flames on the wings and tail section are chameleon-like as they meld a multitude of brilliant colors.
the weather. This is the career path he chooses to pursue, for the time being. But Drews passion is building airplanes. The only thing I find missing on the Caravan is a bumper sticker that reads My other plane is a Waiex. The rear interior cargo bay of the Caravan could comfortably hold Drews homebuilt, sans wings of course. When I first laid eyes on Drews Apple Kandy Red Ytail Waiex, the first customer-built example by the way, I had to resist the temptation to call 911 or reach for a nearby fire extinguisher because this baby is red hot in every sense of the word! In the air it resembles a flaming ball ripped deep from the center of the sun. The dagger-pointed flames on the wings and tail section are chameleon-like as they meld a multitude of brilliant colorsfrom bright red into green, orange, and copperwith each change in wing angle. 47

Mark Shable

Drew built the Waiex in his single-stall garage. A custom plane deserves a custom panel. Drews features a Stratomaster electronic flight information system that contains both flight and engine instruments, and an AvMap full-screen GPS.

Drew was born in southwestern Wisconsin and raised in a farming family. His interest in aviation would come much later, but his passion for building things sprouted when he was only 5 years old. My grandfather was to blame for my inquisitiveness, Drew said. I used to tear apart anything I could get my little hands on, like radios, farm equipment, and tractors, just to see what made them work. They had all run perfectly fine before I tore into them, but what did I know? I was only 5 years old, turning wrenches as my grandfather stood behind me with a devilish smile. When Drew was in the twilight of his teenage years he joined the United States Marine Corps, where he proudly served for four years. After the military, he enrolled in college and thought he wanted to be a teacher. That was until he took his first airplane ride. In 1997, after my good friend and aviation mentor Pat Purtell gave me a ride in his ultralight, I decided to buy an hour of flight time in a Cessna 150 to see if flying was something I might like to pursue, he said. I started taking flying lessons from a World War II B-17 pilot named Larry Marks. Larry seemed to be more like a frustrated fighter pilot as he racked that little Cessna around the sky with a never-ending grin on his face. Two things happened to me that day. The first one was I knew I was really hooked on flying, and the second one was I realized that someday, someone was going to pay me to fly airplanes. Drew shifted his focus and abandoned the thought of teaching children for a living. He quickly earned his commercial and flight instructor certificates and multiengine and instrument ratings. After graduation, he found a job instructing at the United States Air Force Academy, teaching primary flight to new cadets at Colorado Springs, Colorado. For the next two and a half years, Drew
taught the fledgling pilots how to keep a T-41 (what the Air Force calls its 180-hp Cessna 172s) right side up and the wheel side down. Drew said he learned a lot of valuable lessons flying in Colorado but knew he didnt want to be a career instructor. I had always enjoyed weather flying, the real hard IFR stuff, he said. I knew I didnt want to go into the airlines because I liked the singlepilot flying. I shifted gears again when I received a call from an old classmateMike Anderson (son of Vern Anderson, a longtime volunteer pilot for EAA) telling me there was a new air-freight business starting up back home in Oshkosh. The name of the company was Pacc Air, and I was hired as one of their pilots. Drew soon found himself flying an Aztec loaded with bank mail, canceled checks, and anything else that would fit in the back. Drew also found his dream job as he flew one of the worst IFR routes in the nation, taking him from Iron Mountain, Michigan, across northern Wisconsin to Minneapolis, Minnesota. This was all single-pilot, IFR night

Drew Waterworth

A happy freight dog, Drew flies a Cessna Caravan I by night, and the Waiex for play.
Monnetts custom-built AeroVee 80horsepower powerplant delivers 150 mph at 8000 feet in the Waiex.
flying through ice, snow, rain, and a combination of all three. Drew stuck with it and eventually became Pacc Airs chief pilot. In that role he flies a more southerly route in the Cessna Caravan, but he found himself longing for flying low and slow in clear weather, enjoying the scenery. When I go to work flying over multiple states at 9,000 feet from point A to point B, it becomes kind of mundane, Drew said. I wanted something that I could fly on a Saturday afternoon cruising along under 2,000 feet. There was nothing up high I wanted to see because the beauty was all below me. Drew found a Soneri for sale on the Internet and thought it looked reasonable, but when he picked up the airplane, he found it to be in
pretty sad shape. The builder had modified the two-place homebuilt into a single-place tricycle-geared freak show with a fuel tank installed in the front seat and a heavy Corvair engine mounted up front. The owner said it would fly, so out of stupidity I wanted to prove him right, Drew said. The CG was way off, and the engine was not finely tuned by any stretch of the imagination. Needless to say, I found religion on that flightI did a lot of praying! Drew trucked the airplane home to Oshkosh and wanted to show John Monnett, the Soneris designer and current Sonex Aircraft guru, his new pride and joy. Needless to say, John was not impressed. The Soneri was meant to be a light taildragger, and according to Drew, this metamorphosis of the airplane had the makings of a lead brick. Drew realized that in its current condition it was unsafe to fly.
I thought a lot about what John had said about the hybrid Soneri, Drew said. In less than four hours from the time I showed John the airplane, I took the wings, motor, fuel tank, interior, and airframe down to the tubes because I was determined to make it right, the way John had designed it in the first place. I mounted one of Monnetts Aero Vee engines. This is the first airplane I had taken apart, and it was a huge learning experience for me, added Drew. Drew had every intention of keeping the restored Soneri and had flown it only 10 hours when Monnett tantalized him with his new Waiex. He quickly found a buyer for the Soneri and ran the short distance to the Sonex complex at Oshkoshs Wittman Regional Airport with cash in hand. Drew picked up his Waiex kit on December 10, 2004, and immediately began poring over the plans and material in his single-car garage.

His typical day was spent getting up early, working three to seven hours on the Waiex, and then flying freight at night. Drew soon found that building an airplane was not as intimidating as he thought it would be. The Sonex Aircraft designs are amazing, said Drew. The airplanes themselves are simple and fast, not RV fast, but not RV expensive either. The builder support from the company is first rate. If I messed something up, I would head over to the factory and grab a new part. But first I had to listen to a small sermon from Father John whereby he would show me how to fabricate the part the correct way. This was known as the Monnett way of doing it, added Drew, tongue in cheek. Drew was determined to fly his Waiex as soon as possible. In the meantime he continued to pick the brain of its creator, John Monnett. Drew reminds me a lot of what it was like when I was a kid, building
Drew credits Bodie Colotti, owner of Dennys Autobody in Columbus, Wisconsin, and Wes Waterworth (not pictured) for the Waiexs good looks.
and flying airplanes, but without the earring, Monnett said. He is very energetic and focused, but he does not fit our demographic as far as customers go. Hes young, a professional pilot, and enjoys sport flying. But more importantly, he likes to build, and in many ways its how I feel. To me the flying is secondary, but the building is what drives Drew and I. I would like to find more customers like Drew, but unfortunately the lack of time, and money and family responsibilities take over when most wannabe builders are younger. So the majority of the guys building these airplanes are old like me. Seeing a young guy along with a well-built airplane sets a good example, especially when its the first customer-built Waiex. But Drews cus-
tom-built flaming hot rod shouldnt be a deterrent to a new builder who just wants a simple airplane to fly. Drew stuck with the Monnett philosophy of keeping it simple and light by sticking to the planswell almost. Drew wanted his Waiex to stand out from the crowd so he added one slight design change and a radical paint scheme. I was bored building one day, so I decided to spice it up a little and add a smoke system. I have about 45 seconds worth of oil smoke and trigger it with a switch on my stick. I know John likes airplanes that are loud and smoke, so I took it one step further with a paint job that would put some color back into his hair, added Drew with a smile. Drew enlisted the help of his cousin Wes Waterworth and master painter Bodie Colotti, owner of Dennys Autobody in Columbus, Wisconsin, to paint his airplane. He chose the House of Kolor brand of
paint with Apple Kandy Red as his base color and figured the painting process would take three to four days, easy. He soon learned the 95 percent finished airplane he now owned was the easy part. The remaining 10 percentknown as the detail workwas the most time-consuming. I completed building the Waiex on January 10, 2006, and had flown it 20 hours just to work the bugs out, said Drew. It was completed without paint, and after everything checked out okay, I took it apart so the painters could work their magic. He and his painting companions created vinyl outlines for the flames, which Drew thought would alleviate the tedious and time-consuming taping process. But in his attempt at perfection, he and Bodie spent more than 13 hours preventing bleeding of the paint by making sure that wherever the flame crossed over a rivet head, they diligently cut around

the rivet with a knife. The result is stunning, as the straight lines of the flames are razor sharp. Drew estimates the entire painting process took more than 100 hours to complete, all of it in six days. Bodie and Wes deserve all the credit for the Waiexs good looks, said Drew. We all put in a lot of 15- to 16-hour days, but it was well worth it. The Waiex has one coat of primer, two coats of Cider red, three coats of Apple Kandy Red, and two coats of clear over the entire airplane. The chameleon-like changing flames are what really stand out, added Drew. Although the bright red finished product stands out like a fireball with a mirror finish, the one design feature that has the most meaning to Drew is his N numberN612BW. The number represents a lasting tribute to a mother from a loving son. The N number represents my mothers birthday of June 12, and the
As if a really hot paint scheme on top of the first customer-built Waiex wasnt enough, Drew threw in a smoke system to boost the fun factor.
letters are her initials, Barbara Waterworth, said Drew. Unfortunately, while I was building the Waiex, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and passed away before I could finish the airplane. Thats why I dedicated the airplane to her. When the paint finally dried, Drew reassembled his Waiex and found the paint added only about 20 pounds to his total empty weight of 650 pounds. He installed the 80hp Aero Vee engine up front that swings a 54-inch black Sensenich propeller, for a respectable cruise of 130 miles per hour. To monitor the engine performance, Drew installed a Stratomaster screen that contains both flight and engine instruments, including dual head temps, dual exhaust gas temps, vertical speed, airspeed, altitude, fuel, and rpm. To further assist him in his navigation while he watches the countryside below, Drew installed a panelmounted full-screen AvMap GPS. 54
Drew also claims the tinted canopy gives him a much-appreciated greenhouse effect in the frigid Wisconsin winters and a somewhat shielded effect from the summer sun. So what did it cost this freight dog to build his airplane, and what does he do with it? I have about $35,000 in the airplane right now, said Drew. I pay $1,450 a year for insurance and a full-hull replacement value of $50,000 on the Waiex. Ninety percent of my flying is by myself, always under 2,000 feet chasing smoke rings in the sky. The other 10 percent of my flying is done with my wife, Sarah, who has a calming effect over me. She is the brains and beauty behind the airplane and more than once kept me focused when I was the most frustrated. She really likes to fly and show off the airplane with me, added Drew. So the next time youre out flying and you see what appears to be a flaming, smoking meteor hurtling your way, dont panic. Just smile and wave, because its probably Drew taking his wife out for dinner somewhere.

Make & Model: Sonex Waiex N-Number: N612BW Certification: Amateur-Built Experimental
Length: 17 feet 7 inches Wingspan: 22 feet Height: 72 inches Maximum Gross Weight: 1100 pounds Empty Weight: 650 pounds Fuel Capacity (gallons): 16 U.S. gallons Seats: 2
Powerplant Make & Model: AeroVee 80 hp 2180 Horsepower: 80 hp Propeller Make & Type: Sensich 54 inch FP
Cruise Speed/Fuel Consumption:
130 mph at sea level, 150 mph at 8000 feet, 5.5 gal per hour Power Loading: 13.125Positive load is +6.0 Gs, Negative load factor is3.0 Wing Loading: CG limits are 25-29% wing chord Equipped for VFR, Night VNE 197 mph VS 46 mph VSO 40 mph VX Appx. 90 mph VY Appx. 90 mph
COST $24,000 with 80 hp AeroVee engine, Value is $50,000 For more information: Sonex Aircraft P.O Box 2521 Oshkosh WI 54903-2521, 1-920-231-8297

www.SonexAircraft.com