Jan 27, 2024     Aileron tip ribs - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings

Today, I finished drilling out the holes for the tip ribs on both ailerons. Once they were deburred, I marked and drilled 2 locating holes for the left aileron tip rib, then clecoed it into place and marked the remaining holes and drilled them. After deburring the tip rib, it was clecoed into place and then riveted. Once the tip rib is installed on the right aileron, they will be ready for paint.

  Nov 23, 2023     Miscellaneous wing work - (20 hours) Category: Wings

Over the course of the last year, progress has been slow and sporadic due to recently adopted pets that get upset when I go out to the workshop. However, some of the work I was able to bring inside the house to appease them and keep the frantic barking to a minimum. Progress was as follows:

1: stripping the protective film off the control surfaces. This took the majority of the time entered; the protective wrap on the sheet aluminum had gotten very hard and brittle in the last decade plus, and took several evenings of picking tiny scraps away from the metal.

2: purchase of deburring tool. The end caps for the ailerons need to be drilled out and installed, but I couldn't find a deburring tool in the supplies I had. Tool has been procured, and first round of holes drilled.

3: finding the missing aileron counterweights. These had been put aside when I first inventoried the kit once I took possession, but they had been in a water-damaged box and were put aside to dry out. What was left of the box ended up buried under parts of another project. I was almost resigned to buying another set when I discovered them while looking for parts for that other project.


Goals for the next update: installing conduit for landing/marker lights in the wing ribs, installing hinges for the ailerons and flaps, and any remaining work necessary before installing the wing skins.

  Jul 02, 2022     Left wing root ribs - (3 hours)       Category: Wings

After finishing the innermost wing ribs, I began attaching the root ribs to their brackets. Knowing how tight clearances are in this area now, when I tackle the right wing, I will do the ribs in a different order to help minimize the riveting gymnastics. The rear root rib had not yet been finish drilled or had the gussets installed, so I drilled these out before installing the rib. Next will be installing conduit and the landing light in between rib 11 and 12, before turning the wing around again and working on the aileron and flap hinges which are thankfully drilled already.

  Jun 26, 2022     Finishing riveting left wing ribs to spar - (2.5 hours)       Category: Wings

After purchasing and modifying a wedge tool, I was able to gain the clearance I needed to pull the rivets on ribs 1-4 where there was interference with the wing walk gussets. I then continued down the spar riveting the center 2 rivets for each rib. After 2.5 hours of work, there are no more clecos holding the ribs in place, they are all riveted to the main and rear spar.

  Mar 25, 2022     Rough idea of what I'd like my paint scheme to look like       Category: Paint / Decals

After finding some line drawings online, I was able to draw up my initial ideas for the paint scheme for my Sonex. The previous builder attended the Air Force Academy, and I thought it would be fitting to deck it out in early Stearman colors. I will source some vinyl star roundels for the upper and lower wings, and likely do the same for the rudder stripes to ensure they're evenly spaced. Not sure where I'd like the N-number to go just yet, but leaning for the fin if it's legal (which I believe it is.)

  Jan 22, 2022     Attaching left wing ribs to spars - (4 hours)       Category: Wings

The first area of the project I've decided to tackle is the wings, as they take up a considerable amount of space and I'd like to get the skins on soon to avoid them getting damaged. My friend had carefully marked out each rib's location, so I was able to easily lay them out and cleco them and their gussets into place. Once everything was aligned well, I began riveting them into place, along with the rear spar. Some ribs close to the root will be left unrivited until later to make it easier to attach the root rib in the close quarters. The goal is to have both wings built and skinned to be ready for paint by summer.

  Jan 18, 2022     first log entry       Category: Introduction

On November 9, 2019, I took delivery of a partially completed Sonex project, started by a good friend of mine from high school. He started the project in June of 2005, and worked on it on and off until October of 2011, putting 810.4 hours into the build. when I took delivery, the control surfaces, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, and wing spars had been completed amongst other small items. Due to his career, at that time he packed the kit into an enclosed trailer and had it delivered to his parents' home. There were no changes to the project from that time until I took delivery of it. It remained in the trailer until I moved into a new home in January of 2020, which came with a large workshop perfect for the construction of an aircraft. Once I caught up with household projects, I was able to give the project earnest attention starting with attaching the wing ribs to the spars in September of 2021.