Sonex Aircraft, the Oshkosh, Wisconsin, maker of tiny kitbuilt airplanes with unusual names to go along with their unusual looks, is expanding into the military UAV market.
Sonex says it has signed a business collaboration agreement with Navmar Applied Sciences Corp. for research, engineering and production of UAVs for Defense Department applications. The first project will be a Xenos-based UAV dubbed Teros used for extended-range, high-altitude missions and powered by the AeroVee Turbo 100 hp piston engine.
NASC currently produces the Tiger Shark and Mako II UAVs for the Defense Department.
“The Xenos motorglider is a perfect fit for UAV application,” said Sonex founder John Monnett. “The UAV mission is something we’ve been envisioning since the design of the Moni Motorglider in the 1980s, combining performance and efficiency with extremely simple and economical construction.”
Sonex will produce Teros ship sets in Oshkosh and deliver them to NASC headquarters in Warminster, Pennsylvania, for integration and operation as UAVs.
The first prototype is slated for delivery next month.
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