Jeff Schultz from Dixon, Missouri (dark shirt), who has made a career and a web-presence out of building Sonex aircraft, helps members of the build team get started. [Photo: Meg Godlewski]
Key Takeaways:
At AirVenture, Sonex Aircraft is undertaking the "One Week Wonder" project, building a Waiex-B aircraft with volunteers to demonstrate that anyone can build a plane.
The Waiex-B is a metal aircraft kit featuring a more spacious cockpit, electric flaps, increased fuel capacity, and is the first to utilize a factory-designed Rotax 912 iS powerplant installation.
The project encourages public participation, allowing visitors to watch the build, vote on paint schemes, and try riveting, exemplifying the EAA's core mission.
The Experimental Aircraft Association was founded on the idea that anyone can build an airplane, and this week, the folks at Sonex Aircraft are proving it as the One Week Wonder returns to AirVenture.
As the show opened on Monday, so did the crates of components for the Sonex Waiex-B, which is being built by a small army of red-shirt-clad volunteers.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
