Monnett Sonerai
| Sonerai | |
|---|---|
| Sonerai II | |
| General information | |
| Type | Homebuilt aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Monett Aircraft |
| Designer | |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1971 |
| First flight | July 20, 1971 |
The Sonerai is a small, VW-powered homebuilt aircraft, designed by John Monnett. The Sonerai began to compete as a single-seat, mid-wing, tailwheel Formula-V racer class formed in 1972. The Sonerai soon evolved into a two-seat model called the Sonerai II.
Later versions included a low-wing Sonerai IIL, a tricycle-gear Sonerai IILT and finally the stretched Sonerai IILS and IILTS.
John Monnett came up with the name Sonerai from a combination of the words Sonic and Cosmic-Ray. Many Sonerais have been built and it remains a very popular design for people seeking a low-cost experimental aircraft with good speed and maneuverability. The airframe cost to build in 1974 was estimated at $2,500. The 2010 airframe cost is approximately $6,000 (US) and the total cost is approximately $15,000 (US) with the addition of hardware, instrumentation, engine and other required items. The time to build is between 800 and 1000 hours.