With its wings folded, the Onex resembles a mini Corsair, sure to bring out one's inner fighter pilot. Photo by Jim Koepnick

Sonex Aircraft LLC introduced its newest design, the Onex, to its builders on Sunday afternoon during the company's annual open house and homecoming fly-in. The all-metal, single-seat aircraft is designed to meet light-sport aircraft regulations when powered by the AeroVee engine, making it sport-pilot eligible.

The airplane features Corsair-style folding wings; with the wings folded, the aircraft meets standard trailer widths while fitting beneath a standard-height garage door opening, or five Onex aircraft could be stored in a single T-hangar.

The Onex has an aluminum spring gear and is available as either a taildragger or tri-gear. Hard points are built into the airframe to accommodate either gear choice. The airplane carries 14 gallons of fuel, offering a range of 400 to 500 miles at an anticipated fuel burn of 3.5 gph.

The Onex cockpit is 25 inches wide, and AirVenture attendees will be able to try the cockpit on for size at the Sonex booth in the North Aircraft Display area, where the aircraft's unique wing-fold mechanism will be demonstrated as well. Like the rest of the Sonex line, the Onex is fully aerobatic, allowing owners to fly in Sportsman class aerobatic competitions.

Sonex General Manager Jeremy Monnett said the company expects to begin flight testing immediately after AirVenture and won't accept orders until initial flight testing is completed. Monnett estimates airframe kit cost to be in the $10,000 range. "With another $7,000 for an engine and with reasonable instrumentation, we're anticipating builders can complete an airplane with about $20,000 to $22,000 invested."

To learn more about the Onex or its AeroVee engine, visit www.SonexAircraft.com or www.AeroConversions.com. A short video demonstrating the wing-folding technique can be found at www.AirVenture.org.