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Does anyone think it would be possible to construct the fuselage out of aluminum? I just like working with aluminum rather than welding and fabric.

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jack264

Active Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2020
Messages
32
Does anyone know if it would be feasible to construct the fuselage out of aluminum? I just like working with aluminum rather than dealing with the welding and fabric. Any thoughts would be appreciated
 
Does anyone know if it would be feasible to construct the fuselage out of aluminum? I just like working with aluminum rather than dealing with the welding and fabric. Any thoughts would be appreciated
Well, then you would be essentially building an airplane from scratch and it wouldn’t be a Sonerai any longer. If you’re enthused about aluminum construction,
why not build a Sonex?
 
I had the same question some time back as the Mountain Bike I have is made of aluminum and withstands a lot of abuse. The twisting forces on the frame are probably larger on an aircraft given the length. I thought that it would be a nice weight saving option to switch to aluminum. Ultimately, I think this is why they call it an experimental aircraft.
 
Well, then you would be essentially building an airplane from scratch and it wouldn’t be a Sonerai any longer. If you’re enthused about aluminum construction,
why not build a Sonex?
No, it wouldn't be a Sonerai , but it would look like a Sonerai, which is visually pleasing and not hideous like a Sonex.😅
It would be no more difficult than building the wings, but I don't know if it would be any lighter.
Which one is easier would depend on your skillset and your tooling.
 
Hey guys, thanks for the input...all good thoughts. As for the choice between the Soneri and Sonex, I really that I just like the Soneri look better. Really, the only reason that for wanting to use aluminum and rivet construction is that I just like working with the aluminum rather than welding tube and working with fabric.
 
There has been a discussion about equivalent tubes over on the Homebuilt Airplanes forum. The conservative approach to find equivalent tubes is to take the diameter, length, and wall thickness of EACH tube on the Sonerai and find an aluminum tube with at least as much resistance to bending AND fixed end buckling. Their are spreadsheets and formulas online that can help. Designing some of the details like landing gear, spar, and tail wheel attachments would take other considerations, but overbuilding everything MIGHT work.
 
I think the reason why the sonex look so pug-like is the cowling. If you did your own cowl design, you COULD help out the looks. But, it looks that way due to how wide the fuselage is and keeping the front simple and clean.

I was considering scratch building an A-model, but the spars are proprietary and cost what I could build a Sonerai fueslage for.
 
I believe Jim Bede used aluminum angle for the BD 4 and bolted it together. But just for the record, I don't think it's a good idea for the Sonerai.
 
Great thoughts guys, that's what I'm fishing for....To respond to carmarepair, I should have been a little more specific. I was thinking of building it using monocoque construction, using aluminum bulkheads instead of a framework, where the aluminum skin carries the load, similar to a Hummel bird construction which I have built
 
Build a Panther, similar looks but all aluminum.
The Panther has a steel tube sub-frame that run from the firewall to behind the cockpit. As far as I'm aware you also can't buy plans and scratch build a Panther, which is one of the big reasons I'm building a modified Sonerai. I'm an aircraft sheetmetal worker by trade, and I did consider making a semi-monocoque aluminium fuselage, but decided it would probably end up heavier than I would like. Not being an engineer, I would probably way over-engineer it.
I think that it it very achievable though. I just didn't want the extra effort.
 
Building a Sonerai with an aluminum airframe and tail feathers (?) would be a new design, would involve different weights, material strengths and sizes, torque vectors, vibration characteristics, and changes to the weight and balance. There is a purpose to the Sonex fuselage shape. It is a "lifting body", an airfoil shape that adds to lift and decreases drag.
 
There is a purpose to the Sonex fuselage shape. It is a "lifting body", an airfoil shape that adds to lift and decreases drag.
Yes, it's efficient...But it' really ugly.
Also, yes all those other bits about new design are understood.
 
Hey thanks to all of the replies, you guys are great, and by the way talked me out of attempting it. Wish I could find an all aluminum scratch built with the folding wings like the Soneri , (and looks)
 
Building a Sonerai with an aluminum airframe and tail feathers (?) would be a new design, would involve different weights, material strengths and sizes, torque vectors, vibration characteristics, and changes to the weight and balance. There is a purpose to the Sonex fuselage shape. It is a "lifting body", an airfoil shape that adds to lift and decreases drag.
 
Hey Spankyscub, I'll check out the Panther, but I bet it doesn't have that neat folding wing like the Soneri
 
Hey Spankyscub, I'll check out the Panther, but I bet it doesn't have that neat folding wing like the Soneri
Wings fold.
I was waiting for them to release the cougar their 2 place that they were supposedly getting close to production. Couldn't wait any longer so going S2.

I might, one day, build a panther.
 
Checked out the Panther, fuselage is tube and fabric. The option in the specs are to use solid rivets instead of the pull rivets on the wings
 
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