Fastest VOLKSWAGEN Sonerai 2

[jeff naul]

Just for a fun discussion, who has the fastest VOLKSWAGEN powered Sonerai 2?

 

[Elviar]

No direct information, but from what I've read, Chad Stenson's flywheel drive version would be a contender. As I recall, 155 mph at cruise.

 

[Aviacs]

I believe Gaston claimed 160 - 165 mph, but there is a very clean Aussie bird that far exceeds that, IIRC?
Or is that one a Rotax?

smt

 

[Chopndrag]

I was seeing 150mph before some top secret work. See what it gets Hopefully soon

 

[Bil4381]

So... You've installed twin GMC diesel turbos and hope for 200 hp before the engine breaks.
Bill

 

[Jet Jockey]

170knots

 

[Jet Jockey]

Partial maintenance records show that Robin Austin once owned my aircraft and people reported it achieving speeds of 150knots. Formerly registered VH-JSV and then put on the RAAUS register.

Robin went on to develop the Sonerai Special.

Below is my Sonerai ii L being trucked over 5400km from KARRATHA to Brisbane Australia

 

[phzabriskie]

Hands down Schmleff has the fastest VW Sonerai. I am pretty sure he clocked 200 mph in one of the recent Airventure Cup races.

 

[phzabriskie]

Partial maintenance records show that Robin Austin once owned my aircraft and people reported it achieving speeds of 150knots. Formerly registered VH-JSV and then put on the RAAUS register.

Robin went on to develop the Sonerai Special.

Below is my Sonerai ii L being trucked over 5400km from KARRATHA to Brisbane Australia

Robin is a Rotax flyer I am pretty sure.

 

[phzabriskie]

I believe Gaston claimed 160 - 165 mph, but there is a very clean Aussie bird that far exceeds that, IIRC?
Or is that one a Rotax?

smt

I am also pretty sure Gaston never got close to these numbers. Humm...he might have. But I don't think he flew this as standard practice.

 

[phzabriskie]

OK my bad you asked for a Sonerai 2 not a Sonerai 1. But hey. It's a Sonerai.

 

[Chopndrag]

So... You've installed twin GMC diesel turbos and hope for 200 hp before the engine breaks.
Bill

Haha nope just cleaned it up plane lost some weight. Had 180mph indicated on a pass over my house but average cruise is about 150mph now. Just made a trim tab and am working on losing more weight and adding ram air

 

[jeff naul]

180 is impressive! I have force one hub now so the cowling has to have work. Contemplating building exhaust in the cowling. Curious if it's worth it if anyone has any feedback.

 

[jeff naul]

Guess I should have worded the thread. Who's the fastest and what have you done! Lol.

 

[kennyw]

I ran 4SP WOT at 1,200'msl for a few miles one windless afternoon. I showed 140mph indicated, groundspeed readout confirmed this. I backed off on the throttle when CHT and oil temps started to climb.

 

[Pops]

Yep, limiting factor in the VW engine is the CHT's. Wish someone would make a better cooled head.

 

[johnbouyea1]

WOT straight and level should be the measured standard speed. A brick is pretty fast going straight down. My KR certainly dives faster than I can see straight and level...

 

[jeff naul]

Yep, limiting factor in the VW engine is the CHT's. Wish someone would make a better cooled head.

A few years ago my i fought cooling on my Subaru e81 zodiac. Doing a little panel work I Installed a oil temp guage. Holy s@&% 280 and it never looked back. To my surprise some cowling work and plenum around the oil pan the oil temps now are 180.. then I had to add a thermostat to get the engine to 160! So the whole time oil temp was my problem. Now that I'm putting the sonerai back in the air my focus is going to be on over cooling the oil to help cool the entire engine. Hope it helps lol

 

[Val_895]

In the spirit of the idea of speed has anyone besides the vw motor made any changes that made a substantial speed change? For example short pipes versus in cowl. Etc etc
The VW is so limited by its low rpm direct drive requirements. If we could spin the motor up to 5k we would start seeing some real numbers.
Anyone running a redrive?
I will run the 2276 that hanging on the front now but am not expecting miracles. Hopefully 150mph at cruz this summer when done with some changes I’ve started.
Also has anyone ever run clipped wings on the IiLS? Seems like another way to get up some speed

 

[mx5tc]

Rex Taylor of HAPI used to sell a tuned VW exhaust for the KR-2 that was a big improvement over straight pipes. The standard Sonerai cowl is tightly fitted to the engine with only room for straight down pipes. A properly sized long tube 4 into 1 system would increase efficiency, horsepower and low to mid range torque. Take a look at the Vetterman exhaust site and look at the torque/hp graphs on their small tube vs. standard tube exhaust systems for 4 cylinder Lycomings. Without testing, it's uncertain if a 4-1 sytem coming straight out the stock cowl and hanging in the breeze is better than a larger custom cowl with an enclosed and elaborately bent/welded 4-1 system.

Running a clipped wing Sonerai sounds like a death wish to me unless you engineer a flaperon system to keep the stall speed close to stock. A set of Hoerner style wing tips will increase the effective span of the stock wing and also improve speed. The better solution would be to copy what Vans did with the RV-9 and use a long tapered Roncz airfoil/wing to replace the stock stubby constant chord Sonerai wing.