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The Wag-A-Bond Flies!

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soneraifred

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2006
Messages
1,099
Location
Franksville, WI USA
OK, I know it's not a Sonerai, but I flew my Wag-A-Bond for the first time yesterday, and it flew great! I started it in 1998 when I got conned into helping built a Wag-A-Bond fuselage fixture for Wag-Aero. I sold the project in 2013, and bought it back in 2017, and then finished it. It is mostly scratch-built (I used Piper tail surfaces, ailerons, and engine mount). It has a 125 HP Lycoming O-290-G/D that I built up from a box of parts, with a Sensenich W74FM47 wood prop. She's covered with Poly-Fiber products, with Polytone on the fabric, and Aerothane on the metal and fiberglass. The first half hour was a blast, now I 39-1/2 more hours of flight testing to do. Here's a few photos:
 

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Congrats! I recall you mentioning that in the sonerai webinar. Glad to see it done
 
Outstanding, Fred! Congratulations on a sharp looking airplane. Now you'll have to decide which one to fly when you go to the airport.

Ed
 
Nice looking, clean machine! Congrats! I'd like to see your specs with that engine when it's all set and done.
 
OK, I know it's not a Sonerai, but I flew my Wag-A-Bond for the first time yesterday, and it flew great! I started it in 1998 when I got conned into helping built a Wag-A-Bond fuselage fixture for Wag-Aero. I sold the project in 2013, and bought it back in 2017, and then finished it. It is mostly scratch-built (I used Piper tail surfaces, ailerons, and engine mount). It has a 125 HP Lycoming O-290-G/D that I built up from a box of parts, with a Sensenich W74FM47 wood prop. She's covered with Poly-Fiber products, with Polytone on the fabric, and Aerothane on the metal and fiberglass. The first half hour was a blast, now I 39-1/2 more hours of flight testing to do. Here's a few photos:
I know it is a really old post, but figured I would comment anyway. Both airplanes look fantastic.
 
Thanks everyone for the kind words. I now have 152 hours on the Wag-A-Bond, and she’s become my number one airplane. She cruises at 103 mph IAS at 2350 rpm/20.5” mp. Fuel burn is about 7 at that setting. (She’ll go faster if I want to burn more gas.) Rate of climb is around 1000 fpm at 65 mph IAS. Power-off stall is at 32 mph IAS, but I know the airspeed is not very accurate at high AOA. Actual stall is probably closer to 45 mph. Needless to say, the take-off and landing distances are pretty short. The Sonerai is now semi-retired, and I’m trying to decide whether to sell it, or part it out, or just keep it as is. Keep at it you guys, there’s nothing more satisfying than flying the airplane that you built.
 
OK, I know it's not a Sonerai, but I flew my Wag-A-Bond for the first time yesterday, and it flew great! I started it in 1998 when I got conned into helping built a Wag-A-Bond fuselage fixture for Wag-Aero. I sold the project in 2013, and bought it back in 2017, and then finished it. It is mostly scratch-built (I used Piper tail surfaces, ailerons, and engine mount). It has a 125 HP Lycoming O-290-G/D that I built up from a box of parts, with a Sensenich W74FM47 wood prop. She's covered with Poly-Fiber products, with Polytone on the fabric, and Aerothane on the metal and fiberglass. The first half hour was a blast, now I 39-1/2 more hours of flight testing to do. Here's a few photos:
Outstanding! Congrats! Beautiful job! Nice pair of birds you have!
 
Fred, you're tempting me to dig out my old Wag Aero plans and start ordering tubing......but I don't want to get distracted from my Sonerai project. Still, it's fun to think about owning a bird like that!
 
Beautiful!

Given that after all these years you now have some ambivalence about the S machine, are you willing to do a short, personal pros/cons comparison about why the Wagabond is currently preferred? I'm sort of guessing more room and "safer?" engine. But it would be interesting to hear an analysis from a person who has been the Sonerai Guru for so long.

Thanks!
smt
 
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