Sonex Aircraft SubSonex

Last updated

SubSonex
SubSonexsmoke.jpg
SubSonex JSX-1
Role Homebuilt aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Sonex Aircraft
DesignerJohn Monnett
First flight10 August 2011
Introduction2015
StatusIn production (2022)
ProducedFall 2014-present
Number built17 (January 2022)

The SubSonex is an experimental, single-seat, amateur-built jet aircraft from Sonex Aircraft's "Hornet's Nest" development division.

Contents

Design and development

SubSonex JSX-1 demonstration flight SonexJSX-1.jpg
SubSonex JSX-1 demonstration flight
JSX-1 prototype Sub Sonex JSX-1.jpg
JSX-1 prototype

The JSX-1 is a single place, single engine jet aircraft similar in design to an Onex, with a Waiex style Y tail, fixed main landing gear and a retractable nosewheel. Introduced at AirVenture 2009, it is powered by a Czech-built PBS TJ100 turbojet engine mounted above the aft fuselage, with the exhaust exiting between the Y-tail. It achieved first engine test runs in December 2009. The engine produces 1100 N (240 lb) of thrust. Originally developed with only a central mono pod wheel, tail wheel and small wing tip outriggers, the prototype exhibited directional controllability problems during taxi tests.[ citation needed ] It was flight tested by jet-sailplane performer Bob Carlton in August 2011. [1] [2]

The production model of the SubSonex is the JSX-2. The landing gear was changed to a fully retractable, pneumatically-operated tricycle configuration. [3] [4] [5] [6]

At AirVenture 2013 the company began taking US$10,000 deposits on production kits. The kit's projected price was US$125,000 in 2013 and US$135,000 in 2014. [2] [7]

The first JSX-2 kit was shipped to a customer in February 2015, [8] [9] and completed and flown in October 2015. [10]

Operational history

By January 2022, 17 examples had been registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration. [11] [12]

In August 2024, two JSX-2s were used by the Michigan Air National Guard as "cruise missile threat replication aircraft" and drones during Exercise Northern Strike. The JSX-2s are supplied by KestrelX. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

Variants

JSX-1
Prototype version.
SubSonex JSX-2 SubSonex JSX2.jpg
SubSonex JSX-2
SubSonex JSX-2 SubSonex JSX-2.jpg
SubSonex JSX-2
JSX-2
Second version with a BRS parachute, wider fuselage, more streamlined nose, and fully retractable undercarriage. [18] Bob Carlton performed the first test flight with the prototype JSX-2 on 10 July 2014 from Wittman Field. [19] Entered production as an amateur-built kit in the fall of 2014. [20] [21]
JSX-2T
Two-seats in side-by-side configuration version announced in July 2019. It will use the same PBS TJ-100 turbojet engine with the PBS TJ-150 as an option. The design is projected to offer a cruise speed of over 174 kn (322 km/h) and an estimated useful load of 970 lb (440 kg). [22] The aircraft was expected to be first publicly displayed at Airventure in July 2020, but the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [23] [24]
NASC Tracer
Twin-jet UAV model for military and civil applications, designed by Sonex and the Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation (NASC) [25]
NASC Tracer THE-NASC-TRACER.jpg
NASC Tracer

Specifications (JSX-2)

Data from Sonex Aircraft [26] and AINonline [21]

General characteristics

Performance

Avionics

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

Related Research Articles

Sonex Aircraft, LLC is an American kit aircraft manufacturer located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, producing kits for four all-metal homebuilt monoplanes. The company was founded in 1998 by John Monnett, who has designed the Monnett Sonerai sport aircraft series, Monnett Monerai sailplane, Monnett Moni motorglider, and Monnett Monex racer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myasishchev M-50</span> Soviet prototype supersonic strategic bomber

The Myasishchev M-50 is a Soviet prototype four-jet engine supersonic strategic bomber which never attained service. Only one flightworthy prototype was built, which was first flown in October 1959. The M-50 was constructed by the Myasishchev design bureau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bede BD-5</span> Type of aircraft

The Bede BD-5 Micro is a series of small, single-seat homebuilt aircraft created in the late 1960s by US aircraft designer Jim Bede and introduced to the market primarily in kit form by the now-defunct Bede Aircraft Corporation in the early 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cirrus VK-30</span> Single-engine pusher-propeller homebuilt aircraft

The Cirrus VK-30 is a single-engine pusher-propeller homebuilt aircraft originally sold as a kit by Cirrus Design, and was the company's first model, introduced in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonex Aircraft Sonex</span> Type of aircraft

The Onex, Sonex, Waiex and Xenos are a family of lightweight, metal, low-wing, two seat homebuilt aircraft. Kits are produced and marketed by Sonex Aircraft, a small manufacturer based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. By 2014, 500 customer built aircraft had been completed. The Sonex can also be built from plans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancair Legacy</span> American homebuilt aircraft

The Lancair Legacy, a modernized version of the Lancair 320, is a low-wing two-place retractable-gear composite monoplane manufactured by the American company Lancair. It is available as a kit that cost US$71,500 in 2011. There is also a fixed-gear version, the Legacy FG. The retractable version of the Legacy cruises at 276 mph at 8,000 ft and the fixed gear version cruises at 215 mph.

Microjet may refer to:

The Viper Aircraft ViperJet is a small homebuilt jet aircraft by Viper Aircraft Corporation. It is a conventional, low-wing monoplane with swept wings and tail and two seats in tandem under a bubble canopy. The jet intakes are located at the sides of the fuselage and the tricycle undercarriage is retractable. Construction throughout is of composite materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radioplane Q-1</span> Type of aircraft

The Radioplane Q-1 was an American target drone, developed in the early 1950s for the United States Air Force by the Radioplane Company. Originally powered by a pulsejet engine, then later developed as an improved turbojet-powered aircraft, the Q-1 failed to win the favor of the USAF. However, the aircraft provided the basis of the GAM-67 Crossbow anti-radar missile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonex Aircraft Onex</span> American kit-built airplane

The Onex is an American single-seat, low-wing aircraft first flown on 27 January 2011 and currently being produced by Sonex Aircraft as a kit for amateur construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guizhou WZ-7 Soaring Dragon</span> Type of aircraft

The Guizhou WZ-7 Soaring Dragon is a high-altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from the People's Republic of China. The aircraft features a unique joined-wing design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samson Switchblade</span> American roadable aircraft

The Samson Switchblade is an American amateur-built roadable aircraft, under development by Samson Motorworks of Meadow Vista, California. It was publicly introduced at AirVenture in 2009 in mock-up form. The aircraft is intended to be supplied as a kit for amateur construction initially and possibly as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft in the future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Textron AirLand Scorpion</span> American military jet aircraft

The Textron AirLand Scorpion is a jet aircraft manufactured in the United States proposed for sale to perform light attack and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) duties. It is being developed by Textron AirLand, a joint venture between Textron and AirLand Enterprises. A prototype was secretly constructed by Cessna at their Wichita, Kansas facility between April 2012 and September 2013 and first flown on 12 December 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epic E1000</span> Single-engine turboprop developed by Epic Aircraft

The Epic E1000 is an American single-engine, six-seat, turboprop light aircraft developed by Epic Aircraft of Bend, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Nalls</span>

Arthur L. Nalls, Jr. is a retired United States Marine Corps officer, test pilot, and entrepreneur who owns and operates a unique air show business consisting of two Harrier jump jets as well as an L-39 Albatross. A former Guinness World Record holder for the World's Smallest Rideable Bicycle (1974), Nalls is notable for his contributions to the air show profession pioneering, restoring and flying uncommon aircraft. Nalls flew Harriers extensively in the military and developed a great enthusiasm for this jet capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) operations. Supported by a group of pilots and maintainers, Nalls performs at air shows in the northeast United States and Canada.

The Stratos 714 is an American very light jet aircraft under development by Stratos Aircraft of Redmond, Oregon. The project was announced in July 2008, a prototype first flew on 21 November 2016, although Stratos currently lacks the funding to complete type certification. Predominantly made of carbon composite, the single turbofan aircraft would seat four to six at 400 kn (740 km/h) over up to 1,500 nmi (2,800 km).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chengdu WZ-10</span> Unmanned aerial vehicle

The Wing Loong-10 is a series of unmanned aerial vehicles of the High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) type, featuring some stealth characteristics. As of 2017, it is being developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group for reconnaissance and precision strike missions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murphy Yukon</span> Canadian homebuilt light aircraft

The Murphy Yukon is a Canadian amateur-built aircraft, produced by Murphy Aircraft of Chilliwack, British Columbia, introduced at the AirVenture show in 2007. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayraktar Kızılelma</span> Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicle

The Bayraktar Kızılelma is a single-engine, low-observable, carrier-capable, jet-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), currently in development by Turkish defense company Baykar. The aircraft is being developed as part of Project MIUS. The initial Bayraktar Kızılelma (Kızılelma-A) is subsonic. Planned variants are intended to be supersonic, the latter having a twin-engined configuration. It is one of the two Turkish jet-powered stealth UCAV along with TAI Anka-3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PBS TJ100</span> Czech jet engine

The PBS TJ100 is a Czech turbojet engine produced by PBS Velká Bíteš. The TJ100 engine entered service in 2003, and is the most popular of PBS's turbojet engines as more than 1,000 engines have been sold to 40 countries worldwide. The engine has been developed for unmanned aerial vehicles, including target drones, remote carriers, unmanned combat aerial systems, light experimental jet aircraft, and light sport aircraft.

References

  1. Whitfield, Bethany (August 16, 2011). "SubSonex Jet Completes Maiden Flight". Flying. Archived from the original on August 18, 2011.
  2. 1 2 Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 126. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN   1368-485X
  3. Grady, Mary (December 30, 2009). "First Flight Expected Soon For Jet-Powered Sonex". AVweb. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
  4. Grady, Mary (June 7, 2010). "Jet-Powered Glider Completes Test Flights". AVweb. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  5. "SubSonex Jet Prototype Ready to Resume Testing" (Press release). Oshkosh, WI: Sonex Aircraft. July 22, 2010. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  6. Sonex Aircraft (2014). "SubSonex Update: FAA NKET Checklist Posted, SubSonex Gets New Gear and New Test Flight Video Footage is Available!". campaign-archive.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  7. Pew, Glenn. "Sonex Accepts Deposits For Personal Jet - AVweb flash Article". Avweb.com. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  8. Kauh, Elaine (February 18, 2015). "Sonex Begins Microjet Kit Deliveries". AVweb. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  9. "Sonex Aircraft Delivers First Subsonex Kit". Sport Aviation: 14. August 2015.
  10. Pope, Stephen. "First Customer-Built SubSonex Jet Flies". Flying . Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  11. Federal Aviation Administration (January 8, 2022). "JSX-2 Make / Model Inquiry Results" . Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  12. Federal Aviation Administration (January 8, 2022). "Subsonex Make / Model Inquiry Results" . Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  13. "KestrelX UAV and Cruise Missile Threat Replication Aircraft | SBIR.gov". legacy.www.sbir.gov. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  14. Stover, Andrew (August 11, 2024). "U.S. Air Force Uses Contracted JSX-2 SubSonex Microjets to Simulate Cruise Missiles in Exercise Northern Strike 24". The Aviationist. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  15. Leone, Dario. "Contracted Subsonex JSX-2 microjets used by USAF to simulate cruise missiles in Exercise Northern Strike 24". The Aviation Geek Club. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  16. Trevithick, Joseph (August 14, 2024). "F-16s Team With JSX-2 Microjets To Replicate Complex Cruise Missile And Drone Attacks". The War Zone. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  17. Trevithick, Joseph (August 9, 2024). "Tiny Jets Masquerading As Cruise Missiles Featured In Michigan Airpower Exercise". The War Zone. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  18. "SubSonex Progress Update: October 7, 2011". Archived from the original on June 21, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  19. Grady, Mary (July 14, 2014). "Sonex Flies Single-Seat Jet". AVweb. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  20. Sport Aviation: 14. April 2014.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. 1 2 Thurber, Matt (September 1, 2014). "AirVenture Report: 2014". AINonline. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  22. O'Connor, Kate (July 11, 2019). "Sonex To Offer Two-Place Jet Kit". AVweb. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  23. Cook, Marc (January 15, 2020). "Two-Seat SubSonex Set to Debut at AirVenture 202". AVweb. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  24. Prinsen, Jake. "EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2020 canceled due to coronavirus pandemic". Northwestern Media. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  25. Phelps, Mark (April 26, 2022). "SubSonex-Based Unmanned Twin-Jet Revealed As Low-Cost Military UAV". AVweb. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  26. "SubSonex Brochure" (PDF). Sonex Aircraft. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 17, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.