Mid Wing Entry

[jackcupp]

Hi,

I hope to buy a Sonerai in the not too distance future. I sold my Midwing project welded fuselage I did, lot of work, not up to that again. I used to have a cassutt, I'm short, 130 pounds, I used to sit
on the rear spar facing the tail, holding the side rail and lifting my legs
up and over the turtle deck and into the seat. Could that be done with a Sonerai 1 or 2? I've never seen one in person. Talking MidWing.

[soneraifred]

Hi Jack:
That might work (I'll let the Sonerai I guys verify). On the Sonerai II mid wing plans, there is a step that mounts just in front of the landing gear on the LH side. You step up on the step, then step into the front seat, then step into the back seat, turn around and sit down. On my low wing, I just step up on the LH wing, and then step onto the rear seat.

[jackcupp]

Hi Fred, Thanks..... I remember that step when I built mine. Still may be a big reach for 74 year old knees, even replaced ones.

[raceair]

Hi Jack....I don't recommend sitting on the wing root of the sonerai 1...The rear spar of the sonerai is AT the aileron leading edge....and much smaller in x-section than the cassutt , as the cassutt rear spar is ahead of the aileron spar, so there is much more local stiffness on the cassutt wing....
You had a Cassutt....was it built by Bob Grieger?....Used to be yellow..."Ol'Yeller'.....Ed Fisher

[jackcupp]

Hi Ed,

Sure was "Ol Yeller" It was a total mess when I bought it. In a barn for 25 years in Northern AZ. Someone cut the turtledeck off to make it like a Shoestring. Arrows had been shot thru the wing.
No paperwork. No engine, bad mount welded to the frame. I cut it off and bought a new mount from Ib. Got it lic as a new homebuilt, built from parts.
How about the Sonerai2? Same deal in the rear spar area?

[raceair]

Jack...Yes, the Sonerai 2 is the same wing basic structure in that area.....Some people have added steps to the Cassutt and Sonerai 1 just behind the aileron, down on the lower longeron. A retractable step would be cool.
I would like to talk to yo about the history of Ol Yeller. Was owned by Smokey Stover for a long while. We were friends with the builder, and I have been trying to track down its wherabouts for years....Can you e-mail me at [e-mail] Thanks,Ed

[jackcupp]

Ed, Don't people stand on the near the rear spar to get into the low wing Sonerai's?

[raceair]

Jack...I have never built the Low wing, but I believe there are stiffners between the first and second rib, under the skin, to allow some weight to be applied there.....Ed

[jackcupp]

Thanks....

[n3480h]

Jack, Ed is right. My Sonerai IIL Stretch plans show alternating .025" bulkheads and stiffeners on 4" centers riveted between the root rib and the next rib out on the left wing. They are also riveted to the top skin, with the full depth bulkheads also riveted to the bottom skin. A local friend's Sonerai II has these and they hold my 200 pound carcass with no threat of collapse.

Tom

[jackcupp]

Thanks, I assume the mid wings are built without the bulkheads and stiffeners.

[peterzabriskie]

"Ol' Yeller" sounds like a plane with History. All good stories like that are appreciated by the general reading public here.
-Pete

[raceair]

Pete...Ol' Yeller was built by a family friend, Bob Grieger...It was the first plans built THICK wing Cassutt 111M. Previously, Bob had built the beautiful Little Toot, 'Tinkerbelle', which was seen at this year's Oshkosh, freshly rebuilt. The first plans built THIN wing 11M Cassutt was built a year earlier, by Jerry Quarton.
Yeller was the first airplane Marion (Boo Ray) Baker Raced, and it was Reno, 1965, I think..The Disney movie was popular about that time.......Of course Ol' Yeller was bright yellow, with Black race number 58. The sister ship to Yeller was built a year later, #99, 'Scarab'.....These were Cleveland, Ohio area airplanes. In fact, at least 7 Cassutt wings in the area were built with the same wing rib Jig. That includes the one we built, #40, Miss Blue. More trivia......probably useless to most!!....Ed F.

[peterzabriskie]

Thanks Ed, Trivia to you, great history and good entertainment to me.
Pete