With one second remaining on the clock, the Sonex One Week Wonder was still one hour from having a functioning nervous system. Deadlines. Who needs ‘em? The real deadline was the allotted time slot for its first taxi in front of Sunday’s airshow crowd, which was an hour beyond the countdown clock’s expiration. While the wiring was being finished, the upholstery was installed and the airplane’s exit from its week-long womb was planned. At 3:21 p.m., it pirouetted from the tent to the cheers and relief of exhausted volunteers who then escorted it down the aptly named Celebration Way to the flightline. EAA volunteer pilot Joe Norris mounted the wing, stepped into the cockpit, ignited the Rotax engine and taxied past the gathered crowd. He reported the steering, brakes and engine all performed well. The aircraft will be inspected, licensed and test flown before it embarks on a tour of the U.S., still bearing the signatures of those who set a rivet in its wings, tail or fuselage.
Sonex General Manager Heather Zahner commented, “The One Week Wonder has demonstrated what can be accomplished when the homebuilding community comes together. We are proud of the outcome of this project, the staff’s effort to bring it to fruition and grateful for our hard working volunteers, many of whom are Sonex customers. The project’s sponsors were a big part of making the One Week Wonder a success. Thank you EAA for this unique opportunity to highlight our product at AirVenture 2022.”
Fantastic! Congratulations to the volunteers and Sonex for this awesome achievement!