Sonex Aircraft brought two JSX-2 jets to the Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo—one to perform in the daily airshow and the other as a display to potential owners and builders.
“It’s time to put the jet in the hands of more pilots,” said John Monnett, Sonex founder and a prolific designer and builder of kit aircraft. “An aerobatic jet is every pilot’s dream.”
Sonex has delivered seven JSX-2 kits of which one has been completed and flown. The company now sells the kits in two or more phases: The airframe kit has a retail price of $42,000, and the engine costs $55,000. An optional ballistic parachute and avionics can be purchased separately.
The JSX-2 has a top speed of 250 knots and is powered by a single engine that puts out about 250 pounds of thrust. It carries 40 gallons of jet fuel in a single fuselage tank. (AOPA Pilot featured the SubSonex JSX-2 in the July 2015 issue.)
Sonex also showed off its two-seat Waiex B, an updated version of its popular Sonex kit aircraft. The new version has a wider fuselage and instrument panel and spars and motor mounts for a variety of piston engines that are built at the factory in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Sonex was founded in 1998, and Monnett has been designing and selling kit aircraft since 1970.
