Monnett Moni

Moni
Monnett Moni on display in the National Air and Space Museum
Role Sport aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Monnett Experimental Aircraft Inc for homebuilding
Designer John Monnett
First flight July 24, 1981
Number built 380 kits sold between 1982 and 1986[1]
Variants Electric Aircraft Corporation ElectraFlyer-C

The Monnett Moni is a sport aircraft developed in the United States in the early 1980s and marketed for homebuilding.

Designed by John Monnett, who coined the term "air recreation vehicle" to describe it,[1] it is a single-seat motorglider with a low, cantilever wing and a V-tail. Construction is of metal throughout, and it is intended to be easy and inexpensive to build and fly. Like many sailplanes, the main undercarriage is a single monowheel, which in this case was mounted in a streamlined fairing beneath the fuselage and is not retractable, with a steerable tailwheel behind it. Builders are also given the option of constructing their example with fixed tricycle undercarriage.[2] Power is provided by a small two-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air-cooled engine.

Monnett Moni at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum

Examples of the Moni are on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum,[3] and the EAA AirVenture Museum.[4]

Variants

The Sonex Xenos motorglider is an evolution of the Moni, and provided much of the design foundation for the Sonex line of aircraft.[5]

The all-electric-powered Electric Aircraft Corporation ElectraFlyer-C is a modified Monnett Moni in taildragger configuration.[6]

Specifications (with tricycle gear)

Data from [2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: One pilot
  • Length: 14 ft 8 in (4.46 m)
  • Wingspan: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
  • Height: 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m)
  • Wing area: 75 sq ft (7.0 m2)
  • Empty weight: 260 lb (118 kg)
  • Gross weight: 500 lb (227 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × IAME KFM 107 , 30 hp (22 kW)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 120 mph (193 km/h, 100 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 110 mph (177 km/h, 96 kn)
  • Range: 320 mi (515 km, 280 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 12,500 ft (3,810 m)
  • Maximum glide ratio: 20
  • Rate of climb: 500 ft/min (2.5 m/s)
  • Rate of sink: 167 ft/min (0.85 m/s)

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Monnett Moni". Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum website. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
  2. ^ a b Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1984-85, 756
  3. ^ "Monnett Experimental Aircraft, Inc. (MONI) Collection, 1981". Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  4. ^ "Monnet Moni – N107MX". AirVenture Museum website. EAA. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
  5. ^ Rozansky, Murry: "Soaring with Sonex: Designer John Monnett returns to the motorglider scene with the two-place Xenos," April 2005, Kitplanes, retrieved August 22, 2020
  6. ^ Laboda, Amy: "ElectraFlyer-C Concept Airplane Flying," August 1, 2008, Kitplanes retrieved August 22, 2020

References

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