First flight of Sonex N188DM (s.n. 0739) was on May 25, 2020. With about half a tank of gas the airplane accelerated quickly using only about 75% of the power available from the Jabiru 3300. Ground roll was less than 500′. Then it went up like an elevator. I was close to pattern altitude by the end of the runway.
Although I did not explore the full flight envelope on the first flight the airplane seemed like it wanted to go fast even with wheel pants and gear fairings off. Handling throughout was very smooth and the plane was easy to fly. I even made and OK landing. A special shout out to Ann—my wife, Mike Madaris, Dave Botens, and the Sonex Tech Support team who helped me complete this aircraft. Big smiles.
—David McGloon
