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A two place jet JSX-2T from Sonex

Sonex Aircraft is pleased to announce the development of a 2-place variant of the popular SubSonex Personal Jet! SubSonex JSX-2T is designed to be the lowest cost jet trainer ever! It will be a perfect trainer for the single-place JSX-2, and for those who want to share the unique experience of jet-powered flight in a light aircraft.
JSX-2T is configured with side-by-side seating for optimum flexibility in CG/loading and offers an ideal training environment for its crew. With a wing span of 21.8 feet JSX-2T will have similar wing loading and handling to the single-place JSX-2. The two-place jet will utilize the same proven PBS TJ-100 turbojet engine system. An optional, more powerful PBS TJ-150 will achieve even higher performance.

Customers and media representatives are invited to attend the Sonex Aircraft Open House and Homecoming Fly-In event on Sunday July 21st at 10am to learn more about the JSX-2T, its projected development timeline, and how customers can get in-line for their own 2-place SubSonex. The event is held at Sonex Factory Headquarters on Wittman Regional Airport the day before EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019 begins. A forum will also be held at AirVenture on Wednesday, July 24th on Forum Stage 5 at 11:30am.
The SubSonex Personal Jet aircraft first began development in 2009, and is now being sold around the world as the most popular and affordable kit jet aircraft. The SubSonex, a popular and serious aerobatic airshow performer that delivers high top speeds and a true fighter jet feel, also shares the docile, low speed handling characteristics enjoyed by the Sonex, Waiex, and Onex designs. SubSonex JSX-2 kit+engine+completion costs start at under $114,000. Sonex Aircraft’s target for the SubSonex JSX-2T is to offer a 2-place jet that can be built and flown for under $140,000!

More info here

This is simply cool

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

What is the engine thrust, and the burn per mile?

Can this really be based and operated in Europe?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

There are two engine possibilities. The PBS TJ100 and the PBS TJ150. The have 1300 N and 1500 N thrust respectively. Sonex specify 1150 N thrust on the version they use on the plane (TJ100-E3S). The burn? Only the JSX-2 is flying as of today. It has a 40 USG tank and a range with no reserve at 412 miles. The JSX-2T will have a 50 USG tank, and with the more powerful TJ150 the range will probably be the same as the JSX2 I would think.

It cruises at 200+ knots or thereabout. 230-240 mph for the JSX-2.

Peter wrote:

Can this really be based and operated in Europe?

Of course. Why not? Obviously it makes a lot of noise and needs a fair amount of runway, so I would think it can only be based on large airfields where jets already are flying. This restricts the practicalities of course as a GA plane.

The main problem with the JSX2 (single seat) is how do you get proper training? They have solved this by training is a jet powered glider, then jump into the JSX. Sonex has a practical training program in place. Obviously this restricts the pilots to the bold ones and those who already are well accustomed to single seat jets (fighter pilots). I thought this would make it problematic in Norway, but from what I hear from people who have investigated this, LT accept this training as well, It means a stay at Oshkosh for a weak or two of course.

The JSX-2T is a much better solution for training. A two seater is also much higher in demand than a single seat. This can be seen by comparing numbers of RV-3 vs RV-4 and Onex vs Sonex and so on. It’s a factor 5 or something, at least.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

I like that there are companies like Sonex building these things. Thank god for crazy dreamers! But the economics of a no-bypass turbojet (and a very simple one at that) and the inability to fly very high makes for pretty terrible economy. I know that’s not the point of these aircraft, but still, I wonder how useful they actually are after the initial infatuation wears off? If it had had pressurization and two engines, I’d buy one myself!

Last Edited by AdamFrisch at 12 Jul 16:05

This awesome! 50USG seems a bit small for my taste. Would like to see ~70 for more range/ reserves. Consumption seems to be around 20 gph in cruise for the single seater. So maybe 25 gph for the 2 seater? Not much worse than a cirrus on a mpg basis and of course it’s cheaper than 100LL.

Switzerland

The single seat version looks even cooler! At 500lbs it is more a “wearable” aircraft, but (if wikipedia is to be believed) 11 are registered in the US at this point.

But would it be churlish for me to point out that, while certainly cool, the two-seater does not exist yet? At least Sonex have a good track record, the current SubSonex JSX-2 took about 1.5 years from them taking deposits to first kit delivery, and perhaps 2 years to first customer aircraft.

HBadger wrote:

Not much worse than a cirrus

I think it is not quite the same market – comparing a jet powered microlight to a Cirrus is like comparing a go-kart to an SUV.

The go-kart is much more fun, but I would not want to use it to go places in comfort.I also would not want to use the SUV on the track.

Last Edited by Cobalt at 12 Jul 18:48
Biggin Hill

A Cirrus is very far from being a jet. Just saying

So far the JSX2 has been an aerobatic show piece. The JSX2T will be a trainer for that show piece, but also much more because of the increase in payload.

Sonex has already a twin engine version as a drone, but I’m not sure if it uses these larger engines, or some of the smaller ones from PBS.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway
The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

LeSving wrote:

A Cirrus is very far from being a jet. Just saying

Talking about the SF50 or SR22?

Last Edited by Snoopy at 21 Jul 20:37
always learning
LO__, Austria

Its an interesting concept with a small jet like this.. Not the same old piston thing… The advancements in engine technology and full fadec has made it possible and the small PBS TJ engine is supposed to be quite fantastic engineering. Dont have the time to build one now… but otherwise it would be a fun project. .. Its amazing how much more simple and powerfull a turbojet engine is compared to a piston at a fraction of the weight.. And it sounds way cooler too! But no free lunch. The power comes from fuel and it still uses quite a bit especially down low. It limits the practical range… I wonder if some sort of additional tanks could be fitted when not used for aerobatic to make it a possible to actually use it for some VFR touring..? How much runway will it need, probably a lot which further limits the use…

The Sonex Jet is cool but a little boxy looking and in my view the V/Y tail is not that pretty. But probably very practical in single engine jet design, just like the cirrus jet. I wonder what some of the UL companies like stream and shark could do designing a sleek composite aircraft about a jet engine like this and then mount the engine in the body with exhaust below the tail for better looks and center thrust line… Id like to see vans aircraft enter micro jet experimental market too…

THY
EKRK, Denmark
21 Posts
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