Monnett Experimental Aircraft

Founded by John Monnett, a schoolteacher from Illinois who transitioned from a pilot of J3 Cubs and Aeronca Champs to building and designing tube-and-fabric racing aircraft built around the Volkswagen air-cooled engine.

[1] The company was founded to produce plans and kits for the Sonerai I aircraft.

The Sonerai I was specially built to be used as a Formula V Air Racing racer.

It was built of aluminum and featured bonded wing skins.

Sonex and its follow-on aircraft have a common lineage to the VW engines of the Sonerai and simple aluminum construction of the Moni and Monex.