We are developing a whole new family of wing tip extensions for Moni, Monerai, and the Stretched Sonerai.
A recent Sonerai Mailing List discussion touched on these. They were never put into production due to problems (unspecified) they created in handling. John Monnet apparently said at a recent Oshkosh Forum that they very nearly killed him. Here are the newsletter reprints describing them:
Monink
The Newsletter of Monnett Experimental Aircraft Inc
March April 1985
New Performance Tips Coming
We are developing a whole new family of wing tip extensions for Moni, Monerai, and the Stretched Sonerai.
Directed towards reducing wing tip "loss" as well as increasing the aspect ratio, these new "add-on" tips will improve the UD, minimum sink, climb, and in the Moni and Monerai, slow speed thermaling capability. The new tips will attach in the same manner as the existing "standard" tips. All that will be necessary to retrofit a set will be to remove the existing fasteners (rivets or hinge) and the tip. Align and fasten the new one. Paint to match!
The longer tips can be made removable (as in the Monerai Max Tips) so they won't stick out of the trailer or interfere with folding. False spars and tip wheels will be installed where required. The tip wheel will be all but concealed just inboard of the tip end or at the tip root where it joins the wing. The tips will significantly change the appearance of the once rectangular plan form wings but will give them a definite "bird like" look which should blend nicely with all the lines.
Testing will begin this spring with expected availability in early summer. There have been many past requests for these type of tips for our designs. We hope to continue to enhance performance with simple, retrofitable kits for all of our designs presently flying.
MAY/JUNE 1985
New Wing Tips
So many of you have called about the new tips! Progress has been slow due to many happenings and small staff. However, I can report at this writing that the first version of the Sonerai extended tips are being installed. The Moni tips will be next, hopefully before the fly- in, installed on our tri-gear Moni. For now John is using conventional aluminum construction but it is highly possible that they will end up as fiberglass or composite construction. Available as soon as possible is all we can say at this point.