John Monnett from Sonerai to Sonex

This is the story of John Monnett -- kit plane designer, innovator, air racer, world record holder, EAA Hall of Famer -- and his many airplanes. While pursuing his own aviation interests, Monnett inspired and enabled thousands of others to build and fly affordable aircraft. From the Sonerai, sketched at his kitchen table in 1964, to pioneering engine conversions, to the Sonex's simple construction methods, John Monnett is a flag-bearer for grassroots aviation. The book covers his early aviation designs and all of the airplanes he designed. His ingenuity and successes with simplifying airplane design has helped make owning an airplane affordable for decades. Jim Cunningham, the author, has done a wonderful job of detailing the technical aspects of the airplanes in harmony with highlighting the efforts of many others who worked with Monnett, including his wife, Betty, and long-time friend and collaborator, Pete Buck.