content: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549
  
  
                                   FORM 8-K
  
  
                                CURRENT REPORT
                Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
                             Exchange Act of 1934
  
  
    Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 2, 2003
  
  
                              SONEX RESEARCH, INC.
                (Exact name of registrant as specified in Charter)
  
  
           Maryland                  0-14465                52-1188993
        (State or other           (Commision file         (IRS employer
        jurisdiction of               number)           identification no.)
         incorporation)
  
  
  
                      23 Hudson Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
                     (Address of principal executive offices)
  
  
                                (410) 266-5556
               (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
  
  
                                      N/A
           (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ITEM 5. - OTHER EVENTS AND REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE
  
  
  On October 2, 2003, the Registrant  posted the following news announcement on
  its website (www.sonexresearch.com):
  
  
  
  
  SONEX RECEIVES $165,000 MILITARY CONTRACT FOR UAV HEAVY FUEL ENGINE CONVERSION
  
               Filed with the SEC as a Current Report on Form 8-K and
                  posted to the Sonex website www.sonexresearch.com
  
  
  ANNAPOLIS,  MARYLAND,  October 2, 2003 - SONEX  RESEARCH,  INC.  (OTC BB:  SONX)
  announced  that it has  been  awarded  a  military  contract  for  approximately
  $165,000 to develop a combustion system to convert two small gasoline engines to
  start and operate on standard military kerosene-based fuels (also referred to as
  "heavy fuels") for potential use in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The name of
  the military customer and other contract details were not disclosed.
  
  The  Department  of Defense  (DoD) now  requires  engines used in UAVs and other
  military  applications for which gasoline  storage and use are  undesirable,  to
  operate  on less  volatile,  kerosene-based  heavy  fuels to reduce  the  hazard
  associated  with  gasoline.  Sonex will  design and  develop a heavy fuel engine
  (HFE) conversion process for the two lightweight, two-stroke, spark-ignited (SI)
  gasoline  engines based on the patented Sonex  Combustion  System (SCS) modified
  combustion  chamber  design and  proprietary  starting  system for two-stroke SI
  engines.
  
  At its 2003 Annual  Meeting of  Shareholders  held on September 16, 2003,  Sonex
  revealed  strategic  initiatives now taking shape,  particularly with respect to
  plans  for  increasing  the  Company's  profile  within  the DoD for SCS  engine
  technology.  Sonex is promoting the SCS process as an enabling  factor for heavy
  fuel conversions, thereby creating a U.S.-based core defense systems capability.
  
  In addition to this new contract  award,  Sonex has been  working  under a prime
  contract from the Defense  Advanced  Research  Projects Agency (DARPA) on an SCS
  piston  design  using the  Sonex  Controlled  Auto  Ignition  (SCAI)  combustion
  process.  The SCAI is  applicable  to low  compression  ratio,  direct  injected
  engines to enable  auto-ignition  and combustion with high rates of heat release
  for a variety of fuels to achieve  reduced  emissions and increased fuel economy
  in un-throttled, lightweight engines.
  
  The DARPA  effort  calls for the  conversion  of an existing  six-cylinder,  SI,
  four-stroke,  automotive engine from gasoline  operation to heavy fuel operation
  through a custom common rail fuel  injection  system and an SCAI piston  design.
  DARPA  may  consider  this  route  to  achieve  an HFE  for  potential  use in a
  developmental UAV or other engine applications. The SCAI process for four-stroke
  engines achieves sparkless ignition-combustion of the heavy fuel without raising
  the compression  ratio to the levels found in diesel engines.  As a result,  the
  inherent  light weight of the gasoline  engine is preserved and peak  combustion
  pressures are limited to those of gasoline operation.
  
  Sonex,  in other  ongoing  programs,  has been  applying  SCS piston  designs to
  achieve  in-cylinder  control of ignition  and  combustion  for  increased  fuel
  mileage and reduced  emissions  in  vehicular  engines.  Under  funding from the
  Department  of Energy  (DOE)  Sonex is now  developing  a piston  design  for an
  automotive  diesel engine  application.  Outcomes from the current programs with
  DOE on diesel fuel and DARPA on heavy fuel could  validate  SCS  technology  for
  application to gasoline  powered  automotive  engines.  With the SCAI combustion
  process,  Sonex  hopes to  enable  gasoline  direct  injected  (GDI)  automobile
  engines, currently manufactured and sold only in markets outside the U.S. due to
  high emissions,  to become emissions  compliant in the U.S. while providing fuel
  consumption benefits.
  
  
  Contact:  George E. Ponticas,  CFO. Tel: 410-266-5556;  email:  sonex@erols.com;
  website www.sonexresearch.com
  
  
  
  About Sonex
  
  Sonex  Research,  Inc.,  a leader  in the  field of  combustion  technology,  is
  developing its patented Sonex Combustion  System (SCS)  piston-based  technology
  for in-cylinder  control of ignition and  combustion,  designed to increase fuel
  mileage and reduce  emissions  of internal  combustion  engines.  Sonex plans to
  complete  development,  commercialize  and  market  its  Sonex  Controlled  Auto
  Ignition (SCAI)  combustion  process to the automotive  industry to improve fuel
  efficiency of gasoline powered vehicles in response to forthcoming  increases in
  national vehicle fuel mileage standards.  Additionally,  independent third-party
  testing has confirmed the potential of the SCS application  for  direct-injected
  diesel  engines to reduce  harmful  soot  in-cylinder  without  increasing  fuel
  consumption.  Other SCS  designs are being used to convert  gasoline  engines of
  various sizes to operate on safer, diesel-type "heavy fuels" for use in military
  and commercial applications requiring light weight and safe handling and storage
  of fuel, such as in UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).
  
  
  Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
  
  "Forward-looking"  statements  contained  in this  announcement,  as well as all
  publicly disseminated material about the Company, are made pursuant to the "safe
  harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Act. Such statements are
  based  on  current  expectations,  estimates,  projections  and  assumptions  by
  management  with respect to matters  such as  commercial  acceptance  of the SCS
  technology, the impact of competition,  and the Company's financial condition or
  results of  operations.  Readers  are  cautioned  that such  statements  are not
  guarantees of future  performance and involve risks and uncertainties that could
  cause  actual  results to differ  materially  from those  expressed  in any such
  forward-looking statements.  Additional information regarding the risks faced by
  Sonex is provided in the  Company's  periodic  filings with the  Securities  and
  Exchange Commission under the heading "Risk Factors". Such filings are available
  upon request from the Company or online in the EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.
  
  
                                   ###
  
  
  
  
  
  SIGNATURES
  
  Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
  registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
  
  October 2, 2003
  
  SONEX RESEARCH, INC.
  Registrant
  
  
  /s/ George E. Ponticas
  ----------------------
  George E. Ponticas
  Chief Financial Officer
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metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "SONEX RESEARCH INC", "cik": "0000723312", "assigned-sic": "8731", "irs-number": "521188993", "state-of-incorporation": "MD", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-14465", "film-number": "03923308"}, "business-address": {"street1": "23 HUDSON ST", "city": "ANNAPOLIS", "state": "MD", "zip": "21401", "phone": "4102665556"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "23 HUDSON STREET", "city": "ANNAPOLIS", "state": "MD", "zip": "21401"}}
text: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549
  
                                   FORM 8-K
  
                                CURRENT REPORT
                Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
                             Exchange Act of 1934
  
    Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 2, 2003
  
                              SONEX RESEARCH, INC.
                (Exact name of registrant as specified in Charter)
  
           Maryland                  0-14465                52-1188993
        (State or other           (Commision file         (IRS employer
        jurisdiction of               number)           identification no.)
         incorporation)
  
                      23 Hudson Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
                     (Address of principal executive offices)
  
                                (410) 266-5556
               (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
  
                                      N/A
           (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  
  ITEM 5. - OTHER EVENTS AND REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE
  
  On October 2, 2003, the Registrant  posted the following news announcement on
  its website (www.sonexresearch.com):
  
  SONEX RECEIVES $165,000 MILITARY CONTRACT FOR UAV HEAVY FUEL ENGINE CONVERSION
  
               Filed with the SEC as a Current Report on Form 8-K and
                  posted to the Sonex website www.sonexresearch.com
  
  ANNAPOLIS,  MARYLAND,  October 2, 2003 - SONEX  RESEARCH,  INC.  (OTC BB:  SONX)
  announced  that it has  been  awarded  a  military  contract  for  approximately
  $165,000 to develop a combustion system to convert two small gasoline engines to
  start and operate on standard military kerosene-based fuels (also referred to as
  "heavy fuels") for potential use in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The name of
  the military customer and other contract details were not disclosed.
  
  The  Department  of Defense  (DoD) now  requires  engines used in UAVs and other
  military  applications for which gasoline  storage and use are  undesirable,  to
  operate  on less  volatile,  kerosene-based  heavy  fuels to reduce  the  hazard
  associated  with  gasoline.  Sonex will  design and  develop a heavy fuel engine
  (HFE) conversion process for the two lightweight, two-stroke, spark-ignited (SI)
  gasoline  engines based on the patented Sonex  Combustion  System (SCS) modified
  combustion  chamber  design and  proprietary  starting  system for two-stroke SI
  engines.
  
  At its 2003 Annual  Meeting of  Shareholders  held on September 16, 2003,  Sonex
  revealed  strategic  initiatives now taking shape,  particularly with respect to
  plans  for  increasing  the  Company's  profile  within  the DoD for SCS  engine
  technology.  Sonex is promoting the SCS process as an enabling  factor for heavy
  fuel conversions, thereby creating a U.S.-based core defense systems capability.
  
  In addition to this new contract  award,  Sonex has been  working  under a prime
  contract from the Defense  Advanced  Research  Projects Agency (DARPA) on an SCS
  piston  design  using the  Sonex  Controlled  Auto  Ignition  (SCAI)  combustion
  process.  The SCAI is  applicable  to low  compression  ratio,  direct  injected
  engines to enable  auto-ignition  and combustion with high rates of heat release
  for a variety of fuels to achieve  reduced  emissions and increased fuel economy
  in un-throttled, lightweight engines.
  
  The DARPA  effort  calls for the  conversion  of an existing  six-cylinder,  SI,
  four-stroke,  automotive engine from gasoline  operation to heavy fuel operation
  through a custom common rail fuel  injection  system and an SCAI piston  design.
  DARPA  may  consider  this  route  to  achieve  an HFE  for  potential  use in a
  developmental UAV or other engine applications. The SCAI process for four-stroke
  engines achieves sparkless ignition-combustion of the heavy fuel without raising
  the compression  ratio to the levels found in diesel engines.  As a result,  the
  inherent  light weight of the gasoline  engine is preserved and peak  combustion
  pressures are limited to those of gasoline operation.
  
  Sonex,  in other  ongoing  programs,  has been  applying  SCS piston  designs to
  achieve  in-cylinder  control of ignition  and  combustion  for  increased  fuel
  mileage and reduced  emissions  in  vehicular  engines.  Under  funding from the
  Department  of Energy  (DOE)  Sonex is now  developing  a piston  design  for an
  automotive  diesel engine  application.  Outcomes from the current programs with
  DOE on diesel fuel and DARPA on heavy fuel could  validate  SCS  technology  for
  application to gasoline  powered  automotive  engines.  With the SCAI combustion
  process,  Sonex  hopes to  enable  gasoline  direct  injected  (GDI)  automobile
  engines, currently manufactured and sold only in markets outside the U.S. due to
  high emissions,  to become emissions  compliant in the U.S. while providing fuel
  consumption benefits.
  
  Contact:  George E. Ponticas,  CFO. Tel: 410-266-5556;  email:  sonex@erols.com;
  website www.sonexresearch.com
  
  About Sonex
  
  Sonex  Research,  Inc.,  a leader  in the  field of  combustion  technology,  is
  developing its patented Sonex Combustion  System (SCS)  piston-based  technology
  for in-cylinder  control of ignition and  combustion,  designed to increase fuel
  mileage and reduce  emissions  of internal  combustion  engines.  Sonex plans to
  complete  development,  commercialize  and  market  its  Sonex  Controlled  Auto
  Ignition (SCAI)  combustion  process to the automotive  industry to improve fuel
  efficiency of gasoline powered vehicles in response to forthcoming  increases in
  national vehicle fuel mileage standards.  Additionally,  independent third-party
  testing has confirmed the potential of the SCS application  for  direct-injected
  diesel  engines to reduce  harmful  soot  in-cylinder  without  increasing  fuel
  consumption.  Other SCS  designs are being used to convert  gasoline  engines of
  various sizes to operate on safer, diesel-type "heavy fuels" for use in military
  and commercial applications requiring light weight and safe handling and storage
  of fuel, such as in UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).
  
  Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
  
  "Forward-looking"  statements  contained  in this  announcement,  as well as all
  publicly disseminated material about the Company, are made pursuant to the "safe
  harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Act. Such statements are
  based  on  current  expectations,  estimates,  projections  and  assumptions  by
  management  with respect to matters  such as  commercial  acceptance  of the SCS
  technology, the impact of competition,  and the Company's financial condition or
  results of  operations.  Readers  are  cautioned  that such  statements  are not
  guarantees of future  performance and involve risks and uncertainties that could
  cause  actual  results to differ  materially  from those  expressed  in any such
  forward-looking statements.  Additional information regarding the risks faced by
  Sonex is provided in the  Company's  periodic  filings with the  Securities  and
  Exchange Commission under the heading "Risk Factors". Such filings are available
  upon request from the Company or online in the EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.
  
                                   ###
  
  SIGNATURES
  
  Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
  registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
  October 2, 2003
  
  SONEX RESEARCH, INC.
  Registrant
  
  /s/ George E. Ponticas
  ----------------------
  George E. Ponticas
  Chief Financial Officer