Upgraded Cowl for M20K?

[Retz]

Has anyone ever made an upgraded cowling for the M20K (in particular 252)?  I asked the LoPresti gang and Curt said they were going to but decided not to b/c the market size.  I really think there is some more speed to be gained in the 252 from better aerodynamics up front.  

 

I wonder if an Acclaim cowling could be used to make a mold and then modified for the right size.  I reckon the inlet air could be substantially less b/c the TSIO360.  Anyone want to let me borrow their Acclaim cowling for a few days to make a mold (yeah right, ha ha, I can't even type it with a straight face).  

 

Any crazy thoughts? (other than mine)

 

Cheers

Joe

 

 

[aviatoreb]

I agree there would be more speed and improved cooling with that modern style cowl.  I wish Lopresti had made a cowl.

 

It would be quite a trick to get a changed cowl to be legal.  STC?  Field approval?

[Retz]

Erik,

 

It would have to be either a Field Approval or STC, depending on if you wanted to put into production.  It seems like it would be an easy kill with a rocket.  I bet an Acclaim cowling would fit right on a rocket.

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard, Retz.

In a similar vein...

Have you seen the thread regarding a modernized cowl for the early M20s?

David over there has the skills to properly build and document what you are describing.

Reading through that set of posts, you can get a feeling of what it takes to implement a simple good idea for a Mooney.

Best regards,

-a-

[aviatoreb]

Erik,

 

It would have to be either a Field Approval or STC, depending on if you wanted to put into production.  It seems like it would be an easy kill with a rocket.  I bet an Acclaim cowling would fit right on a rocket.

 

Hi Retz, I bet an Acclaim cowl could be made to fit - but not right out of the box.  I bet the millimeter clearances are slightly different.  You wouldn't want your spinner rubbing!

 

I bet it would improve speed and cooling....let me know if you actually hit a home run with your fisdo.

 

I think it would be pretty hard to pull off, but fun to try.

[Retz]

Well the key would be to find an Acclaim cowling to either use or make a mold.  It would probably cost the price of a M20K to buy an Acclaim cowling from Mooney....but hey, with them made in China, won't be long before knock-offs right?

 

BTW, I'm not saying I have the time, skills, or money to do this...I was just hoping to hit a string in someone else with the good idea fairy, so I could reap the benefits.  

[carusoam]

Retz, have you seen this thread?

http://mooneyspace.com/topic/14593-vintage-mooney-cowling-mod/page-11#entry224158

Best regards,

-a-

[Retz]

That's good stuff. Thanks

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk