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Some shots I took in memoriam of N6XM: Now she's in pieces... [emoji31] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One of the best things about the carbureted O-360 is that it starts easily, quickly and reliably using various techniques. I'm always happy to abstain from all the threads about IO-360 starting problems. Oh! I mostly abstain from LOP discussions, too.

You don't mention anything about voltages on each battery? Can you check via engine monitor or put a digital multimeter on them? Could be just the connection from bat 2 to avionics buss is bad, check circuit breakers, relays in the path. I would not call Concord until you are sure the battery is bad (pull it and charge it and see it holds charge disconnected from the plane).

This is the perfect plane for someone who is willing to put in a little sweat. paint some polygone gel on and wipe off the polyseal the next day, then reseal the one tank... .. fly home and do the rest. If I were retired and had nothing else to do with enough hangar space, I would give it a new life.

Sure wish I could fly to work with this morning's view...

I did a touch and go today and the plane did not come apart or otherwise seem to incur harm. Internet discussion forums are wrong.

Well, I am now waiting on the IA that did the prebuy to go ahead and finish the annual. He might be done this week. I have to fly my girlfriend to Austin tomorrow, 209 NM, so we will be putt-putting in the 140. Sure would be an ideal trip for the Mooney! Now that the purchase is imminent, I am like a ten year old waiting for Christmas. I was putting a new tailwheel tire on the 140 today and a few friends dropped by. They all said the same thing, "Don't get rid of the 140. They all also said that both planes will fit in the hangar. I hope their eyes are all in calibration. I give it about a fifty fifty chance. The broker that sold me the Mooney said to fly the 140 there, pick up the Mooney and leave the 140 for him to sell. Not sure yet if I can part with it. SO....... Looks like I will officially be joining your ranks as a Mooney owner.

Great flight down to S. Fla. We had the plane packed to the gills. Cargo compartment filled with cooler, tent, chairs, etc. My poor girlfriend was in the back seat and was practically squished against her window with blankets and pillows. At 9,500 it was cold enough she was snuggled against them. We averaged 145KTAS, so I'm happy with it. We were about 100lbs under gross on takeoff, I could've brimmed the tanks (tookoff at 90% fuel) and still had more weight. She was asleep once we reached 9,500ft. Passing Lakeland. Such a fitting name. There were probably 100 people and maybe 30 aircraft that showed up. Most of the pilots there were my age, but a lot more experienced career-types. Most of which were Riddle CFIs, etc,etc. There was a spot landing contest, pancake breakfast, BBQ lunch and dinner, and on both nights, a nice campfire and dubious amounts of alcohol involved. The 8-hour bottle to throttle rule was strictly adhered to. It was mainly a frat-party, so not my type of thing, but its has brought my appreciation to older pilots and the wisdom they share. I can't say I am thrilled with my generation of pilots, at least the ones that didn't "earn their keep" and grow up to respect it. But overall, a fun camping experience. She really does love sleeping Total time: 182.8 hrs, total time in type: 70.1

just don't forget to put you gear down on short final.

One thought goes through my head at 50 feet every time. Where is the gear selector? Always without fail, a quick glance to confirm gear is down, while I still have time to do something about it.

Ok here is test #1 Next we will do the pure white one and probably the black with white lettering Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So...you don't want that? Anyway yeah the part about everyone owns their own....whether its land vehicles, air vehicles, water vehicles, or whatever, EVENTUALLY when they go automated I strongly suspect that they will no longer be personally owned but they will become more like a public utility. You summon one when you need it.

I have one thing to say to you nay-sayers: Here's George Jetson!

The real problem is the guys who wrote into law the conservation of energy. I say repeal that law. Then we could fly a million miles on a thimble full of avgas and still land with ... a thimble full of avgas.

Here is a clue to what might be your issue. Don Maxwell is getting wealthy selling new battery relays because of switching batteries with engine on. I used to switch batteries when I would switch tanks, but no more. Check this out also.

That's a Dukes, but there's good news. You may not need the "kit". Weldon now makes a pump that is a direct replacement for the Dukes. This info came directly from Weldon just 2 weeks ago: "The 18020-A is a drop-in replacement for the Dukes 1499-00-19A. Weldon can also claim installation eligibility for the 18020-A on the M20-J airframe. The serial number you reference 24-XXXX is within the range listed on FAA website (Mooney Airplane Company (M20J S/N thru 24-2999)." John DeMatteis, Weldon Pump, 440-232-2282 ext. 118 If you're trying to install a Weldon A8163-B then you might need the expensive conversion kit. This is exactly the information I've received (in 2017) as well. In fact I contacted Aeromotors and had a long conversation with a technician there who told me (in condensed form): 1. Original Dukes pumps contained fragile impellers. 2. Dukes later switched to a different material that would pick up foreign material and embed it in the impeller causing it to become inherently abrasive. 3. Previous overhauls required installation of Dukes manufactured replacement parts (which were supplied in kit form) that while not "fragile" were still problematic (see #2 above). 4. Aeromotors sought and received approval to manufacture parts for these pumps from proprietary materials. 5. Since switching to their own replacement parts Aeromotors has seen greatly enhanced durability from these pumps. Only Aeromotors uses these parts. 6. They tested the newly rebuilt pumps for continuous duty for a few hundred hours, even running them dry with no problems (but I still believe they don't advertise them as continuous duty). 7. The current rebuild price is $400 and typically also includes a new armature in the older pumps. After the horror stories I've been told about the rebuilt Dukes I was absolutely switching to a Weldon when that time came but at $1,236 (AS current price) I believe I'll give Aeromotors a shot instead. They COULD be lying out their arse about all of this but I believe the gentleman I spoke with was being truthful with me as he spoke at length and in great detail about the entire issue.

Add to the discussion... Turbo normalizing, uses the same engine and just adds the Turbo/compressor... as an after market situation. iIRC... The TN'd acclaim has a different, but similar, CR than the NA IO550... The answer to the OP... 1) adding a compressor improves power as air density decreases at altitudes... 2) decreasing the CR improves engine safety regarding pre-ignition type challenges. 3) measuring the actual CR or effective CR is a bit challenging. One part geometry and another part MP air pressure.... 4) adding a TN to a Mooney is a really cool idea. It adds some responsibility to engine management. With the additional power you will get additional heat to manage. 5) with more air being ingested, an equal amount of fuel is required. 6) the cool part... full power at altitudes where air resistance is lower..! PP ideas, not a mechanic.... Best regards, -a-

My CFI told me of a mooney driver who ran out of fuel and crashed. He took off with plenty of fuel, slumped the tanks, pulled the gascolator and evidently one thing or the other didn't stop leaking and he lost his fuel. Since I heard this the first thing I do is to sump both, pull the gascolator then push the plane back a few feet. Next I do the exterior preflight and before I get in the plane I look at the ground under the plane if something is leakin it is easy to see.

Grabbing excellent tacos in Ukiah, CA with my Mooney bro, Ron. His MS name is M20D6607U

So I am owner-assisting my first annual with my A&P and it's RayJay hose replacement time. HOLY SHIT. I need dwarf hands. How does anyway reach any of these hoses???? It took me 3 hours to replace one fuel hose today. 3 hours. One hose. 1000 curse words. Two bloody hands.

Just curious as to how long your runway is and what speed you carry across the fence. Mine is 3000 ft and I cross at 70 to 75 kts. Also my field elv. is 7 ft, so keep those Icecaps frozen. Pritch

The approval is the A&P who is willing to sign off the logbook entry.

It got the new engine in 2005. I just bought this plane in December and still getting used to the speed!! I love it! Has a nice panel and new interior. Previous owner really invested in it and barely flew it! Engine only has 250 hours since 2005. lol

you know all this flying pod thing it would never work for people like us for the same reasons we don't like flying commercial we like to be in charge.

That model is already available in big cities, it's called the Bus. I live in a town of 1000 people, no public transportation available now or on the horizon.

I can't speak to your assertions (though it may be correct) that the "majority" of hard starting threads on Mooney space deal with IO360s. There may be many reasons for this. In terms of birds still flying do you know if more are injected or carbureted? Perhaps there are just more IOs. I don't know the why behind it, only that one is no harder than the other to start. They are different for sure but not harder.

My attitude is always completely fluid in landing. What I mean is, that my flaps coming down is completely dependent on my environment. I rarely use full flaps unless the environment requires it. I.e. short runway or some other necessities to maneuver at a slower airspeed. I use sight picture over all else, that includes airspeed. As long as I'm not at stall, I don't care about it. I know I can land that airplane at just about any speed I choose. (A huge benefit in heavy gusts) The last thing is keeping my attitude after the mains touch and keeping the nosewheel off so I have good rudder authority throughout the ground roll. Pilots wonder why they get squirly on the runway when they touch down too fast, and it's because the nosewheel is on the ground and steering you while the wing is still flying. (Ask me how I know that. [emoji16]) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Roof tops are already crowned with HVAC systems, antennas and other miscellaneous junk. Adding space for quad-copters is not going to happen soon. There are fewer rooftops than parking garages. Having flown helicopters iont some tight area and landing on helipads on rooftops you will need a decent size spot to do it. I like the concept but in reality just like aviation I think the cost benefit ratio will keep it a small market. If I had the space to land a helicopter at my house I'd seriously consider having one to commute to work since there is a public use heliport right across the street form my office. Now that would be neat. I would still subject to fog, and thunderstorms though and then I'd have to travel on the ground like all the other minions.

I can live with the law of conservation of energy. I'd like to get penalties for violating the law of gravity repealed and I would like to have selective enforcement of gravity then all of your energy is used to get form one place to another and nothing to keep the pane in the air or get to altitude.

Now it's down to Aeromotors $400 rebuild or Weldon for $1236. Decisions decisions. I think I'll take the pump out and then decide! This place is a wealth of knowledge!

Dukes vs Weldon. The old Dukes would grenade their plastic parts and then send them on downstream to the engine. So there is an SB to add a filter to keep that from happening. It is the silver thing in the lower left of the top picture. I am glad I found that I have a Weldon. Upon fix repair replace. Make sure the check the finger screen on the servo and the inline filter. Someone will be along to post the SB. And now the AMUs to switch to weldon don't seem so bad do they.

On my last flight to Florida with my Rocket (back in December) I saw temps at FL230 below -31. My Concordes are at least 7-8 years old and mounted in the back of the tail cone (clearly not seeing any heat from engine or cabin). With the batteries cold soaked from FL temps, it would be normal to see condensation on them when back to more moderate temps on the ground. Charge and check that battery with it isolated from everything in the system before getting Concorde involved. Clearly that is too short of a useful life (IMHO). Nice ground speed! My last flight saw 295 knots and Chicago Center asking me if I was a turboprop! I'm not quite as excited to talk about how that 4 hour non-stop from the U.P. to Daytona Beach turned into nearly 7 hours coming home a week later. Tom

Since it clearly states it's for intermittent use only, it has to be a Duke, Weldon as mentioned is continuous duty.

Thanks for the quick response. My first thought was that I had bumped the overhead light switch after arriving at GUC. The plane was outside the first night, so a potentially dead battery would have been exposed to freezing temps. But I know I was on battery 1 at that point (and as best I can tell, the overhead lights are always powered by battery 1). I also know for sure that I started on battery 2 before departing AUS, so battery 2 wasn't dead at that point. Point being, I *think* both batteries were somewhat close to fully charged before being exposed to freezing temps. I don't see any limitations on the operating temps, but Concorde provides ratings at -30C (http://www.concordebattery.com/flyerprint.php?id=41)...so I don't think I exposed the batteries to anything excessive? Maybe it was on the brink of failure, and the temps in the flight levels pushed it over the edge... Either way, I will definitely call Concorde and see if they'll work with me. Thanks again!

Uncharged batteries can freeze. Frozen batteries can break their cells... the cells of the Concorde gel batteries are thin and may not be durable to mechanical challenges. might be a good idea to check on the operating temperature requirements for the battery. Gives a good reason to call Concorde... ask for a discount while buying the next one... Sounds unusual for a Concorde battery. If you can't charge it in the hangar, it probably has a dead cell. Nice GS! PP thoughts only, not a mechanic... Best regards, -a-

I would definitely try to fix the PC. Once fixed it is very reliable and very nice to have in IMC conditions. Also, at that point you can add a Britain Accutrack autopilot for little money. They show up for sale here once in a while. Additionally, and for added convenience, you can install a separate switch to turn the PC system on and off. I have it on my C and love it. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

You have a vernier throttle correct? There should be no creeping if unless the friction lock is loose or malfunctioning. Tighten it or get it fixed, it will come back to bite you some day. It might creep forward on descent, but in climb it will likely creep towards the closed position as soon as you reach for the gear, or make an adjustment o flaps or trim. A throttle that does not stay where it is set is not good.

If anyone has the opportunity and they have a fuel injected engine - I'd highly recommend doing a baby bottle test at next annual or whenever the injectors are next off (or, do them with the injectors on). It's very eye opening what the differences in throttle position and mixture position mean in terms of flow to the cylinders. It's helpful for me to visualize when I'm doing starts in various temperature conditions just how much fuel I think I'm putting in the cylinders. One caveat is to PTKs is that throttle position for 1000 rpm is slightly different with a hot engine compared to a completely cold engine. Not a whole lot, but noticeable. 201er makes a good point that waiting for fuel to vaporize can be a real bonus for easy starts.

I apply some common sense to draining mine. I rarely do it as I almost never find water in my wing tank drains and in 21 years of Mooney ownership have never had water in the gascolator sump of either of my Mooney's. If I ever find moisture in the wing tanks, then I drain the gascolator. If it's been quite a while since I drained it, I will do it for good measure. I also pull the unit apart during annuals and clean the screen. (Yes teejayevans, there's a screen in it). Agree on the dumping on the floor issue. I always place a clean pan underneath when I DO drain it so I can verify if there is any water or contaminants in it (again, I've never had anything in the gascolator in 21 years).

Ok with all the variation in technique next time we have a gathering with more than say 5 IO-360s, we need to have everyone try their own tested method or some other prescribed method to work out which is actually the most reliable. Almost like a "Hot-start-off". Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I heard the booms and watched everyone looking around and said "good luck finding the jet" to everyone around me. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

Sounds like witchcraft.

This kind of makes sense because my FF was fluctuating up and down as much as .5 gph and does seem to happen at higher altitude

I would expect Dave at the MSC in NJ has the experience. The acrylic plastic will continue to crack unless stop drilled. it is probably better to stop drill it and fill the drilled hole with silicone until until you can get the window replaced. The crack can continue in one direction or do a whole bunch of random changes of direction. There is a lot of air pressure on the windscreen generating the force needed to propagate the crack... Best regards, -a-

Some times taking more apart makes the job a lot easier.

Send a picture with the shirt on Alex! -a-

Is it back open to the public? I'll be flying down Friday morning and leaving Sunday. I just bought an air mattress and lantern today. I have a 10-person tent as well. I'm getting excited as I've been going for 10 years and this is my first that I'll be flying in. I'll be parking in vintage and will be making a MooneySpace t-shirt.

Took my wife and youngest son on their first ride in our Mooney. A short hop over to French Valley for a late lunch/early dinner. Pictures and the story are over on my blog. Put together a short video from the photos and videos my wife took on our phones. French Valley Dinner Run

Most "Vintage" owners have been where you are to varying degrees. I spent a LOT (to me) of AMU's on my hanger queen. It took a co-owner and about a decade to not only sort the "issues", but to also upgrade panel and firewall forward to make the plane a reliable cross-country machine. There are musts and there are wants. We have been "must free" for three annuals. That is a good and satisfying place to be. I bought a lot of "used" avionics that have all worked out. I saved a lot going down this route. I wish you success getting her back in the air. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately 50 year old machines, especially those that were idle, often require re-building and replacing of just about every system to achieve a level of reliability that rivals...60's vehicles. Is what it is. They are what they are. I still love my Mooney and tell her thank you as I turn out the light and close the hanger door. (Usually in a whisper, because I know she is tired from her 2-4 hour cross country trips and I don't want the neighbors to know what I already do-"That I am Plane nuts".