Leaderboard

Lets , see , Pumping 150 million into a sinking ship , and providing employment for Americans for 7 years losing money is treating the employees like "Dumb Americans" is an assanine statement , The employees , and all of us owners , owe them a huge debt of gratitude , for supporting the fleet these past 7 years...

Personally, I am getting tired of reading the bashing from people who not only don’t own an Aspen product, don’t even own a glass system of any kind. What people seem to forget that competition in this market place is an advantage for us consumers. Do you really think Aspen would have introduced the E5 if the G5 from Garmin hadn’t showed up? And why was the G5 introduced at all? To compete with the Aspen PFD. As well, I think Avidyne has helped check what would have been a steady exorbitant price increase in the GPS navigator space. As Mongo used to say: “Competition good, Monopoly bad”. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I am not sure who’s panel it is, it is one that I found on the interweb that was just for visual representation. I was just asking to find out if there was anything special that one did over the other. I completely understand knowing an instrument and wanting to keep it once you are comfortable with it. For me, I am looking to do either one as my new Bravo has the stock gauges, which I hate. They are falling apart, lights don’t work in half of them and am having weird readings from some of them. I am planning on doing the G500 NXI as I already have a 750. I like the idea of always having the engine parameters right in line of sight and not having to flip through pages to get to the info. So, I guess for me it would be down to the 930 or the smaller G3x that was dedicated to engine gauges. Anyone have experience with either and would care to share why they like their choice rather than the other, it would be much appreciated. Heres a pic of my Bravo that I am fixing up.

I do this route a couple of times a month. I do 26 LOP until I’m confident I’ll land with :90 minutes of fuel, I criss cross PR and Bahamas, the longest leg is obviously after Turks, they don’t let you fly closer to the DR, I’ve filed several times and always get it rejected. Due to customs and hassle, suggest to go to Miami area for refuel and go 24 lean - I’m thinking if winds ok you’ll make it. I go as high as practicable for engine out. Get an emergency beacon and wear it. Get a GARMIN global text device and wear it. Raft next to you. Wear the life jacket. Relief bags work best. I do it in 4-5 hours depending on winds. Beats AA Hope this helps Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Here it is ! Picked it up couple days ago. Everything works as expected so far. I'll probably make a few minor adjustments but I'm happy with it. If I have the ELT and hot prop voltage indicator moved I can juuust fit an Ipad mini in that blank area and I want to make flush mount fillers for the two vacant covered instrument holes. It's not GSXR level of cool yet but I'm working on it.

I feel badly for all the Mooney employees that have poured their hearts and souls into Mooney Aircraft (the actual name is not relevant). They deserve all the best for their efforts.

A hangar elf bent a an aluminum strip about 3/4 wide and 1/8 or less thick, into the same shape as the cover and epoxied (JB Weld or some such) on to the cover on mine. The screws through the aluminum do not wallow out the holes like plastic does.

https://www.feldhausmemorial.com/m/obituaries/Jonathan-Vannatta/

It's too bad that some people reacted negatively and bashed Aspen about this on this thread. When I was at Oshkosh last summer i found out that my Aspens were ready to be sent in for upgrading. I asked at the Aspen booth if there's anything else that my shop would need to do to install the upgraded units. They said they would need to run the audio wires and make sure that my EA-100 had software 1.2.

That's a very old picture of my panel two iterations ago. Since that time, I've added the Garmin GCU 485 and the GFC 500 autopilot. Behind even the above panel there are additional goodies; the GTS 800 active traffic box, the GDL 69A XM weather and audio box, the WX 500 Stormscope, the FS 210 and FX 510, and the Alpha Systems Eagle AOA with HUD display. The Garmin EIS wasn't out, yet, when I did my upgrade, but I wouldn't have gotten it anyway, since it takes up screen real estate and even on its dedicated page doesn't have all the information that the EI MVP 50 provides. It does provide an interface with the iPad for real time viewing of engine operation and uploading to Garmin Pilot. The new panel picture is shown below with several setups of the TXi display.

A magnetic sensor’s heading accuracy is degraded near the magnetic poles. From G500 Pilot’s Guide:

Today Was a GREAT day!

**UPDATE** Aspen called me back first thing this morning. David had very detailed notes as to their prior communications with the shop. I was informed that they have seen this particular issue (the Aspen 1000 Pro / EA100 installation works fine with the old Aspen unit but there is an AHRS failure with the new MAX unit) 7 or 8 times. They explained that when the original install was done, the installer may have not used the Ethernet cable Aspen supplies nor added additional shielding as per the installation instructions. The new MAX units are more sensitive to this lack of shielding, etc. I was given names of other shops to contact who may be able to help finish the job. Summary of relevant items to check: 1. Ethernet cable should have the following printed on it: CAT5-E MX100P-24. 2. Additional shielding as per the installation instructions. 3. EA100 must have SW version 1.2 or later.

The names or the vehicles?

I spend half my life flying the upper percentage around on private jets. I can tell you for sure that they are just like Mooneyspace folk, only more so. However, I have observed that fewer and fewer of them smoke.

Yesterday’s weather was 35F with winds at the ground <5kt. They were almost 25kt at 5000’ but smooth! It gave me a chance to play with the new Avidyne as well. Really like the IFD100 app running on the iPad mini.

As a recent owner of a M20K 231, with TIO360-GB engine, I learned that it would be very beneficial to install a Merlyn waste gate. So, this equipment is STC'ed by FAA but the manufacturer never requested for an EASA STC. I could, and actually, without difficulties, file for a BASIC EASA STC that has been granted 2 weeks after filing and this STC is granted to my aircraft only. This is possible for all FAA STC's (for private aircraft and only when there is no EASA or former national STC) as long as the modification doesn't impact the noise produced by your aircraft, which is the case for the Merlyn waste gate. Cost of this operation is about 250€ per STC and for this waste gate there exist 2 FAA STC. So, you have to double it. Anyway, I'm now a happy 231 rider, and confident that this investment will be beneficial to my engine (only 200h since MOH and installation of the Merlyn waste gate) and I think any GB engine owner should consider installing this item together with GAMI injectors. Thought that this would be interesting to share.

Here is what the IPC shows for a J trim chain cover. MS35206-226. Military Standard Machine Screw. Description: length: 1/4", thread: 6-32, pan head, cadmium plated carbon steel, coarse thread

Tried to get my info into my profile. Stub spar has corrosion, had a mooney center check the factory. All parts were on hand to assemble the stub spar. Planned to order next week. Looks like I might have to go a different direction.

I went in an Archer last year. Jet Aviation, about $50 total, overnight, no discount for taking fuel. Decided not to buy any at $9 per gallon. IMC on departure, gave me a heading to keep me out of the way of the faster departures, and the airliners were nice enough to call out pireps for the tops for me. My first landing at a class B airport.

The whole situation is such a mess. I agree that I feel worst for the factory workers. Beyond frustrating.

My plane is on annual so I took a picture

OK, so now I am not so sure about where the elevators rest when trimmed on all models But, it doesn't really matter -- the airplanes fly just fine and we decided that the drag is not significant Now, an interesting question is, "Why are the bungees there?" First, they are not an Al Mooney invention. The earlier Piper Supercub has a trimmable stabilizer with up and down bungees that are variable with trim position similar to the Mooney design (but much less elegantly implemented!). There are probably other examples. In another thread I recall a comment attributed to Bill Wheat that Al Mooney had said that the design allowed making the stabilizer (20%?) smaller which reduced drag. I've been thinking about that. The purpose of the tail is stability and control. Looking only at stability for the time being, the larger the tail the more stable the airplane is (and the wider its CG range). If the elevator floats (like say a C-172) then the tail loses some of its effectiveness and the stability is reduced. If the bungees acted as centering springs, they would reduce elevator float improving stability. This could allow for a smaller stabilizer. The standard method for comparing the stabilizer size between airplanes is a dimensionless coefficient called a "volume coefficient." The beauty of this abstraction is that it normalizes physical dimensions so that airplanes of different sizes can be compared. It is simply calculated: Horizontal tail volume coeff. = ((distance from CG to stabilizer 1/4 chord) x (stabilizer area))/((wing mean aerodynamic chord)x(wing area)) From the Mooney M20J service manual and POH: Horizontal tail volume coeff. = (155 x 21.5)/(59.18 x 174.786) = 0.322 Different sources have different suggestions about what this coefficient should be for a Mooney-type airplane, but the range seems to be about 0.3 to 0.7 so this is definitely on the low end. Edit: I looked at this again and I think there is an error here. From some measurements I took, it appears that the stabilizer area listed in the manual does not include the elevator area. If the elevator area (13.0 ft^2) is added to the stabilizer area (21.5 ft^2) the above calculation comes out to a coefficient of 0.517 which seems more reasonable. I found a reference that calculates a C-182 horizontal tail volume coefficient at 0.7, so this is still low. Ron @Blue on Top, any insights? Skip

They closed again today and send everyone home. I feel so sorry for those loyal workers. I might have the very last Mooney built in the world. S#33-0018. Let's hope it will not die for good. Perry

the guy yelling altitude through the headsets startled my wife on our last trip.

$2.75 M was 10 years ago - new... i bought mine for 500 k at 800 hours with an ESP that covers everything in maintainance a7 covers the HSI & new engines when u r ready for overhaul at 3500 hours !!

The F model was available to me as a clean, non-flying airplane. I took the opportunity to build a one of a kind F. I sought to build a relatively simple, stable instrument airplane that would not be a maintenance hog. I have all of the above in my plane, without the need for limit switches, unavailable gear springs, electric motors, etc... No need for tank selector tools as the selector valve is nor within reach, have push/pull controls, annunciator panel customized by me, Ovation style panel, Ovation yokes, bronze bearings on yoke tubes, one piece belly, Ovation interior with folding seats in the rear and fully articulating pilot and copilot seats, long range tanks, on board oxygen system from Ovation, access to avionics bay and to oxygen system either through left side or through the baggage compartment, Garmin glass avionics (G600, GTN 750, GTN 650, GTX 345, Ryan TCAD, WX500, XM Weather, S-TEC 60-2, Altitude preselector, ADSB In/Out, turbo normalizer, long range tanks, speed brakes, full set of back-up instruments.....I will stop there but many other additions are present beyond. All can be done. It just takes time and money... John Breda

I guess I've driven too many old trucks for this analogy to work. When I think of something handling like a truck, it means that you have to turn the wheel 90 degrees before you get any response at all. That would definitely NEVER be used to describe a Mooney. To me, the Mooney handles more like a go-kart. It takes a fair bit of force to turn the yoke very far, but any tiny movement makes the vehicle start to turn.

GOOD NEWS - the sale did not go through and I still own N113TN and I have decided to put on a brand new engine on the plane. this should help alleviate the concerns about the 2 prop strikes. I am hoping to get Mr Don Maxwell or Chandler Aviation to hang the new motor. this should also help me list it for a higher price and I will happy to offer seller financing. let me know if there are are any interested parties... on the other hand the new eclipse jet is awesome and amazing, planning to buy a second one soon. current numbers so far real life - KGEU KHND Vr 89, climb at 3500 - 4200 FPM, to 16,500 ft level in 4 min, cruise 385 KTAS at 17,500 VFR burning 70 GPH, descent 390 KTAS at 2500 FPM, absolutely worth it !!! cannot even feel the yaw on single engine out (simulated). the type rating was only 8k, the ac was 500k, with 20% down, my monthly payment is 3k a month with a dispatch rate of 99% ! if anyone is interested in more data, pics, videos, email me and I will be happy to share the google drive shared folder for Ur drooling pleasure

Rather than snaps I would suggest what I did which works very well. I found an aviation grade velcro (3M product) along with another 3M product which is applied to both the floor and velcro and acts to enhance adhesion. I can get 3M product number next time I am at the hangar. Once the clear liquid is applied, the Velcro will not come off. I put two strips of velcro, one across the floor just in front of the seat rails and another across the floor near the pedals. The rest of the carper goes under the seat and onto the floor in the rear without the need for any further velcro. The carpet stay put without the need to drill the floor or install any mechanical fasteners. Both the Velcro and 3M adhesive/clear liquid adhesive enhancer were purchased on Amazon. John Breda

If you get out of a Bonanza into a Mooney, you think the controls are heavy. If you get out of a Mooney and into a Bonanza, you will marvel how light the controls are. A couple hours of flying and you think the Mooney is stable and easy to fly, the Bonanza needs to be watched every second. After 10 or 25 hours in either, you wonder what the question was.

Shhh don't tell your friends the truth..Mooneys are for pilots who love to feel a direct connection to the plane, to wear it as it were as opposed to those pilots who's back seat passengers make the buying decisions. Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

Mr. Tom Hunnicutt and his lady, Jackie. I have extended an invitation for them to come to the Mooney Summit VIII. I was honored tonight to have dinner with these amazing people. Thanks again Tom for saving Mark Brandemuehl and allowing him and Jenny to have just a few more months. Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Took my wife's family to the Smithsonian Air and Space in Washington Dulles. 1.5 hours from Linden. Landed 19L. "Keep the speed up." Parked at Signature. Dinner at Fiorentino's at Lancaster on the way back.

Thanks for posting this. As I mentioned in another thread, I have used a number of avionics shops over the years. What this video shows is what I have seen with shops that cut corners. Choose your avionics shop carefully... As someone who works in the electronics industry, when a manufacturer specifies a requirement, it is because of our testing shows that environmental factors exist that may cause interference. That’s exactly what is happening here. I’ve posted this video before, but here is a video of the squelch opening up on my Garmin GTN because of interference from the remote indicator on my JPI 900. Should I blame Garmin because they didn’t shield their box well enough or should JPI be blamed for producing a product that emits electronic noise? The fix for the noise was a ferrite filter being installed on the remote indicator’s lead. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Not sure how much a stubspar is , but Williams or SRS can probably make one from the old one

It does work, just seems erroneous. The attitude indicator doesn't seem to track what's going on so I'm not sure if it's a GTX345 issue or an issue with the App.

I’ve got a J model in Angwin. Just send me a message if you’re interested in a test flight. I’m retired and available most days.

Pretty sure his photo is Don’s panel, pre-GFC 500.

RD, The seal for the fuel level sensor is a simple piece of rubber... Putting in on, requires handling the whole float device... Checking why it is stuck is more normal psychology of the old system... 50 year old fuel level gauges... While working on the step... check anything related to the old step. Any old grease in there may have turned into a rock... a good cleaning may be very helpful... grease and dirt may have not blended very well... PP thoughts only, not a mechanic... my M20C didn’t get a fancy electric step... Best regards, -a-

Oh, I don't think we'll ever run out of work for test pilots But my purpose in using tail volume is simply to compare the Mooney stabilizer sizing with other airplanes to test the hypothesis that the horizontal tail is smaller for less drag. So far, I have found it to be smaller than a C-182 (0.5 compared to 0.7). The Mooney stabilizer also appears smaller than average as shown in this excerpt from DeRaymer, Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach. So, I think there may be something to it. Skip

Ron, I was out by the hangar today, so I made some crude measurements. It's definitely a symmetrical airfoil, thinner at the tips and thicker at the root. I made the following measurements at the inboard rib rivet line: Chord: 44" Location of max thickness: 14" aft of LE Max thickness: 5" So, that would put the max thickness at 11.4% located at 32% of chord.. Given the crudeness of my measurements, that matches a NACA 0012 pretty well http://airfoiltools.com/airfoil/details?airfoil=n0012-il And, now when I look at it, it does look thick Skip

Here's what I did. I assume the shop followed the correct procedure (they told me they did) to set the pitch. When we got the plane I noticed that in cruise, the AI showed me to be about 3 degrees nose low. After flight I went into the setup mode and selected the pitch attitude settings. It showed an offset of -4.5 degrees. I changed it to -1.5 degrees. Now it's perfect. Shows us 3 degrees nose high on the ground and just about spot on perfectly level at normal cruise speed.

Paul is correct. You know how American, Japanese and German sedans all have a different steering feel but all get the job done...? Mooney is like a 3 series BMW - stiff but totally responsive. It takes a little force but almost no actual movement to roll during cruise / at speed.

I quite enjoy the handling of my E. Count me as one who prefers the pushrods vs cables. Once you have your Mooney flying along trimmed well it my as well be on rails. The one thing I am not too enamored with is our iddy-biddy rudder. Mooney lengthened the rudder somewhat in later models, though I have little time in them for a direct comparison. Its not terrible, but I feel like I need more in strong or gusty winds, forward slips, and that also results in a bit of a jumpy handling tracking centerline once the nosewheel is down. Of the airplanes I have flown, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in a larger turboprop Beech which gave me a lot of respect for their engineering and handling. If I had the means and were shopping for an airplane today I would probably go Bonanza, and I will get all the flames for this but its because we are now a family of 3+dog and a short-body Mooney -- as does any 4 place airplane -- runs out of space quickly. I've been very happy with flying a Mooney for the reasons I first bought it for (2 people, traveling, some occasional unpaved). I would rather not own a PA-28 or C172 of any sort.

Continued our winter flying safari southbound on New Year’s Day flying from Los Mochis. We were headed for Guadalajara but it quickly turned into a wild bronco ride in IMC. Just around Culiacan we lost GPS signal on both GPS navigators. Even tried a portable with same. I found we were only receiving one satellite - one directly over head. We announced it to ATC as we set up for VOR Nav - that got the rust off fast. ATC first said a Centurion 10 mi ahead but lower was getting signal okay. Soon as he said that he came back and said the Centurion was also now not receiving GPS. I was confident we were being jammed from prior experience down here - not intentionally. Sure enough in 15-20 min we had it back. Last year we had a similar experience but it was only VFR but IMC makes it quite a bit more sporting. But the winds grew to 74 kts, mostly direct x-wind and we couldn't find an altitude through the pineapple Express we were running into. So we diverted to Mazatlan and did the ILS approach with the GS out. It was raining - not to bad, just enough to limit the vis to 3 mile. Once down, had to wait 10 min for the rain to lighten enough to open the door without totally getting drenched. No enroute pictures because of the wx, just a wet plane on the ground. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mistress is expensive y’all. Driving base model econobox helps offset

Showing true Mooney CB status...spend thousands to fly round trip from home in SoCal to Virginia (Hampton Roads Airport, KPVG) and then get the cheapest rental clown car they offered.

66 E 09 987S