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Showing content with the highest reputation on 03/14/2021 in all areas

  1. My issue 3 months ago.......left mag failure in flight. Engine suddenly ran rough. Switched from “both” through R and L positions..... wowie! L mag would not operate engine. Backfires, spitting and coughing. Ok, got it, yikes, don’t even think about returning to left mag or both. Switched to right mag and headed back to airport. Per Aero Accessories (Van Nuys, CA), capacitor failure. No charge to diagnose and replace. All is well once more.
    5 points
  2. Update on N6744U... ...Not much. The past six months have been hectic for me. I've been busy working as an aerial survey pilot in a 172 working on a project on the east coast, in a different hotel room every night. The plus side is I was within 2 hours of home, so if there ever was a stretch of bad weather, it was cheaper for my boss to buy gas and let me fly home versus having me sit in a hotel for days on end. Also, my mechanic was cheaper than most guys on the road for scheduled maintenance, so two reasons to visit home. I've only flown the Mooney once or twice in the past few months and I feel guilty. We flew the piss out of these planes. In January, I flew 142 hours in a 30-day period. We were averaging about 8.0 Hobbs a day, my longest being a 10.5. With that, I eclipsed 1200 hours total time, which put me past Part 135 hiring mins. And that played a crucial part shortly thereafter- Since December I've been on every online hiring board trying to find a more permanent job. Survey was fun, but you got paid per flight hour, so a 10-day stretch of weather means you are eating beans for two weeks. Plus, I haven't had health insurance in close to two years now and IRS 1099 plain sucks. While out on the road, I found a job posting for a Cessna 208 Caravan pilot position for a Part 135 on-demand cargo operator in the Northeast. I am familiar with the operator as two of my very close friends fly for them and visiting them up in Maine, I've been able to talk to them about the job and they have had absolutely nothing bad to say about it. So I applied online and called my friend. "Hey," I said. "Wiggins is hiring. I just put in an application." My friend replied: "DUDE! Send me your resume, I'll go walk it into the chief pilots office right now!". The next day, while over South Carolina at 3,000 feet and listening to the Spice Girls, my phone rings and its got a 207 area code- New Hampshire. The base state of Wiggins. I scrambled to answer it while holding on my survey line with my knees. I'm yelling over the roar of the engine and tornado of wind that exists due to the 12" hole in the floor. "HELLO!?...." a friendly female introduced herself as HR and wanted me to do a video chat interview in two days. I was ecstatic! My coworker and I drove to a Mens Wearhouse that afternoon and with my last $100 I bought a dress shirt, tie, and blazer. No pants. Because why? The interview went smoothly. They asked me one question- 'how did you get into aviation?' I spent about 7 minutes giving them a love story. I told them about the Mooney. The endless nights of ramen noodles. My experience ferrying from California to Florida and my family who are all pilots. That must have resonated with the chief pilot because he loved it. They offered me a conditional job offer, and even better- a choice of bases! I chose Bangor, ME because of the friends I have up there. A week later, my replacement was hired and I spent a day with him in the 172. I felt great, not only for moving onto something bigger and better, but the fact my 1200-hour self wasn't hogging the great hour-building experience that is survey. Something that would better benefit a 250-hour guy (who my replacement was). I got him squared away and went home to pack. I quickly decided against bringing the Mooney up at first and would come back to get it once I get settled in. So I packed both of my cars and my girlfriend drove my Toyota and followed me in my Mustang. I can't live without my Mustang- its too damned fun to drive but I also knew I didn't want to drive it in the salt nor would it last long before ending up in a ditch with Florida summer performance tires on it. So we drove both and I'll keep the Mach 1 parked until spring. 10 hours to our first stop in Norfolk, VA where my sister lives. I visited her for a day, also got to see the BB-64 U.S.S WisKy (I love naval history and ww2 ships) and continued the rest of the 10 hours to New Hampshire for indoc. Getting past Delaware, I saw snow for the first time in a long time. And first time driving in it. I'm sure I was getting a lot of looks with my Florida plates and a Mustang doing 40mph in New Hampshire while I was getting passed by everyone in a Tahoe and 4WD trucks. I took the Toyota up to Maine on my first weekend off to scout for an apartment and got caught in what I call a snow storm but some of you probably call a sunday afternoon. Roads slushed over, even with brand-new All-Season tires on my FWD car, it still broke loose at 20mph. I lived, got to experience Maine some and went back to NH to finish indoc. Training went well. 8 days of Hazmat, company policy, 135 ops and requirements, icing basics, and all the basic paperwork stuff. I got to sit in the airplane and realize how much over my head it seemed I was in. All 1,400 hours I currently have are in 1960s airplanes with their factory panels. I've got maybe 4-5 hours behind a GNS430, and my only 3 GPS approaches are from my multi checkride two years ago. Turbine operations, G1000, autopilot, A/C, FIKI, and of course Part 135 rules- made this seem daunting. After indoc, they airlined me over to FlightSafety International in Wichita, KS for three days of ground school and five days in their Level-D simulators. So far we've done everything from basic VFR hand flying to feel the weight of the plane to IFR approaches down to minimums on the fully coupled AP with the wings fully iced over, generator offline, and half of the displays blacked out. I've also accidentally shut down the entire G1000 suite on an approach when I closed a guarded backup switch and introduced a failure that I, nor the instructor, had planned on, but I got points for quickly going to the "steam gauges" as my hand quickly undid the last action I took to get everything back online. So quite fun so far. I've had instances of the FD trying to take me elsewhere and I'm sure I was telling it to do something wrong, but almost to the FAF I didn't have time to fart with it- so I just hit the AP disconnect and looked at my paper charts and hand-flew the rest of the VOR approach. The instructor gave me props for reverting back to "what I know" and hand flying. But I know I have to learn the G1000 system better. I've downloaded two books on it and spend most of my free time in the hotel room reading about shortcuts and ways to make it work for me. (This next shot was last 15 minutes left of our session- we decided to have a little break and do some STOL competition in Alaska. Got it down and stopped in 600feet) I return to Manchester tomorrow and starting next week I get my first taste of flying the real airplane with an instructor. But one thing has surely stuck in my mind- this higly dictated, scheduled world of Part 135 sure does not seem like fun flying. I know I have to get the Mooney up here ASAP. I'll need a break from flying and go flying to clear my mind from flying with some good flying.
    5 points
  3. Hello from the pi-plane. An irrational number of wings. Any special pi day activities today? I am going to try and mow a 100-dimensional sphere. Which has some major difficulties. A beautiful -and believe it or not a highly relevant and very important concept called - concentration of measure. E
    3 points
  4. Basic Member 40 96 posts SAVE THE DATE: Registration and Hotel Information coming soon... The 8th Annual Mooney Caravan Formation Flying Clinic is back at KHYI (San Marcos, TX) on Friday, May 21st, to Sunday, May 23rd, 2021. Weather Back up Date (if required): TBD FBO: Berry Aviation at KHYI: (512) 353-2379 Meeting Area: CAF Hanger (at East end of Ramp) Contact: Bucko Strehlow 3 Bitterblue Lane San Antonio, TX 78218 (210) 887-0144 bucko.strehlow@gmail.com Purpose: Train pilots to safely perform formation flying using classroom briefings and actual aircraft in actual conditions. The clinic provides a professional learning format, with pre and post flight briefings, along with skilled observer pilots helping to conduct the clinic and riding in the training aircraft. The Mooney Caravan organization is dedicated to facilitating a safe and enjoyable formation mass arrival flight into AirVenture Oshkosh each year, as well as developing opportunities (such as these clinics) throughout the year to get together and fly our fantastic airplanes. Our participants share a strong sense of camaraderie and the friendship’s born via our common interests in aviation and Mooney aircraft, spanning the continent and the entire year between Oshkosh Caravan flights. The enjoyment and enthusiasm which we all experience at AirVenture doesn’t wear off; we keep it going throughout the year! Why you should do it (Check all that may apply): 1. Because IT WILL BE A LOT OF FUN !!! 2. To learn new skills and make yourself a better pilot. 3. To be able to fly into Oshkosh in an organized group (with the Mooney Caravan), and with more safely than using the FISK arrival. (Note: this is totally optional. A lot of you may not even be going to KOSH this year, but this will hopefully plant the seed and you can join us in the future.) Schedule: Clinic starts at 0800 on Friday, May 21st at 0800 at the CAF Hanger Homework: Download and read the "FFI Formation Guidelines and Standard Procedures" and "The Mooney Caravan Formation Guide" prior to attending the clinic. It can be downloaded from ffi.aero and mooneycaravan.com websites respectively, from a links in the "Training" section. Newbies: Watch the Video of the ground training (filmed at an earlier San Marcos/ KHYI Clinic) also in the training section of the website. I know: there is a lot of information there. The important items will be reviewed at the Basic Formation Ground School on Friday morning, but you need to have read theses training materials so that the information presented at the briefing will be somewhat familiar to you. For non Mooney pilots, or anyone interested in working on their FAST/FFI card ratings, download and read the "Red Star Training Guide" from the website www.flyredstar.org or FFI Guide at ffi.aero. Note: If you have not read a Guide (Mooney, FFI, or Red Star) prior to coming to the clinic, you may not fly in the clinic. I have been going to go to Oshkosh for many years, but was always landing at satellite airfields because I did not enjoy the VFR/ FISK arrival. Having done multiple Formation Flying Clinics in Yuma, AZ, El Paso, TX, Kerrville, TX, Kansas, Missouri, and San Marcos, TX, I have now flown with the Mooney Caravan and arrived in style and safety at KOSH for six times in the past 7 years. (Sadly, COVID forced the cancellation of Oshkosh 2020.) Warning: This type of flying is both fun and very addicting: I have flown over 100 formation hours every year since 2015 as part of multiple elements (2 ships, 3 ships, and 4 ships). Texas has a lot of people participating in this activity and many opportunities abound to fly together. Tailwinds and High Speed; Bucko (Sandman) Strehlow M20-E
    3 points
  5. Someone told me a long time ago when I was shopping for my first plane, “the last time anyone asks about a Mooney’s useful load is before they buy one”. I didn’t really know what that meant at the time. I think I do now... I would love to be one of the first to buy the stc for the new landing gear if it ever happens.
    3 points
  6. I have "franken-panel". When I replaced the KFC 150 with a GFC500, I installed the GI275 as a "standby ADI". The GI275 provides AHRS data to the autopilot. It displays flight director command bars. The Aspen does not any more but it does show course and GS info from the GPS, etc. The GI275 can be switched to HSI, HSI Map, Map only, or CDI. After a few hours of getting used to it, I find it to be better than I anticipated. I was going to upgrade at some point to a G3X but I'm reconsidering just adding a second GI275 and calling it a day.
    3 points
  7. Yep, I got my Private and Instrument from Tom. I'd been interviewing CFI's and flew with a couple of them and then found Tom. I always say on top of being the consummate teacher, Tom had the confidence in his own skills, to let me fly the airplane. Once I could taxi without knocking over mail boxes, Tom almost never touched the controls again. Once after a long and difficult lesson, I was trying to get back to 5TX0 and land 16. I was long and went around. The second time I was long again and went around. I told Tom I was tired and just didn't have it in me to make this landing. He sat there napping with the arms crossed and ankles crossed, leaning up against the door, and said, "I'm getting paid by the hour, you'll figure it out eventually." I nailed the third attempt easily. His confidence gave me confidence.
    3 points
  8. I don't have anything on the Mooney list, my plane is everything I am looking for now and in the future. However, thinking ahead about 15 years where hopefully retirement is for me, I would love to give it a friend in the hangar, a tail dragger with big tires to get in and out of some back country strips.
    3 points
  9. You and me both, brother.
    3 points
  10. this is an odd way to get a response to what you might be asking... Notice the MSer above you handling a matter privately... GU landings 30 some odd years ago... is kind of ancient history... A PPI takes care of how well any repairs have been made... a Log book review can get you to the point of making plans to have a PPI done... If your intention is to learn about the plane in order to purchase... you want to work on your delivery... If your intention is to trash an item for sale on MS... call it successful, move on... Expect that every buyer has to do their due diligence... Trashing somebody else’s plane for sale won’t be helpful for anyone... PP thoughts only, some planes don’t get advertised here specifically for this reason... Best regards, -a-
    2 points
  11. On a lark, I picked up a used copy of the Golden Science Guide book on Flying by Barry Schiff, published in 1971. It's a kid's book on flying physics, techniques, and procedures -- it reads a lot like a primer version of the PHAK. Really well-written and compact. It turns out that Mooneys feature prominently on both the cover and the contents! I was able to make out six different tail numbers identifying a bunch of 1968 M20s and two Mustangs. Some of these planes show up in other advertisements and appear to have been factory demonstrators. Tail numbers are: N6764N, 1968 M20E N3271F, 1968 M20F N2722W, 1966 M22 N3522X, 1966 M22 N6796N, 1968 M20C N3293F, 1968 M20G Couple of photos here on the post, but I took photos of all of the Mooneys and dropped them into this album: Golden Science Flying book by Barry Schiff - Mooneyspace.com - A community for Mooney aircraft owners and enthusiasts, open it up to see the rest. The book is available through Abe here: Flying by Barry Schiff, Softcover - AbeBooks (Note, the AbeBooks search is really not all that great, so poke around on the site to find a copy.)
    2 points
  12. Not how hacking started. hacking started back in the day at Bell Labs. During lunch time they would have program wars that would see how much one program could eat another programmers program.
    2 points
  13. All this documentation was before we had engine monitors. I lean using the engine monitor on climbs as well as cruise. The manufacturer gets the last word because they know the installation, in particular the cooling ability. I question either manufacturer’s motivation: Mooney wants performance first, and engine to last long enough they’re not going to have warranty claims. Engine manufacturer the same, but would be better if engines didn’t make it to TBO, parts are a profitable part of the business. My motivation is to get the engine to go beyond TBO, maximizing MPG while maintaining 150 knots TAS in the safest possible way. Regarding oil changes, you can’t change the oil too frequently. It depends on the timing of my long cross country trips, I change oil every 30-50 hours and couldn’t care less about what the manufacturers recommends.
    2 points
  14. To Anthony's point, here is my down lock block, along with a new one from the first batch. Note the shelf worn in the old block
    2 points
  15. Yep I have a left one. If you need it, I’ll be happy to send it to you so you can get to where you need to. Call if you like 214.675.5092... -Don
    2 points
  16. I have an Avidyne IFD550 and, as a point of reference, mine was sold and installed by a high volume Aviynde dealer. It was a new install, so it was not dependent on 20+ year old wiring, cabling and antennas, and whatever 430/530 install corners that were cut, prior to WAAS upgrades. My com radio is 5/5 and works well even inside my hangar. On a previous airplane I did slide-in replacements with no problems, but this was on a factory installed 530W & 430W. I can imagine how frustrating it is for the customer and for Avidyne on slide-in replacements when the previous installs cut corners on wiring and cabling, or when someone does an install and doesn't follow the installation manual completely. My experience with Avidyne has been a 10 out of 10 since 2014 when I bought an early IFD540. Any time that I have had a question they have been extremely responsive and even on a software upgrade that went wrong they patiently helped me to get it right. On customer service for me they have been everything that Garmin isn't.
    2 points
  17. At this stage you’d be money ahead to add a Garmin 275 instead of the second aspen screen. This will allow you to remove your steam backup gauges and set up for a future gfc500 upgrade down the road. A strange idea I know but it looks like the most efficient path right now.
    2 points
  18. I pretty much have my forever plane. Once the AI G5, Trutrak, and Electric Step goes in, it's maintain it. Fix a few small fuel tank seeps, plan a top OH, then paint are about the main items I'd consider. She's running great right now so Top OH will only happen when a cylinder issue starts showing up. Since the bottom was IRAN about 600 hrs ago with the new prop, I'm hopeful she has a lot of hrs left... David sold me a great flyer... -Don
    2 points
  19. What price do you put on YOUR life? How good is your mental picture of your situational awareness with no moving map? When I got my instrument rating with a pair of VORs and an ADF, the mental picture was pretty sparse. As an example, you may remember when ATC screwed up and vectored an American Flyers airplane into a mountain in LA nearly 30 years ago (they forgot about the plane). With the minimal equipment the 172 had at the time, even though as an instrument pilot your'e supposed to always maintain situational awareness, a couple of VOR needles really wasn't much of a help. Today, something like that should never happen. With a moving map with terrain enabled, the pilot could have alerted ATC that they were headed into a mountain. There's never too much avionics in the cockpit. Every piece helps in establishing your situational awareness. If you have multiple backups to multiple items all the better. And flip flop radios are better and reduce pilot workload. Yes, the KX 170B was a good radio--30 years ago. Today there is much better. Remember, the more you can get done in a given amount of time when IMC the better. Flip flop radios, especially two of them assist to that end. And, yes, you should practice "dive and drive" LNAV approaches requiring multiple power and altitude changes to assist a student in being able to do more in a given amount of time, but the era of dive and drive approaches in real life is nearly gone with the advent of WAAS receivers. So, in my opinion, a new instrument student should have everything in his/her bag of tricks that they can afford to keep both themselves and their future passengers as safe as possible. That means spending what it takes. In this day and age that means at least 2 electronic attitude indicators, 1 flip flop radio (two are much better, though), and a WAAS GPS with VOR/ILS Nav capability. Also, an iPad for both backup and easy briefing and filing.
    2 points
  20. There are several instrument panels that get sold for 100amu What they are attached to can vary... M20Es make really nice forever-planes... Somebody opined... back in the 1970s... they would never put a new radio in a plane like that... because the new radio cost as much as the airframe... That poor sap flew around without any nav equipment because his plane didn’t deserve it... The nav equipment is for the PIC... not the plane... If one PIC deserves it, and paid for it... there will be another PIC that would like the same... Use caution... this logic can work well for about 20years... before the panel becomes hopelessly old by comparison to new stuff... Best regards, -a-
    1 point
  21. Some things just don’t get responses... Often, we can accidentally step on somebody’s toes without knowing what we did or how we did it... There is no way to gauge when we have made a subtle mistake... That would take a ton of reading backwards... While there is still a ton of reading forwards to get through... Do your best to maintain respect for everybody... Every now and then expect that you have dropped the ball too... it happens. So many things can be interpreted / misinterpreted in multiple ways... We are not all in the same age range, working for the same company, living in the same country, or even speaking the same primary language... apologize and move on... accept an apology and move on... be forgiving and move on... If it is important, ask for clarification... If it isn’t important... decide on how best to move on... In the end... we still want to be here tomorrow... Best regards, -a-
    1 point
  22. Happy pi day all..! I ate the proper lunch to match the day... Pizza. -a-
    1 point
  23. One should eat some pizza pie on pi day. And you should fly a four bladed fire breathing beast on pi day as well.
    1 point
  24. Possibly I’m naive.......maybe initiate communication with some vendors ahead of the show, inquiring whether they might be offering discounts (even ask what discount level) on your desired products at the show. In many cases, it doesn’t hurt to ask ( always exceptions to that rule ). It couldn’t be worse than pulling teeth......
    1 point
  25. I’m sure you realize that the phrase comes from the flying ball speed regulator on stationary steam engines. If you were running at top speed, you were running with the “balls out” or “balls to the walls” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_governor https://jalopnik.com/heres-why-balls-to-the-wall-is-actually-an-engineering-1790023623
    1 point
  26. I guess I don't understand the fascination with formation flying, given the amount of accidents that occur every year. Dissimilar airplanes, with untrained pilots, are a recipe for disaster. Real formation flying requires a lot of education and a thorough briefing before hand. I've see a lot of these impromptu formation flights leaving Spruce Creek, and they are scary.
    1 point
  27. If you have 25 degree timing, make sure you have the correct mag drive gear if you order the surefly.
    1 point
  28. I'm very interested in what if anything, the Aspen is contributing to the experience now with the GI275 and GFC500. Do you control GPSS on/off on the GI275 or the Aspen? If you move the heading bug on the Aspen, does the GFC500 follow it? I'm curious about all the things the Aspen/GFC500 might do. Or does the Aspen just display what the airplane is doing and doesn't have any control over anything now?
    1 point
  29. No real reason to hack the avionics in the plane. It is very easy to phreak the Navaids and scramble the GPS signal.
    1 point
  30. Piper Seneca IV and do some stuff in the panel to make it lighter. Most importantly, fly at least 100 hours per year and every 6 months do some OEI practice.
    1 point
  31. Hi David, You might message Hammdo as I put a SureFly on the left mag position before delivering the airplane to him. He has a left shower of sparks mag on the shelf. It’s worth asking. Thanks, David
    1 point
  32. The Lycoming manual says "Approved by the FAA" on the front page, so somebody might argue that it supercedes, but I think it'd be a bit of a stretch to do so with respect to the POH. The manufacturer's instructions are supposed to be authoritative, especially the Maintenance Manual, which for airplanes often doesn't include a lot about the engine. The aircraft AFM/POH limitations section is FAA Approved, which should have the aircraft-specific relevant engine limits in it. Otherwise the engine manufacturer's documents apply in areas where the aircraft manufacturer doesn't provide guidance, and most seem to not include very much engine stuff for this reason, so that the engine manufacturer's documents apply beyond aircraft-specific limits. My fave go-to docs are the legal opinions written by the FAA lawyers, which would be easy to bring a relevant one into a courtroom if necessary as an authoritative document. My fave example of those is the Coleal opinion which says pilots must use "good judgement" in determining what Preventive Maintenance is. That's a powerful FAA legal opinion to be able to have on your side. I think about this stuff a lot, since it appeals to my engineering side, too, and as long as I have a relevant document to point to that supports what I'm doing, I'm confident I can defend my actions if necessary. So, yeah, if the Manufacturer's POH says you can do something, it'd be pretty tough for somebody to argue that you can't do that. Even though the POH says to change the filter every 50 hours, it might be hard to argue you can't wait until 100 since the Lycoming manual suggests that you can do that. My POH says it the other way, that you can run the oil for 100 hours as long as you change the filter every 50. If it gets down to hair-splitting then it may be unlikely to be something you could have properly anticipated, anyway, just IMHO. There are so many of these relevant documents that say different things or flat out contradict each other that it's a bit nuts, but I think it also provides opportunity for diversity in opinion and practice. I think it's also why if you ask three different IAs about something you might get four different answers.
    1 point
  33. Here's what Lycoming says about oil servicing, filters, and metal analysis. FWIW- both Lycoming and Continental are far less worried about metal in the oil than we are. SB480F Oil ServicingMetallic Solids Identification .pdf
    1 point
  34. Welp, now that i've set my mind on installing a Dynon HDX with a TruTrak autopilot, you can guarantee nothing will get certified.
    1 point
  35. Today’s Most Positive Outlook award, goes to Nav..! One of these days... it’s going to pay off! -a-
    1 point
  36. How vulnerable the systems are is largely a function of how well the systems were engineered to resist attack. They could be very secure with WiFi and BlueTooth enabled, or they could be vulnerable to simple attacks made when you update the database every month. WiFi or BT do provide additional means of entry, but you're required to provide a means of entry every month when you update the databases even if you have WiFi and BT turned off. I haven't heard of any systems being compromised yet, but it is possible that they're all completely compromised and just waiting for the GPS date and time to hit the point where they all fail at once. Personally I don't worry about it. It is good practice to maintain reasonable diligence for failures and spoofs, anyway, so having backup and fall-back strategies is still a good idea, imho.
    1 point
  37. For fun... When you think a question hasn’t been asked before.... https://mooneyspace.com/search/?q=Hour meter acclaim&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy&search_and_or=and Best regards, -a-
    1 point
  38. I use the old ones in our basement CO detectors, sitting on a shelf.... they last forever for that application and the detector will beep at you when they go bad. Makes me feel like I’m really getting my money out of them.
    1 point
  39. In the class, George explained, and showed us, how they'd put temp probes into the housing of the turbo where the oil is held to measure the oil temperature, and did the same with bearing its self. Then with the ability to record the temp of the oil around the turbo and the bearings in the turbo, they went and flew the plane. They found that the bearings and the oil is at it's coolest temps on landing. There was no further reduction in temps during the taxi and actually would heat back up if you sat for 5 minutes at idle power. So since a cooler turbo bearing is better. Shut it down as soon as you get to parking. You can't get the temperature any lower with the engine running. It also makes the line guy happy that he doesn't have to stand there for 5 min holding the chocks, waiting for the prop to stop spinning
    1 point
  40. Make sure they are the same voltage: most are 14V but some are 28V. I believe the only differences between the KAP and KFC 150s are the computer and the attitude gyro. There would be some wiring additions between the KI256 and the KC192 to connect up the flight director. Once that’s done, connecting the Aspen FD is only a few wiring changes according to the Aspen install manual. I would talk to someone that has actually done this, but from the diagrams it doesn’t look complicated. I’m not sure what paperwork you would need to make the installation legal. Another good question for a avionics shop. Skip
    1 point
  41. I’ve found the best way to deal with the cold is to move to Arizona. Joking aside, when in Denver, APA (outside under a shelter) I would plug in the Tanis (oil pan pad and each cylinder) heater the night before. Then use a hot air through the cowl flaps in the morning. Never really felt the need to preheat the interior.
    1 point
  42. When the drain line gets a hole in it, you get a very messy engine. It will seep and drip for hours after shut down. I don’t see any of that. It is probably the injector directly above it, up chucking a little fuel through its air bleed. Some do that some times. It is a bit of a mystery as to why.
    1 point
  43. On a simple 4-cylinder engine, the Mooney squeezes out quite a bang for the buck. The following compares the 201 model comfort, load, performance, efficiency and safety to other aircraft. Enjoy! Comfort One common misconception is that the Mooney ain’t the most roomy plane around. People have said that the cabin feels cramped. Despite that claim, the Mooney is still bigger than most four-seater planes. Check this out: Aircraft Cabin Width Cabin Height Mooney 201 43.5″ 44.5″ Beechcraft V35 Bonanza 42.0″ 50.0″ Cessna 182 42.0″ 48.0″ Piper Arrow 41.0″ 45.0″ As you can see, the Mooney has the widest cabin among all of these aircraft. But, it also happens to have the shortest cabin height, which is probably why it has the reputation for being somewhat cramped inside. Nevertheless, it’s a reputation that’s hardly deserved. Utility Let’s take a look at the load-hauling capabilities of various airplanes: Aircraft Useful Load Payload w/Full Fuel Beechcraft V35 Bonanza 1270 lbs 826 lbs Mooney 201 1100 lbs 716 lbs Cessna 182 1219 lbs 691 lbs Piper Arrow 960 lbs 572 lbs Ok, the Mooney is obviously not as good of a load hauler as a Bonanza, but you have to look more closely to see that it actually is…the funny thing about the Bonanza is that if you take off with full fuel and four passengers, as you burn off fuel the center of gravity moves aft of the limit! The Bonanza has a very narrow CG range. So, unless your Bonanza is equipped for in-flight refueling, the Mooney ends up being able to haul a bigger load farther in the end. And when the tanks are topped off, the Mooney even beats the Cessna 182 in terms of the crap you can carry. Not too shabby for a “smaller” plane. Performance and Efficiency Since we’re talking about topping off tanks, let’s get down to the real heart of the Mooney’s superiority. Regardless of what the factory claims (169 knots), my 1977 Mooney 201 cruises at 160 KTAS at 8000′ at 70% power. This is while sipping a mere 10.5 gallons per hour of 100LL. Let’s take a look at performance figures for various aircraft (all figures represent 75% power, leaned to best economy, VFR reserve; the trip cost is calculated with a fuel price of $2.50 per gallon): Aircraft HP Climb Rate Usable Fuel Cruise Consumption Endurance Range Mi. per Gallon 500nm Trip Mooney 201 200 1030 fpm 64 gal 160 kts 10.5 gph 5:35 895 nm 15.2 $82 Piper Arrow 200 831 fpm 72 gal 137 kts 10.5 gph 6:20 870 nm 13.0 $96 Beechcraft V35 Bonanza 260 1150 fpm 74 gal 160 kts 14.0 gph 4:45 765 nm 11.4 $109 Cessna 182 230 924 fpm 88 gal 140 kts 13.5 gph 6:00 842 nm 10.4 $121 As you can see, the Mooney flies circles around its competition in the performance and efficiency category. The Mooney literally covers more distance in less time using less fuel! Why is this so? How does a Mooney manage to squeeze out that kind of performance from just a 200 hp four-banger? It all comes down to design. The Mooney is one of the cleanest planes out there (pre-composite era, of course). The 201 cowl and aerodynamic cleanup was a major accomplishment on the part of Roy LoPresti and Mooney. Here’s a great comparison of various lightplanes and their respective dragginess: Parasite Drag Coefficients & Flat Plat Area Aircraft CDP Flat Plate Area (sq. ft.) Mooney 201 0.017 2.81 Beech Bonanza 0.019 3.47 Piper Arrow 0.027 4.64 Cessna 182 0.031 5.27 Beech Sierra 0.034 5.02 Piper Warrior 0.034 5.83 Cessna 172 0.036 6.25 Cessna 152 0.038 6.14 Beech Skipper 0.049 6.36 Piper Tomahawk 0.054 6.64 Handling The Mooney’s handling is, in a word, impeccable. With control rods all around, the plane responds immediately to the slightest input from the pilot. Yet when you trim the plane up, it flies completely hands-off! You really don’t even need an autopilot (although it’s irreplaceable for IFR flight). Also, despite what people say, Mooneys are not hard to land, and they’re not difficult to slow down. As long as you stay ahead of the aircraft and plan your descents and power changes, it’s trivial. Speed brakes definitely aid pilots in getting Mooneys down more quickly without having to chop power (although there’s still quite a bit of debate over whether or not shock cooling is really a factor) or pick up excessive speed (although the yellow arc and redline in my 201 are very liberal), but I don’t have speed brakes and I don’t feel like I need them. Still, I’m sure any Mooney pilot will tell you that the Mooney really separates the good from the bad, in terms of the pilot at the controls. Safety When you address the issue of safety, the Mooney 201 is one of the safest planes in the sky according to the statistics. The Mooney’s steel tube rollbar cabin frame provides exceptional structural integrity. I have read countless articles and have seen photos that provide evidence of this. People have walked away from crashes in Mooneys where the cabin remained intact, saving their lives. In most other aircraft it would not have ended that way… Also, I’ve heard people talking about the Lancair’s strength, and how the test rig broke before the wing spars did. Yeah, yeah, whatever. Little known fact: the same thing happened at Mooney. Mooney factory engineers broke a static test fixture at 9.3 Gs while trying a destructive test on the J model wing. Anyway, you’re not going to break a Mooney! So there you have it. That’s just a handful of the reasons why I love owning a Mooney. Sure, there are quirks, like with any other aircraft, but at this point in my life (until I can afford a TBM-700, Meridian, or Pilatus) the Mooney is perfect for me.
    1 point
  44. So does that count as a "gear up" landing? They were pointing UP for quite a while . . . .
    1 point
  45. Thanks Cliff. I could read that info again and again and never tire from it.
    1 point
  46. Its not the source of the material you're having but learning how to work with the material. These, like the majority of airframe parts, require final trimming to install because of the nature of our hand made airframes. The main source of windows and lenses is, but it's also where LASAR and Mooney get them: https://www.glapinc.com/Mooney/m20K.htm But recognize you can't use a regular drills for wood and metal to drill acrylics without continuing to crack them. You'll need to follow the drilling and trimming instructions located on their website here: http://www.glapinc.com/instructions/index.htm#general Specifically, though many of prefer to use a single unibit drill for drilling different sized holes in acrylics - they make it simple and easy and don't require multiple drilles - see this more detailed except of 43.13.1b they provide: http://www.glapinc.com/instructions/pdf/AC43.131BChapter3.pdf
    1 point
  47. If the description of the engine and the price are on the same page... You can consider it as being factored in... Otherwise... all pre-flown Mooneys would start with brand new prices... This will help you organize your negotiations... Cull your selections carefully this way... There is a real shortage of Mooneys on the market lately... we are starting to see the return of 2007 prices...again... Still a pretty good deal... 2007 prices are 14 years old... Best regards, -a-
    1 point
  48. I wonder the same thing. I was in contact with Aerovonics before uAvionics bought them with a request for a software update. The response from Aerovonics was to not expect the AOA to work on a Mooney. That doesn't really bother me because I bought it for the timer, TAS, and mems AI functions. There is obviously a bug in the TAS calculation code, because it doesn't calculate it correctly I've e-mailed uAvionics three times. First time I got a "I'll pass your request to engineering..." with no reply. The next two e-mails both received no replies. Wish they would reply to legitimate customer questions - they should. At our Mach numbers the constant of proportionality between IAS and TAS with a few decent assumptions is sqrt(ρ/ρo), the square root of air density ratio, with ρ=Ps/RT. The device measures Ps & T, and R is approximately constant within less than 2% for air. Yet, the AV20s gives erroneously high TAS indications, at least in my case, which I find supremely annoying. IAS to TAS conversion is easy as the little vernier scale on some AS indicators shows. Perhaps someone forgot to take the sqrt() of the air density ratio when they wrote the firmware. I'd help debug it if they would share. Wouldn't an open source programmable NORSEE device like the AV-20-S be cool?
    1 point
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