Hector

Just got an email from Appareo inviting me to a ‘Big announcement’ on 3/31 at 5pm Central time. Anyone know what’s up?? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

“Engine RPM” app for my iPhone is accurate to within 25 RPM from my tach. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Once I had my 730 not behaving right and I downloaded the latest firmware and it corrected the problem. If you do that go to settings first and write down the k value for the fuel flow transducer as you will have to input that after the firmware upgrade. I’m not saying this will fix it, only something to consider if your firmware is not the latest Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Just to cheer you up I will say that I flew my friend’s Cherokee this past weekend with a newly installed Trutrak AP and I was really impressed. I spent 30 minutes reading the basic functionality in the manual and went flying. Intuitive enough that I was using it pretty darn well within a very short time. This was a test flight after initial installation and it needed no adjustments. It just worked. Super easy and intuitive! Looking forward to it, whenever it gets approved for my lowly C. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

With that model you do need to be careful not to exceed the turn radius or it will definitely damage your nose gear strut. If you are the person moving the aircraft the risk is low as long as you play close attention to the turn limit indicators. The risk is considerably higher if others are doing this for you. There are pictures of the damaged (dents in the strut tubes) here in MS. Search for them so you know where to look. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Why not just buy an E Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Backup AI if you fly IFR. I use ForeFlight connected to a permanently mounted Stratus and have used its AHRS in simulated conditions and it can definitely get you out of trouble. However, I almost never have the synthetic display turned on in ForeFlight and by the time I noticed something wrong it might be too late. My backup electric AI is part of my scan and will let me know right away if there is something wrong. It already has! I had a vacuum pump failure and my vacuum AI started going sideways and I caught it right away as it was displaying differently from the electric AI. For something that can truly save your bacon add a backup AI Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Email sent. I contributed and want a down lock block Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Congrats ALex!! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

KBOW is good, friendly FBO, cheap gas, very close to SnF Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Very sad!!! I think I met them during a Florida lunch group meet up. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Wow. Been there a number of times on my way to or from the keys as a fuel stop ( gas is expensive in the keys). Anybody know how long the blue crab season is? Might need to make a run. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Tight fit but after you do it a few times it’s easy and you don’t need to spill a drop of oil. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

This. The rest is fairly low risk but if you screw up the fuel strainer in particular you will have a very bad day. Get someone to show you how to do this properly before you attempt to do it yourself. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

David, thank you for the report and I have one question. By any chance do you know if you can do the flight plan transfer via connect (Bluetooth) while at the same time show weather and traffic on ForeFlight via wifi from a stratus3 for example? I’m actually considering the GNC355 because I already have ADS-b in/out. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

We use MAUS ultrasonics scan to inspect F/A-18 wings skins (composite) for voids, disbonds, delaminations. It is not unusual to find some voids or small areas of delamination but these can be tracked to see if they grow. Inspections can be put in place to ensure safety. Cirrus could, if they want to, institute a fleet leader program at some point through their dealer network whereby they inspect high time aircraft to see how well the composite structure is aging and use the data to extend the life limit. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Flight bag. Always with me no matter which airplane I fly. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There is no documented fatigue life limit for Mooneys. There are also some very high time Mooney’s out there with no evidence or findings of fatigue cracks in critical structure. Most of the aluminum structure is 2024-T3 which has excellent ductility and the steel tube structure is lightly stressed. The killer for Mooney’s is corrosion. If you can keep corrosion under control the airplane will outlast you. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Most aluminum casting alloys can be welded, but welding aluminum takes some skill. Do I want to take the chance the mechanic who is doing the welding has the required training/certification? Frankly, I rather have a new part machined from a superior alloy. The first one lasted 50 years. The new updated part using a superior alloy will be the last one I will buy with little risk and piece of mind. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agree David. Need to figure out what it is made of. If it’s an aluminum casting I can almost guarantee that 7050 will be superior but the drawing will need to specify the grain orientation as the the properties of this machined part can vary depending which axis you pick (anisotropic material). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If we can determine the alloy for the original part we can certainly come up with an improved alternate. If we can’t find documentation to determine original alloy then we’ll need to have it tested (chemical composition, hardness, conductivity). I may be able to help if it comes to that Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

VERY COOL GUYS!! The value of this community is awesome. To put this in perspective, frankly, we don't know the long term future/viability of Mooney as a company. It may very well be that we will need to start relying more on each other and this community, and folks like Maxwell, David (Sabremech), LASAR, and others who are willing to make parts to keep our birds flying. It should also be noted that in order to remain in the good graces of the FAA with these owner produced parts, technical documentation in terms of a good drawing produced and maintained by folks that already have a relationship with the FAA I think is important.

Yes there is one section there that is not removable but does have a couple of access panels so you can get to the flap actuator and other stuff. I think you can inspect well enough through those access panels and although I doubt it is a structural skin (carrying loads) I'm not sure and would be hesitant to remove all those rivets and swap them with screws/nutplates. Probably not an issue but it is a mod I would need to further investigate before I jump into it. I do have a couple of the belly panels that are actually sheet metal screws and those are more of a PITA than anything. I have screws of different size/diameter in the same panel and putting them all back in is a trial/error business as I never bother to note which screws came out of which holes. I am seriously considering converting those to RivNuts so they are all the same. It really does not bother me that much that there are 1000 screws in the belly. If they are all the same type/size with the right tools they can come off and back on in under one hour.

Alright. Donated. Let’s see if we can get there Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Awesome!! So we have a 3-D model of the part. We can 3D print it if we want to compare with the real part as a last check before we go to production. I can do that if we feel it is necessary and ship it to whoever is doing the verification. Then Sabremech uses his CNC shop to make the Parts?? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk