RocketAviator

RocketAviator aka (RocketMan call sign in the Mooney Caravan) Plan to attend + 2 (Mrs RocketAviator / RocketMan aka Billie, and Grandson) with a contribution in hand Sorry for any confusion with call signs and names... Looking forward to seeing everyone this year.

RocketMan aka (RocketAviator here on MS) departing Thursday @ Granbury Note to clairy there is also a Rocketman alias here on MS, my call sign is RocketMan in the Mooney Caravan.

Your Soo Bad Clarence.... See you there

I do Don

Don I have an extra set of 3 inch

Thanks Ill give them a call, I have a lake home less than 50 miles from Lancaster. Wonder if they can remove service and reinstall if I were to take the plane to LNC?

Lets say I have put well over 500 hrs (as in over 1000 hrs) on my Mags, however I think it is time to have them rebuilt before I have any trouble with them. What I really want is electronic ignition but that is not to be at this moment as far as I know! Anyone know any such availability for the TSIO520? Any recommendations / Pireps for Mag rebuild please advise! Thanks,

Super thanks to all, I had great support from MDoc here on MS & Alan at Autopilot Central & Mooney Factory in getting documentation to troubleshoot my unit. After a number of hours found the problem. Mid Continent quoted me 4500 exchange! A other shops quoted everywhere starting at 1100 plus parts to 1800 for general repair.... whatever that was suppose to include! Alan said he thought they could repair it based on what I told him I had found for a couple hours labor. Spent most of the day calling everyone I could find or anyone told me they might have one. Mid Cont was the only one that said they had one for 4500 exchange, they were also the last one to work on this one in 2013! Motor works fine only issue was with the engage solenoid. All is well, hope to reinstalling tomorrow. I sure hope a decent long term reasonable cost AP is close at hand! Thanks again everyone for your generous assistance.

As the title says... any leads or suggestions appreciated! Repair or exchange. im fairly sure the engagement coil or the circuit that drives the coil are what is bad on mine.

Byron, I’m going to have to try this.... I’ll let you know. I run basically full MP minus a couple inches and lean much more than 20! I mainly watch TIT as CHT has never really been an issue at my normal settings.

Found the root problem, learned more than I ever wanted to know about the so called trim servo and the manual trim control..... for the KAP150 with the KS179 including all the pinout test points along with a great deal of the guts of this so called servo! will post a follow up with schematics and lots of pictures when I have a chance in hopes it could help someone else in the future.

Yes I can but don't prefer it especially when flying formation I have to take my hand off throttle... Can be done, have done it just prefer not. Thanks for your help and I now have several schematic for kap 150 and the Mooney specific schematic for around 25-0600 - 25-0900 I think if anyone needs them.

Thanks my "Call Sign" given by the Mooney Caravan was changed to RocketMan so I assumed that was the association. Update, I've made contact with Autopilot Central and Mooney after checking for hours..... To learn there is no interposing relay! Last night I received and now have the complete electrical schematic for my specific model. Still troubleshooting. Hope to pinpoint the problem today or I may not make the 23 clinic myself. Hope to meet you in person sometime, fly safe.

Forgive my impatience Cardinal767... I sincerely appreciate the assistance. I plan to see what I can find tomorrow after work. Have a formation clinic I've committed to in San Marcos the 23rd of this month. Your profile shows you from TX CO CA and you know me as RocketMan... So I'm assuming we have crossed paths in the past? Did we attend a formation Clinic or the Caravan to Oshkosh together? Thanks again.

Still looking for any information on where and what the relay looks like if anyone knows.... Heck is there even a clutch relay? Thanks

Thanks what did your relay look like was it the typical ice cube relay or some special purpose relay? Yes I suspect you could say my trim moves constantly in flight but the aircraft does not porpoise and you have to have your hand on the trim wheel to know it's even moving.

Spreadsheet says 858.3# Useful load ...... Sufficient for myself and my wife and the occasional grand-kid or two!

Thanks Cardinal767, I carefully checked the area of the yoke tube. I am going to reassemble the strain relief to a better angle but other than that the conductors appear to be in good condition. I will ring them out to the first connector to be sure. Do you know where or if the system has a clutch relay? Thanks in advance.

Hello all, sadly long time no visit to MS for me... I am in need of some (ok maybe a lot of) help, during my BFR (yea I know they may call it something else now) this past Wednesday during a hold to an approach I utilized the CWS then disconnected the autopilot. The electric trim never worked again. So today I decided to see if I could figure out why. I was by myself and could not be in both the tail section and the cockpit at the same time but I am sure I could hear the trim motor running. The autopilot will self test and pass like normal. I have not attempted to see if the autopilot will function in flight. I do not hear what I recall as the slight noise of a relay when I try to run the trim. Today I engaged the autopilot on the ground and could hear a distinct clutch engagement of some servo but it is not the trim servo as the control wheel does not move. Also during the self test I believe I can hear the trim servo test fwd and rev as it normally does. As I spent most of the day removing the switch, checking the wires and connections in the yoke etc. I disassembled the switch which comprised of a very simple set of 3 type C micro switches, fed by +12VDC, two wires on what I believe are the clutch and autopilot feedback on one switch and cross connected to the adjacent two same configuration switches in reverse settings feeding two wire to what I presume are direction control for the trim servo. On the side I would never pay 500 - 800 for this switch it is very simple setup, I would suspect it can be easily rebuilt for 50 or less. SW1, 12vdc center post (NO), Green wire top post (C=common), White/B wire bottom post (NC) (I call this the clutch / power control switch) The green wire (C) and the White/B wire must be a connection in order for the autopilot to complete and pass its test. Does not matter the position of the Up / Dwn switch as the (C) of SW1 provides 12vdc to both of the (NO) contacts on the adjacent switches. SW2 & SW3 have identical wiring that allows for positive and discrete contacts with used in conjunction with SW1 in either position. What I am looking for is any info on the clutch relay or whatever is utilized to control the servo clutch on for the electric trim. Where is it located what does it look like. Is it the disconnect relay if you will similar to what I had on my Century Auto Pilot in my Piper Saratoga? Any tips and recommendations on where and how to troubleshoot this problem would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Lacee / RocketAviator

I have flown my Rocket since 2013 with just over 1000 hrs on it to date. I regularly fly at 11-12k at 35MP, 2375 Prop @ 16 GPH LOP @ 152 indicated, 192 TAS. I can bump it up to the 21-24 GPH and run 207-210+/-. I have flow it a few times ROP close to the factory placard settings and achieved 224 TAS @ FL21. I limit my settings to not exceed TIT 1650 & CHT to 375. Take off fuel burn can be absurd @ 33.2 GPH is I push it. It will climb fuel full 2 people in hot weather @ 1200+ft as high as I have ever wanted to spend the fuel getting there. Payload never an issue. I do not have long range tanks 75 gal only usable! If I slow it down I can burn 9.5 GPH and go much further than my body will permit! Otherwise my max is about 3.5 hr with my personal reserves! I almost put my Rocket up for sale this last year as I only flew it just under a 100 hrs.... But after a lot of thought I decided its paid for, it was the plane of my dreams for me as I had the avionics & panel completely redone when I purchased it with G500, GTN 750, 650, engine analyzer. Then spent a number of hours and trips to GAMI to get the injectors just right. Good luck, I hope you find one as good and have as good an experience as I have had with mine.

Add RocketAviator if you will!

The images of this Mooney appear to taken Serria Blanca i.e. Ruidoso airport in NM. I'm not familiar with this plane. I was raised in Alamo & learned to fly there 35 years ago, graduated high school in Ruidoso. Alamo is 20 min & Ruidoso It's about a 40 min flight for me. PM me if you get serious and I can help.

Thanks I will give it a try.

Super thanks