Tim Jodice

I just had this problem with my KFC150. It over the past 5-6 months it kept getting I took it to Griffin Avionics in Hyannis, MA about 2 weeks ago. A overhauled trim servo, repaired pitch servo and $3600 it is works great. Based on the way it works now it was never right from the day I bought the airplane.

I used a 1500 watt space heater with dryer duct through the cowl flaps and wrapped the cowl with a insulated hot water heater cover. I used one meant for a 80 Gallon tank and it almost wraps completely around the cowling.

You guys need to stop talking. All of this large engine talk is like reading a hustler magazine.

Can't be as bad as a twin!

That engine gives me a hard on.

I agree, yet Bravos, Saratoga, Comanches hang from the back.

How is the Lopresti cowling for J models? Is it heavy? does it have cowling flaps? Do you gain speed? Does it do a good job cooling the engine?

My starter has no been so enthusiastic lately. It has always started but it has a hard time getting over that compression stroke. Sometimes not all I would release the key and hit it again and that would get it over the hump. It does it with a hot or cold engine. Battery had a capacitive test last week it passed at %114 capacity. It is only 5 months old so I expected it to be in great shape I just didn't want to overlook something. Voltage drop is .9-1.2 volts from the battery post to the starter post. It is a Skytec 149-NL and it is 5 years old.

How do you know that? Not being a smart ass I really don't know. I have always wondered how they cool 310 HP in an Ovation with smaller holes no cowl flaps than 200HP in a J with bigger holes and cowl flaps. If they did both on a new cowling that would be great. weight loss and lower drag.

Why do the Continental powered long bodys need all of that framework to cradle the engine? Are K models like that? I would think dynafocal mounts like all Lycoming powered Mooneys would be lighter? I googled pictures of different airplane models and it seems like if it is a Continental it is a bed mount. Lycoming it is a dynafocal mount. I know there are exceptions but that seems to be the most popular setup. Few airplanes have one make then the other but one that I found is a Piper Seneca. Seneca 1 has Lycomings with dynafocal mounts, the Seneca 2-5 with Continentals have tube framework to cradle the continental. Why?

How much heavier would a 720 naturally aspirated with a composite prop be compared to a 550 turbo with an aluminum prop?

Are they an aerodynamic improvement as well?

Did you receive them? I am due for one.

I am super excited about what they are Doing at Mooney, taking care of the existing fleet. If they do fix the landing gear to up the gross weight to allow them to have a 11-1,200 pound useful with all the options that new airplane owners want I would buy a brand new one in 5-6 years. I want Mooney to give Cirrus some competition. No one else seems to know how. I know its not easy but with guys running Mooney who are immersed in general avation like the Klapmeier brothers are I think the guys at Mooney have what it takes. Go Mooney!

How do you know what price gouging is? What is a reasonable markups? Are you the one that should decide what it is? I personally thought that $8 for popcorn at the movies is a bit much until I found out that movie theaters don't make much money from the movie tickets almost all of there money comes from food and drinks. The guy who lives in Dale County, Alabama will likely have a different opinion of price gouging than the guy who lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. Most GA pilots don't particularly care for Signature flight support. Boston is a great example. I landed there about 5 months ago for 2 days and 33 gallons of gas it was $483. Thats price gouging right? I didn't think so, I got exceptional service and it is in Boston where a small apartment starts at $2300 a month. My favorite is naturally in the automotive industry. Someone comes in to a specialty shop for a problem that regular shops can't figure out. Having a lot of specialty equipment and experience the specialty shop figured out in a short amount of time. The customer thinks that it costs to much because it didn't take long to fix it. The equipment isn't cheap, the support/license the goes with it isn't cheap and the experienced technician that figured it out fast definitely is nowhere near minimum wage. WHAT SERVICE COSTS LESS TO DO QUICKER!?!? Emergency service by a plumber? Nope. Red label UPS shipping? Nope. An ice cold 20 ounce bottle of water that is right in front of you for instant satisfaction yet costs more than a gallon of gas? Gouging? Maybe. Hot summer day you are very thirsty it might be the most satisfying thing you can do with your pants on. Rant done

Most service providers, plumber, electrician, car mechanic, boat mechanic etc markup parts. That has been the way I have always experienced it. If a company loaded it all on labor most people couldn't understand how that works thinking they are being overcharged on labor while not noticing the low parts cost. Bring your own parts? That works ok until there is a problem and it is very likely to become a finger pointing event. The owner is unhappy and the shop lost money. Obviously there are exceptions like if it is unavailable and falls under the owner produced part. As a automotive repair shop owner I won't accept people bringing there own parts. I provide a 2y/24k warranty because i have complete control of the repair and if there is a problem it is all on me. It is a half joke in the industry when someone asks you what your labor rate is and you say, what would you like it to be. I can charge you $50 an hour and have it done for the end of today or 150$ and have it done by lunch time today. Either way the repair is going to cost you $285 out the door.

What is required to make an airplane airworthy that has no log books?

A HUGE time saver in future annuals. My friend has a 67 F with around 300 (kidding but it is a lot) regular screws. I have a 85 J with (I think)36 1/4 cam locks. I have never removed all of the screws on his plane but you can take a 1 piece belly pan off alone in 5-10 minutes. No doubt it is a big deal to modify the airframe but it sounds like you might be almost there labor wise doing the required repairs. If you do it please post some pictures I would love to see what it takes.

I didn't say decisions are made but information is provided and then it is up to you to decide which way you want to go. LOP, ROP, bladders, 550 vs turbo 550. Such first world problem

This place is awesome! There are no Mooney questions that can't be answered here.

The certificate is easier to get. They are cheap for brand new aircraft. Some people put having a brand new airplane on the must have list. They cost less to run than most regular lycontinental powered old aircraft. Options are old aircraft that cost more to run and require at least a regular PP license. Some people want to go slow. For many the flight is the fun part so what is the rush? The same could be said for why someone would buy a new piston single Cirrus, Mooney, Piper etc for around $1,000,000 when you could buy a mid to late 80s Citation for the same.

For those of you that use more, a 55 gallon drum brings the price down to $12.25 a gallon.

Best price I found. That includes shipping

Now that you have had you new prop for awhile any new thoughts?

I went from a two to a three blade and I love everything about it BUT don't buy one for speed. I didn't gain any speed.