gmonnig

Absolutely. $5k could do a lot. I haven't really totalled up everything but there's a lot you can do to clean things up. I think the seats were $2100 (with their Oshkosh discount), SCS carpets were $750, seatbelts were $750, and then random hardware/paint/...

It is their premium fabric. I think fabric is more comfortable, warm in the winter and cooler in the summer. The added benefit is it's lighter than leather. I also went with the lightest carpets without backing or sound deadening. We removed old wires and vacuum lines too, so hopefully gonna gain a little useful load. We shall see what she weighs in at! With my remote transponder and GDL88 in the tail, I'm hoping to switch to an Earth X battery to save an additional 20lbs of weight.

Just wanted to throw up some pictures of my 65’ E interior job. I’ve been working on this on the side while I was doing my panel upgrade in 22’. I ordered SCS carpet in brown and Airtex upholstery in biscuit (ordered at Oshkosh, delivered in Dec). Seatbelts were down by Aviation Safety Products in GA who did an awesome job and about one week turnaround. My wife did the vinyl work using our Sailrite sewing machine including the boot around the controls (post 65’s got that plastic cover), wind lacing around all openings, and the armrests. My aircraft did not have the headrest built into the seat structure, so I fabricated them out of a square tube, 1/2” diameter aluminum tubing , then riveted it all together. All of this was way more work than anticipated, but that’s airplane sh#t for ya…..

I basically have the same thing GTN650, GTX33ES, and GDL88. I already had the GDL88 in my airplane so I just removed my GTX327 and added the 33ES. The panel is nice and clean now! I wanted 1090 out for possible Canada, Mexico and Bahamas flying. It wasn't worth the extra money to me to get a new GTX345R. The extras that the 345R offers didn't really make sense for me. Bluetooth, don't really care. Already have ADSB IN on my iPad via Stratus and ADSB IN with the GDL88 on the GTN650. I've heard that the ADAHRS on the 345R isn't nearly as good as the Stratus 3. There's no battery backup if your panel goes dark & that's a big one for me. Since I already have the Stratus remotely mounted with external antennas, i saw no benefits. Maybe someone else can point out other differences. People are also selling these perfectly good GTX330ES and GTX33ES for around $1AMU. So you can go through a few of these before getting up to 345R prices.

SCS carpets are top notch. I decided to do the lightest weight option (my plane is on a massive diet like me). Nylon with no backing and found that the Velcro isn't even needed on the floor carpet. It stays put without shifting around. One thing to note, the seats are impossible to install with the carpet laid out. Pull up the carpet, install the seats then push the carpet under the seat. I was rummaging around the cabin like a sweaty silverback gorilla, using every colorful word imaginable before I figured it out.

What’s you insurance like? I have been debating a Glasair III or a Lancair 360. Since I use my Mooney as a big two seater anyways (rear seats are always folded down), I have been thinking about an experimental. I’m actually going to look at a 360 next week. $1750 a year for my Mooney isn’t bad but I’m nervous to call my insurance people on a “fast glass” plane. I’ve thought about liability only too….

After doing some night flying, I'm thinking I'd like to work on some cockpit lighting. I had Nulites on my last plane and they worked great. I prefer their warm incandescent light instead of their harsh LED lights. But I was looking into the Uma lights as they seem to have a more even light distribution over the Nulites. Anybody have experience with these?

With those kinds of daily numbers, does anyone else think like me? How the hell can we find and refine that much fuel? The oil in the ground must be an unimaginable number, and obviously going to run out. Maybe not in my lifetime but maybe my kid's or his kids. Weird to think about.

My 65' E does not have a shroud around the fuel pump. Just a blast tube. My engine was new in 2019 and wondered if that blast tube was even required. I don't remember having a blast tube or shroud on my 540 plane either but that was carbureted and less PSI.

I’ve owned both sets. I loved the G5 in my last plane and got a few years of flawless service out of them. I don’t think it’d be worth the hassle to get the gi275s. Having said that, the 275s are far superior than the G5s. The resolution is better, easier to read and is actually more useable screen than the square G5s. If I was starting from nothing, the 275s are the way to go.

Yeah those went quick! I also agree that the rigging involves these board and flight testing. My friends Mooney was also rigged this last December and they are still tweeting it.

Just wanted people to know there are travel boards for sale on eBay (I'm not selling them). I just had my plane rigged a few weeks ago but I'm sure someone will want these. Maybe we can pass these around for people looking to get their planes rigged. https://www.ebay.com/itm/144902915570?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=4v9iG6qKSZ-&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=zZcyuvqSQZy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I wish. Ironically I moved from Old Town Scottsdale to here. I miss the winters down there.

Damn, I got excited and saw KCHT (Kansas City area). Well, I'd be interested if we weren't 900miles apart!

Sure, that'd be great. I have and EI EGT gauge but I'm not sure if they are compatible with the Insight. I hate the EGT gauge I have because you have to select each cylinder to tread the value, not like a bar graph.

Does the insight g3 come with the probes in the background of the picture?

Oh it's all good. We are just thinking the same thing. I agree that you should weigh the plane first to see exactly where the CG is. I am going to follow that same advice. I'm in the process of a full interior refit, once complete I will get it weighed. I'll maybe do the battery STC and/or skytec starter, depending on where the CG is.

If your E is like my 65' then why not upgrade to that EarthX battery? You'll gain 20lbs of useful load and that 20lbs comes from aft of the baggage area. It's a win-win situation

I agree. $400month hangar, $1800 insurance, $3500 annual (always do at least one upgrade a year), $850 Garmin/ForeFlight subscriptions, 100hrs flight time at $5gal $5000. So yeah I’m at $16k a year easy. I’ve spent an additional $25k in avionics/interior this year, on top of that. I really want an award at OSH in 23’ but I still need $15k plus to add a gfc500. It’s a never ending money train….but I love it.

This is what I was thinking with insurance too. I wish the Sonex Highwing was ready to go. I would bought the kit last oshkosh.

$10k yr for non-movement insurance?? Ouch, wonder why? Is it because of the Jabiru engine engine.

Watched every video on these this morning! I do like it! The Titan 340 would be amazing, it just sits really high. I'd like this airframe with a Rotax 915!

I saw your posts on this Lancair. Have fun transitioning! I love the efficiency of the 320. I heard from the Lancair community that the 320-360 isn't as bad behaved as the 4P. Tom McNerney (Unleashed was his Modded 360 name) is a Lancair expert and Reno air racer that is at my airport. His new project for Reno next year is going to be insane. Since my home is on final to the airport, I get to watch his flights from my patio. This has fueled the Experimental aircraft flame.

I love the Falco! It's a beautiful design and it's made of wood! Im very used to working with that material. A fellow Mooneyspacer and I both built a 23ft mahogany speedboat. Only problem is it took us 10yrs to do.

How was the transition to that? I've never flown one and have only gone off articles over the last 20+ years. They seem like seem like the strongest, sturdiest of the ultra fast birds.