RLCarter

They are ugly, when I 1st looked I thought mine was disconnected, but wasn't so it's still there.

My check lists are modified so they are more fluid, nothing has been removed from the original POH version, but a lot has been added

Any of the sign shops should be able,"fast signs" is where my neighbor goes

I agree, depends on the mission

Control surfaces can be done as well but they have to be balanced, you will also need a new W&B done if the total weight exceeds 1/2lb. My hangar neighbor flys into Mexico several times a year, he installs 12" reg #'s that are low quality vinyl and plays hell getting them off when comes back and these are "slapped" on with little to no prep. Decals are a quick way to change the looks of something relatively quick compared to paint.

I was told along time ago "Learn from others mistakes, you wont live long enough to make them all yourself" I'm currently working on my Commercial, my CFII has made a copy of the check list and follows along as I read aloud and touch everything I can on the list. One issue on the older birds is the list isn't very thorough and we have added to it several times but the original items have remained unchanged

getting the vinyl to conform around the rivet head isn't hard as you know if you're only doing a few, but there thousands on the Mooney or any aircraft for that matter. Another thing to think about is as a rivet gets loose you can see the tale tale signs (smoking rivet) vinyl will mask this. Not trying to discourage you in doing it, just trying to bring up issues that might come up. I've seen several aircraft that had vinyl registration numbers or printed vinyl graphics added and they have held up good

There are several issues in wrapping, corrosion can not be easily detected or repaired as with paint, another is rivet heads, a lot of revits , there are several RV's (Vans Experimental Aircraft) that have been wrapped

Is there really any problem if it's in question to add it to both logs?

On my E if the gear was rigged according to the maintenance manual thr J-bar would stop about 5/8" short of engaging the "gear down" block (under panel) making it very difficult to lock the gear down. With all 4 retract links removed from the J-bar it would engage the down lock block with ease, looking at the system and the way it works the front retract links are shortened to increase the preload of the nose wheel and with no bungees on those retract links the very solid feel is the "over center" link on the nose wheel bottoming out meaning that the J-bar has to flex the remaining way to get it to engage. By the book after setting the 4 retract links to "zero" you shorten the front links 2 turns and lengthen to rears 2 1/2 turns and check the preloads which on mine fell into the specified range, we turned the front links out 1/2 turn and shortened the rears a 1/2 turn (at the same time), this allows the J-bar to rotate closer to the lock block. We did this process untill the J-bar felt correct then checked the preloads, mains were in range but on the low side the nose was below the minimum so the front links were turned back in 1/2 turn and all preloads checked again at this point all were now in spec and no more binding at the very end of J-bar travel when locking the gear down. If memory serves it ended up being 1/2 turn in on the nose and 1 turn out on the mains from "Zero Preload". It can be done by one person but 1 running the J-bar and 1 making the adjustments sure makes process go faster.

Another thing to consider is the conditions the oil was used in...Dusty, Hot & Dry, change it more often. My E sat for sometime before I purchased it, the previous owner would start it up, taxi around and go around the patch and put up ever so often. When I got it back in the air (with new oil & filter) I change the oil & filter at 2 hrs, the next oil & filter was 3 hrs later at 5 hrs, both of those looked good so I flew it for another 5 hrs and changed it again. So to recap the total hrs I've owned it the oil was changed at 0, 2, 5, 10, 20, 45, like I said earlier..Oil & Filters are cheap...the last 2 changes I ran the used oil in my 7.3L PowerStroke just as it came out of the plane, the first few changes I was getting carbon deposits, but all is clear now

does the F have bungees in the retract links for the nose gear?

Generally if I question something's condition I just repair/replace as needed. Takes the doubt out of the equation

"Jackie", cause I'm always jacking with this or that.... well it's not that bad, but it sure seems like if you wanted too there is always something that could use attention

I thought 1965 was when the cowls changed. What keeps it from going on a 65' E?

Not my finest hour but I did both, in 1978 I got a DWI, no hard time, just the night in the crossbar motel, I pretty much quit fly shortly after that, after getting life out of the way I started flying again in 2007, after getting my medical the Feds sent me a letter basically saying if I didn't get a grip on my drinking they (FAA) would force me to take an alcohol/substance program. Two more letters from Oklahoma followed, 2nd letter was for blood in my urine, 3rd was for loosing consciousness, both issues caused by 2 seperate dirt bike accidents. All three of these were at least 29 years earlier, do the Feds cover their ass or what? Oh and for the record I quit drinking and dirt bikes a long time ago

One of the byproducts of combustion is acid, which gets suspended in the oil, I wouldn't store (not fly) oil that is high time. If you know there is a time of inactivity coming up and it's close to an oil change do it before the storage

Oil is cheap compared to the components it protects, 25~30 hrs has been my norm. It's my opinion that letting the oil drain for more than an hour is a total waste of time, my procedure is plan the oil change after a flight, get the oil draining, remove top cowl, remove the filter and cut open and inspect, If all looks good fill in the info on the filter and fill with oil and reinstall, clean any oil mess up from the filter area, remove the drain hose and fill with oil, test run to check for leaks then re-cowl. The above procedure it's a step by step and doesn't account for looking at everything while the cowl is off, the screen gets pulled at annual, the oil may or may not get changed at annual (if it has less than 20hrs, it stays)

I like maintenance free, acid seepage and aluminum don't mix

Just proves the FAA's motto "we're not happy till you're not happy "

When on the jacks, verify that the handle engages fully into the block on the floor and the one under the panel as well. I don't have a lot of time (>50hrs) with a J-bar but I have to pay attention or I will unbuckle one or both front seatbelts (shoulder harness)

Don Click on your name in the upper right hand corner, select account settings, right side of the page under “other setting” select edit profile

How can other MS members access the map? I think the map is a great idea, members could add contact info if they wanted

this was in 78~79 as well, plane had 25 or so hours total time the 1st time I got in it.....still remember slow flight in it and watching the T-Tail twist and hearing the "Oil Canning"

My dad and his brother both trained in the army during WWII, the war ended before the either saw any action, my uncle continued flying after the war. he would fly his Mooney from Florida to S. Texas to visit and I would fly with him to San Antonio with him to pick up my sister (14yrs older than me) as an 8 or so year old kid I knew I wanted a Mooney...lol