Sandman993

People buy Cirrus because it's easy to fly, comfortable, air conditioning, relatively quick and because it has the next best thing to a second engine, a Ballistic Parachute. It can't be because it looks sexy. No doubt, they have a hit record. Mommy's have a say and the Cirrus doesn't look as skeeereee. I have no doubt that a single Cirrus owner has a house cat...wears yoga pants and works out on the living room floor to a get fit video...just kidding, maybe. I see most certified aircraft have been forced to price themselves out of their own market...which was probably the reason for the "part 23" rewrite, that went nowhere. The Homebuilt aircraft market is off the charts, they get considerations that we can only dream about because of the way the FAA does their business. The certification process in it's current form continues to stifle most innovation through cost and process. No wonder the EAA has become a giant and thankfully for the homebuilder, a huge lobby. To pay almost a million dollars for a single engine airplane who's real value is probably 250 to 300k is ridiculous, anyway you look at it.

Yes... I have spoken with someone in mineral wells earlier this year and was about to make an appointment, but rumors had tru trak about to launch so I was waiting. The early rumors started last January and built up to a big let down at Oshkosh. I should call century back and see what if anything they could add to this setup to make mine a 2 axis. A few yrs ago someone said they heard there was an stec add on for alt, but I never pursued that. I’m just completely tired of the lip service and tired of waiting on the joy of a reliable autopilot. People say jump on the Garmin, but they made their affordable autopilots cost way over 20k... and that’s for the bare bones one... 35k if you want the A game. i already have 140 in this 100k ship so another 35 just is a bad economic decision. If people would only do what they say, without all the “piss on your leg and tell you it’s raining” life would be a lot simpler. can you tell how disenchanted I am? The rose is off the bloom!

So, I'm wondering what my options are at this juncture. Currently have a Century IIB that works about 3/4ths of the time...have affectionately renamed it "Crazy Ivan" after the Russian Submarine maneuver in the movies. What I'm hoping is, one of you J model owners might have found a decent setup...something that has altitude hold at least. I've seen some S tec units coming on line for sale (take-outs) and maybe I could hanger ferry one to work in my airplane. Hoping someone with product knowledge can weigh in.

HaHa...you bet...15k! Have you seen what they want for a glare shield?

You have to go back... to the bank for more gas money. The 201 is possibly the most efficient certified aircraft built to date. The payload is almost on par with a 182 (or at least the one sharing my hangar). As some know here, I recently had the horsepower plus stc added to my overhaul. I out climbed a C182 to 12.5 (both loaded to limits) on way back from Oshkosh pitched for 120. Was able to go from Oshkosh to Victoria Texas in two hops and landed with 28gal onboard. The high compression pistons are a gift from the aviation gods. It turned my ship into a little speedster... now at 150hrs... she’s in her prime. And I’m burning less fuel

Well, there’s that.

We rented a 5 bedroom house... a Bonanza guy from LA (good dood) also had a 747 captain, a couple RV guys (we wouldn't allow them to speak) (just kidding)...There were 11 of us, the stories were epic, as were the drinks. Some of these guys have been around the world more times than you and I have fingers and toes. One old guy from late WWII and Korean conflict was a transport pilot and later retired from United. He, 88 yrs old, kept up with us every step of the way. It was an honor to be in his presence. My apple watch was clocking around 14,000 steps per day.

Is there a list here for the guys that attended Oshkosh? I noticed quite a few Mooneys parked in the north 40 but never got a chance to pop in. I did sneak a free meal at the Bonanzer tent. They really loath the mooney...I could hear them talking about em a lot. They think we are retarded basically or perhaps the special olympics.

HaHa...I promised him my plane and 10,000 bucks...and a handjob from a cirrus pilot and he wouldn't come back after the Mooneyspace lashing. And we all know how soft cirrus hands are. There is a picture somewhere of a Cirrus fly in...it has like 5 aircraft in the pattern and they are all under canopy...would someone please send that to me? I wanna make some tee shirts!

That's what I thought Navi...But I stood there in person, speaking to the rep at the TT Booth in Oshkosh, Wisconsin...He opined, they aren't done and still two months out with working on the bird.

To the Mooney line...They haven't finished it as of Oshkosh. After they do, then they can send paperwork to the Goobermint.

The guy at the oshkosh TT booth told me they haven't completed the install and that would take up to two more months...only then will they submit to FAA and that would take at least two more months.

Good luck getting pro pilot on board again...the gang here treated their guy like a leper back several months ago when he got on here to gauge interest.

I would need a duck mask to ride in a Cirrus and my Tee shirt would have Squid in huge letters.

Having just returned from Oshkosh, I can report there is no Trutrac stc announcement...in fact, they haven't finished testing on the mooney much less turned in the paperwork to the FAA. Best case will take another 4 months according to the gentleman behind the counter working the booth. Unfortunately, I've learned 4 months in aviation time is sort of like Tulsa time...maybe worse. What complicates even more, BK has purchased Trutrac, so who knows what that might turn out like. I did pop into the Garmin booth to check out the new G3X touch coupled to the GFC500 which still won't work without a G5 (unless you have room to leave some steam gauges, which you won't)...Garmin has managed to get that setup to cost 35,000 with trim option. Thankfully my old autopilot worked so I didn't have to handfly all the way up there from Texas and back, but I am very disappointed.

One of my fly buds is installing a pro pilot in his skylane as I type... looks like a great little unit. More buttons than trutrac. I’m waiting to see if trutrac will have the stc for mooney at Oshkosh this year as predicted. I’m hopeful they will get it done and it’s whoever gets one to market first besides Garmin for me.

Received a ping from Garmin today the g3x is now available for your airplanes! price sucks, 10.6” certified = $10,000 “ Experimental = $3,800 three guesses what I think of that

Lots of gas onboard... chance of fire during a crash. no gas on board, high chance of crash, no fire pick one

Although I agree with Carusoam, I’ve found that special attention to the rear jack screw assembly is usually the culprit, when she gets stiff or starts to catch. Also, it doesn’t like wholesale changes to landing configuration at higher speeds. In other words, I find it more difficult to add a lot of nose up when setting up to land until the ship gets a little slower. On a normal landing, also (unrelated) me likes the gear speed to be at the top of the white arc (about 120mph indicated) easier on those doors than the screaming speeds posted in the poh. Not an instructor...just my personal observation after 500+ landings in a mooney. grease is a dirt magnet

That thing looks like a whale shark. They do offer some cowl mods for those. I think, like the older Mooney’s along with the Comanche and other 60’s era planes, might have had cooling issues with those oversized openings. A friend with a Comanche 250 wants a new style cowl... and says that alone is a huge improvement where speed is concerned... probably way better cooling as well. The problem seems to be... the opening is bigger than the exit and causes a pressure build up, that spills some of the cooling air back out... (reminds me of my dear mother n law). Don’t know the first thing about that fancy propeller... but my scientific knee jerk reaction would wager, it has the abilities a piece of tape can only dream about. Haven’t installed prop vortelator, am waiting for first warm weekend. It’s been too cold... stand by for new details. I know everyone is on the edge of their seats.

Ditto!! What’s up with these Mooney peeps?

Haha... I’m bad about the before data as you know. Like a kid, it’s all about that instant gratification. I can give you data on cowl flaps, open vs closed. I’m from Texas and if this little piece of tape adds anything significant to airspeed indicator or rpms, I’ll eat my hat. Hopefully the straw one. But, I’m gonna try it. Another fella here, mentioned possible paint degradation under the tape. Geez, I hope not! I’ve been using a prop boot for a couple years and about to replace. Don’t see anything under it so far, but I’ll know more when it’s removed. The 3m adhesive accelerator worries me. I can definitely give before data for that since the prop was fresh when the film boot was applied. But those nicks are fewer where the boot is. Going for curb feelers next! Trying to avoid those taxiway reflector turtles!!!

No... it’s a piece of zigzag tape that runs along the prop root about 6” and on a cs prop about .3” from the leading edge. They claim it helps the airflow with some mumbo jumbo terms and it brings the rpms up by reducing drag. I’ll let you guys know if it puts me back in my seat.

You got it Carusoam. I bought that... with all these speed mods, I’ll be going for the record soon lol

Anyone tried a propeller vortelator?