Zwaustin

A20 for me and very happy

With Bill White currently and have been for a couple years ... no complaints.

I fly there twice monthly... just got back from Houston last night, place is just a mess.

+1 for Dugosh in Kerrville. . . Many will recommend Don Maxwell at KGGG, I have been there a few times myself (pre buy and one annual) and it is only about a mooney hour from Austin.

Welcome to ownership, I mean that in a good way despite the cirumstances. A good pre buy goes a long way for others thinking of buying, it is pay nor or pay later in my opinion. I believe in doing it up front so the "enjoyability" factor is higher while putting your first 100 or so hours on the bird. It is true in a sense that little kinks are going to pop up in first 100 or so hours even with a good pre buy.... Get them addressed and keep flying the bird until your first annual comes along and prepare to do it right so you can further enjoy ownership. My Mooney cost me only 170 an hour all in after I sold it. Doesn't get much better and that was a K model. Owning is better than renting!

231 is your best bang for buck. I owned a very nice example with a merlyn controller and the more desirable airflow systems intercooler. I never had any cooling issues and had no trouble keeping the CHT's under 380 all the time on the LB engine. Typical temps were 330-360. Burned 9.5-13 gph in cruise depending on how you like to run it, 18 in cruise climb and 24.9 on take off. Cruised 160TAS with ease at Lower power settings and 170TAS up in the high teens. We saw 200 plus over the ground on many trips in mid teens. All in it cost me 170 bucks per hour over the span I owned it, less than most sky hawks rent for where I live. This is all in after sold, includes maintenance, upgrades, fuel, oil, hangar, etc.. It was and still is a great airplane for the money. You have any questions on costs, maintenance, operations on the 231, etc shoot me a message, happy to share my experience with the K model. I still have every receipt for every penny I spent on that bird and have some good cost to own spreadsheets if your curious.

Ethics, business practice and morality being question now over a "similar" but far from exact scheme? I see planes all the time that give me ideas of how I want to paint mine by changing one or two things to tweak it to my liking.... Do you have a venmo or pay pal? I'm pondering a transfer of 450 to you and 450 to PTK to end this one

Exactly

It is a pretty long and drawn out explanation. See link. https://www.schemedesigners.com/copyright-information/ PS: I don't think a similar design is copyright infringement and frankly think Clemens overall Mooney work looks great. If it was a K I might just buy another one. I used to own N231DH before upgrading. Always thought that scheme designers paint was pretty sweet too.

Plus one for Bob .... I sent my KI256 out with the KFC200 AP computer part KC295 and the KC292 controller and came back good as New. Worked great up to the point I sold plane for upgrade.

Go K model 231 or 252, killer bang for the buck.

I prefer Atlantic personally at Austin. If you don't mind flying into San Marcos there are no ramp fees, cheaper fuel and it is a great airport, I use Redbird. Either way, enjoy your trip.

Composite fuselage

+1 on aircraft door seals. I installed one on my K model and the material is much higher quality than what was on there prior. As said above glue is a pain, I used some serious paint remover but be careful with it.

Here are some pics of the recent work done to my current plane by Aeroplus in Houston.... just did crew seats, arm rests, yoke wraps (did not want new gold logo inserts or stitched logo so used old silver decal), glare shield and some trim around windows. All material is Moore and Giles leather except the window trim is covered in ultra leather. Took 4 days total and very happy with the quality.