TargetDriver

Here it is ! Picked it up couple days ago. Everything works as expected so far. I'll probably make a few minor adjustments but I'm happy with it. If I have the ELT and hot prop voltage indicator moved I can juuust fit an Ipad mini in that blank area and I want to make flush mount fillers for the two vacant covered instrument holes. It's not GSXR level of cool yet but I'm working on it.

An old CFI friend of mine that flew KC-135 tankers in the Air Force said they kept a sign in their squadron toilet that said " If your fuel probe appears to be a little short, fly closer to the tanker before unloading"

Couldn't help but get a pic of this sign at my avionics shop the other day. This used to be funny... now as I get a little older... maybe not so much any more....

Wow, love your panel and the progression !! Yea, it will be best for me to do it a smaller chunks at a time... like you said, something to look forward to next time !

Tons of work there, but it turned out beautiful !! I love the new paint designs. She looks like a $1 million dollar new one! R

Yea when I get the plane back I was going to take that no smoking sign out and mount it on a plaque with this pic... haha

Getting closer... but I can already tell that I'm not going to like the protruded displays. With all the bookings backed up for ADS-B installs (and these guys do full displays in big stuff too!) they didnt have time to do the cut-outs and mounts for flush mounting. I told them that I'd do it myself later and fly it back to them to check out. I was reading a nice post about a MS member doing some very nice flush mounts. I'll get in touch with him for the G5 and possibly the -830 too. Going to have him leave the dash cover off or loose so I can refurb and reupholster (sp? ha) and install myself too.

Spoke with Brent. He was wanting the outer clear wrap-around lens for the wing tip. After a couple phone calls we figured out that the actual strobe lens that I make isnt what he needed. Ha Great talking with you though Brent. Merry Christmas all !!

Yea I seen that I can load the -100 app. That will be nice to have and thought I could run it on the panel mounted ipad ( I have a spare one) and then could still use my Foreflight ipad mini in my yoke. (I may eventually do away with the yoke ipad but I'd feel naked flying without it now) I still have to get up to speed on what can go where and I can do with the -540.

The budget is pretty much fixed at this point so I'll have to stick with whats being done for now. The BK is a want for sure, but yea a second G5 would be the logical next good move. The WX-7 was actually mounted below the right panel but it's been removed completely. The big empty area on the right panel will be filled with a nice cover plate for now. I went to the plane the other day and most everything was installed except for the cover plates. I wish I had actually measured the large opening... Now I'm wondering if I can get a ipad mini panel mount in there and blue tooth one from my -540 for wx and ads-b.

Brad, I'm definitely no avionics electrical guy...and I only sounded like it form my description by what the tech told me. Ha He did mention in an email about "interfacing the GAD29B" so I'm sure that's what he meant, but I will ask him for sure. Thanks! I'm going over there first of next week so I will check on the Scat tubes condition. I've replaced all hoses and tubing on the engine firewall forward but didn't think about those. Outta sight, outta mind... But I will now for sure! R

When I seen the downed Cirrus plane news I got real nervous real quick. I was just at the North Vegas airport (KVGT) visiting and doing some advanced training two weeks ago. One of my very good flying buddies works at All in Aviation based at KVGT and is one of the Cirrus instructors. I immediately contacted him to make sure he was alright. Thankfully, he replied and obviously he was but told me that it was a privately owned Cirrus not from there. I had done my Commercial and Multi training at KVGT so I know the area fairly well and have had Nellis Appr on the radio many times. What happened was a trajectory and I will not begin to asses possibilities as to why it occurred. From my time there, I have had a couple miscues from ATC and was frequently reminded that both KVGT and Nellis are also training facilities for ATC in conjunction with all of the flight training going on. Hopefully the investigation will reveal what went wrong that lead to this terrible incident and we will be able to use this as a teaching event that will possibly save someone in the future. As many have responded...Whether VFR or IFR...always Trust but Verify! The great people on the other end of our radio that take care of us in the air are human and can mistakes just like we can.

Tom, Thank you for sharing such wonderful memories of your friendship with us. Not many people in life are blessed to have such a friend. You have our heartfelt condolences and prayers. Honor Steve by keeping his great memories alive! It sounds like he touched so many lives in his time here. That's all most of us could ever hope to do. Blessings!

Take it from a guy with too many Afghanistan deployments under his belt... if you're having to clean lead off the belly of your plane...you need to fly higher and at night so they cant see you to shoot at you !!!

After a couple years my big day is finally here ! My sexy K model is in for her new panel update! I've attached a pic of the then-common King Silver Stack. She served well in her day but now its time for a make over. She's been at the avionics shop in Muskogee, OK for a week now and they're elbows deep in the panel. See pic 2. ( I showed that pic to my wife and she said "oh my lord, they've ruined our plane! Can they ever get it back like it was?!) LOL I'm having the Avidyne IFD540 installed with their AMX240 Comm panel, and the remote APX322 Xpdr for ADS-B out. May add IN later. Also having a Garmin G5 added that I bought from a MS'er a little while back. They are adding a GMU 11 magnetometer for heading and the GAD 29B for Nav data interface to the -540. A RAMI AV-801 GPS/WAAS antenna will get the signal in and out. The plan is to add in the Aerocruise/BK AP in the spring or summer after/when they get Mooney approval. While it's apart, they're adding a JPI 830 with fuel flow integration where the old ADF head was so the panel position will be perfect. They're removing the loran, KT 76A, KMA 24, com 1 and KNS 80 and associated CDI and removing ADF and WX-7 stormscope. Heading over there next week to check out what's been done. More pics to follow!!

A and Brent, Apologies for being offline for a while... Been deployed, but back again now..hopefully for good. As for the lens, I don't have any made right now but could get out the mold and make a few up. My reg email is rfirebaugh@gmail.com or my number is 916-301-3485. I'll be more reachable on those most likely.

Hey Jim ! Good to hear from you again. Copy on the link, thanks! So, when you used yours, did you just stay plugged into your own mic jacks and then plug the portable in for your two passengers? I would think since its plugged into the plane that all three should be able to hear and communicate over the internal intercom, right? .. and you would still have ptt for outside comms? Looks like I'm relocating to OK in two months so going to wait until I get there to have all my avionics updated (has to be cheaper there than in Cali !) That G5 stares at me all the time asking when, when ! ha

So guys, I have to take a little trip next week. Taking our daughter to College for her orientation day. Our K model only has a 2 place intercom thats always enough, until we add a passenger. Its' about 4 hr flight and don't want to leave her all by herself, so to speak. I've attached a pic of a $90 2 place intercom from A/S. Couldn't I leave my headset plugged into my jacks on my side, plug this into my wifes jacks and then hers into the "pilot" jacks and our daughter into the "co-pilot" jacks ? My wife doesn't make radio calls so just need theirs to be internal to the cockpit. Thanks Gents....and yes a full new comm panel is coming soon with all of the other goodies.

Thanks Thin... Just tried to use basic troubleshooting on something I know very little about... probably more about intimidation than anything. Could not have done it without the great help and guidance from the guys here on MS. I'm not on any other forums and never really have been but this...is gold ! I looked up the Stabilant 22. Looks like great stuff. I will hit NAPA to see if they have it... Sure can't hurt to add to the chem shelf in the hanger. R

UPDATE !!!!!!!!!!! HEY EVERYBODY, HAPPY FRIDAY !!! The sun is shining again in the world of Mooney !!! Can you guess why I'm so happy ???? FOUND IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I quit last night at 10pm after a 12 hours day on it, in it, under it and inside it. Not sure how it all works but.... the ground wire from the gear warning horn goes through a large mating plug below the panel and after it comes down from the pilots left A post under the headliner. The ground wire pin had pulled out of the plug. Fixed the pin flare tabs and reinserted it. Tug tested good. Before that I had found that the power was back feeding from the Gear Over Ride switch on the WE31D22 wire (with the diode-it checked bad once I had cut that wire ahead of it and isolated it-replaced it with a new one). maybe the lack of a ground did something to the diode? dunno. Once I reconnected the ground wire I swung the gear and tried the throttle. Walaaaa, no buzzer noise off idle with the throttle ! Fixed. IA inspects it today, sign off logbooks, go flying this afternoon !! IPC and Biannual later! Guys I can't thank you enough for all the technical help!! Your suggestions helped me to know which wires to chase down and what to look for. NEVER could've done it without you ! We areplanning on going to the Kerrville hooah this year some hopefully I can meet some of you guys there, or at Oshkosh if I get to go, or... If you're close to Oklahoma City after August 1..relocating for work there. ... I need a hanger there too !

The schematic shows the airspeed safety switch right next to the gear over ride switch on the diagram in the "upper panel" area which leads me to believe that it should be the version that you guys are talking about, on the back of the airspeed indicator. I've scoured the prints for any indication of a similar switch on either wing section (mines on the left wing). The logs say the donuts are 7 years old but I've measured them and the stance is still riding high so I haven't messed with them.

Car... Yes, true. I just posted a pic (it posted sideways) of what I believe is this planes version of the airspeed saftey switch. I just checked the back of the airspeed indicator and there's absolutely nothing back there. Its flat with no ports, fittings or nipples. Yes, the Stall Warning "switch/Sensor" is about 12 in outboard of the airspeed safety switch. We did test the stall warning switch by holding it up with the Master on and it sounds as expected when held up, as would be in a high alpha disturbed stall condition.

Airspeed switch- I got all the way under the panel and there is nothing attached to or coming off of the back of the airspeed indicator. It's back its basically flat with a small black plastic boss in the center with some wires that are heat shrinked together, possibly 3 or 4 wires. Nothing to put a nipple or rubber surgical hose on to. I have attached a pic of what I believe is the airspeed safety switch. MS has rotated the pic 90 deg. Sorry.

So a daily update ... Been at it all day. removed belly panels-checked up and down limit switches for electrical function and installation and adjustment. All fine. Pulled right breaker panel (out about 3 in). Checked for bad connections/loose/broken wires. All fine Tested Gear Cont, Gear Warn breakers. all fine. Checked airspeed safety switch in right wing leading edge (its just inboard of the stall warning switch). The switch itself checked good but but never showed current running through it in any condition. Tried it taped back to simulate airflow (switch made by pressure from the small paddle that would be in the air stream). No difference. Checked Sonalert horn again for proper function. Works as expected. Cannot get to the Over Ride gear bypass switch next to annunciator panel without removing front main panel. Found one diode, inline on the -16D22 going to the Up limit Switch that tested bad (slightly passing) after we de-soldered one end. Bought another dioide to match it, installed-no change to horn operating while the throttle was advanced off of idle. HOWEVER... Throttle at idle, I just ran the gear up, horn sounding, pushed throttle in halfway, still sounding (should have stopped off idle with the throttle) so I pulled the Gear Cont breaker to shut it up...then by chance, I pulled the throttle back to idle, not thinking - the Horn Sounded like it should ! So, with the gear Cont breaker out the horn works as it should, but of course the gear action stops. I'm going to dive back into the schematic and start at the Gear Cont Breaker. If this means anything to you guys, I'm all ears !! and have a endless supply of gratitude!

Jack, thank you ! I read in the maintenance manual about the airspeed switch (I presume it's the one just under the left leading edge that looks like a small paddle hanging in the airstream) but I haven't seen that anywhere in the full schematic. Yes we had the plane up on stands. The buzzer should sound when the gear is in any condition other than "down and locked" AND the throttle is at idle ( throttle micro switch is allowed to fall open just at the end of the cable housing). It did buzz like this, BUT it should have stopped when the throttle was pushed in some, which closed the micro switch...but it dfidn't. It just keeps buzzing. So are you saying that the airspeed switch needs to be held back like its flying so the horn will stop? Thank you all for your continued help !!! You guys rock.