0TreeLemur

Wind noise. Our C is frightfully noisy when I lift the headfones in cruise. Can't wait to put them back on.

Hi Anthony- This is a surprisingly common problem and I'm glad you pointed it out. Last fall I spent some time typing a thoughtful reply to a five year old question... So, a while back I put a note in the suggestion box that perhaps threads older than some time (3 months, 1 year?) be given some kind of treatment to make it obvious that they are kind of stale. Either add a tag to the header **old** or give them a gray background. The older the darker the color gray. My suggestion led to nothing...

I tried this Sunday. The O360 in the C won't turn the prop at 2350 rpm with 15" of MAP. It took something like 17", which resulted in about 85-90 kt with gear down while on the final descent.

Have fun swapping out the studs @chriscalandro. I did it in the Alabama heat of July last year and damn near got heat stroke. Hope you are in a warm spot this time of year or have access to a heated hangar. Mistakes to avoid: putting studs in wrong side out, putting studs in too far.

@Marauder solved my dilemma with the drawing here: http://www.sigmatek.com/php/embed_pdf.php?doc=4B195 . The first drawing contained in that pdf shows that that the three ports distal from the central vacuum connection are all at common pressure of the instrument case. My mystery port is labeled "Alternate Vacuum Port". The port not shown on that drawing is labeled "GAGE". Some of the models on the other drawings show an electrical connector shown where my mystery port is located at the beginning of this thread. It all makes sense now. In the case of my original gyro, which is I believe and Edo-Aire predecessor to Sigma Tek, the bottom two ports were connected opposite to what they were supposed to be, but they still worked because the case is a plenum. Thanks @Marauder !! MS+1 Mystery Solved!!!

Apache...? Are you talking about the rare Mooney Apache, or as in hover & kill Apache? I assume the latter.

I've read that parts are expensive from the factory.

Facing the rear of the Sigma Tek 5000, as the drawing shows, the four ports are: VAC FILTERED AIR GAGE ????? The unlabeled port is 1/4" NPT and arrived with no plug, just a hose barb fitting so it was connected to something. On my old AI, which is the Mooney original, the connections are: VAC FILTERED AIR BRITTAIN_TC GAGE I'm thinking that this fourth port is a source of suction to drive other devices. On my a/c it seems that the three outer ports are all connected to a common plenum. I just want verification that this is the same for the Sigma Tek 5000B. That would mean that the 5000B is a slide-in replacement for my original gyro. -Fred

When I search for an installation manual, all that turns up is the drawing shown above. Does anyone know of an installation manual for the Model 5000B?

With a standard attitude gyro you can adjust for the effects of angle of attack and panel angle by adjusting the height of the dot. You can't with glass AI. You don't want to try and cruise level with the target on the horizon. It will necessarily be above the horizon 2-5 degrees.

Think about this- in the case of a regular ol' attitude gyro, you don't adjust the horizon either. You adjust how you view the relationship between the dot that represents your view in level flight. Since as -a- says there is no parallax with a glass display, there is nothing to adjust.

Thanks Lee- I enjoyed meeting you at the Mooney fly-in in Culman last Saturday!

I've obtained a Sigma Tek 5000B attitude gyro, and the connections on the back seem to be slightly different from the "stock" Mooney attitude gyro. The photo is worth a thousand words. What is that connection? Is it a place vacuum source to connect another gyro in parallel? In my a/c the original Mooney AI has a fitting there that goes to the vacuum gauge, while the other one that says "GAGE" on this figure goes to the Brittain turn coordinator (I think). Somebody's going to know this. Thanks in advance.

We checked muffler shroud, heat box and hoses at annual last month. Adjusted muffler shroud. All is fine. She puts out a lot of heat through that itty-bitty little four-louver vent in the center console. The real problem is that she also leaks cold air like a sieve through fissures unsealed (and unknown). Your C must be a lot more airtight than ours is.

If the heater in your E is like the one in my C, and your ship leaks cabin air like mine does, I'd be worried about keeping yourself warm in those temperatures. Nothing quite as uncomfortable as being cold and immobile. I don't know about newer Mooney models, but in our C the heater does a great job on the pilot's right knee and co-pilots left knee. The left side of the pilot is in a freezer, as is the right side of the co-pilot. Anyone in the back seat is in the freezer. I wouldn't fly in below zero temps in my a/c as a matter of personal safety. If I had to I would want bunny boots, snow pants, parka, stocking cap, and blankets.

Here is a form I found online for a 1965 C model. Looks to be a scanned copy of a Mooney document. M20C_Weight_Balance_Data_Form_1965.pdf

I can verify that the envelope is correct for the C.

Shot 2 ILS approaches at KBHM today, and one RNAV at 3M8. Slowed to 105 kt and gear down at FAF, set power to establish 80-85 kt glide with no flaps. Deployed flaps as needed after DH or MDA. Worked great. I think this is a workable strategy for me. Thanks everyone for providing your input.

In the '67 C the top of the white arc is only 87 kts. Sometimes while trying to keep it on glideslope, I've started to go out of the white arc, which is bad. I think that what I'm going to need to adopt to eliminate that problem is to do as @Andy95W and @Browncbr1 do, and just not put in any flaps until I break out. With any flaps down the speed envelope for staying on glide slope is only 12 kts if one doesn't want to go any slower than 75 kts. For me with my current skill set, that's just too narrow. So, the difference in white arc limits associate with different models/years of the M20 family make my poll rather meaningless. I should have asked this question only of those of you with pre-68 M20C's.

Thanks, I added the qualifying phrase: "If you fly a pre-J Mooney" to help avoid that issue.

How much flap do you put in at the FAF to stabilize your glide? Thanks. I'm curious to learn what most folks do.

I just purchased a pair of the Grimes torpedo lights off eBay, and plan to refurb and install them in my a/c. That will free up the two that come out of my a/c. If you want 'em, let me know and I'll tell you when they are available. One of mine has a sprung clip that holds the torpedo fixture on the bulb socket though.

Just curious- why replace all those machine screws? Aren't they reuseable parts?

As of Thursday, the weather looks great for Saturday, which is pleasant given how much rain Alabama has been having over the past couple of weeks.

I have come to the same conclusion. A Mooney is fast enough for me. Are planes are more that twice as fast as you could ever hope to drive safely, and 1/3 to 1/2 the speed of an RJ depending on how much Mooney you have.