Evan Amaya

I am currently installing a Garmin GFC500 autopilot in the fourth to last M20C made in 1978. The push-pull tubes in the back behind the service opening are the same as a J model on this plane so the installation kit for the M20C won’t work. I wanted to know if there are others out there with these rare late M20Cs that know what their tubes look like. I fixed my problem by replacing the tube with an earlier designed tube. The early tube is much larger in diameter and has machined cone type aluminum ends. The J style are smaller in diameter and are just straight with no tapered ends. I’m sure Mooney was just trying to get their parts used up by making these last C models and I know this one I’m working on has some odd stuff done to it by the factory. This will be my ninth Garmin autopilot I have installed in a Mooney and there have been a few issues but not like this. thanks Evan

Garmin has now posted the STC and install documents to the dealer portal, so it is official!

Yesterday my wife and I flew from, South Carolina to East Texas. Did it in 4.5 hours with a 7kt head. I turned on the autopilot at 500ft agl , flipped to gpss and never touched the yoke the entire trip except for landing/takeoff. Very happy with the results. ATC had me go off course twice for traffic and I ed the G5 to heading mode then when advised to turn back on course went back to gpss and the plane smoothly went back to my original course. Right now I have the scale factor set at 2. I may play with this some more but in route I can’t complain.

I played with the gpss and heading mode in flight this morning and it did work well in heading but I need to play with the gpss gain to get it to fallow the line. I’m an Avionics’s tech at a repair station and am just playing around. I agree that approach in imc wouldn’t be a good idea. This should hold me over while I wait for Garmin to hurry up and get the GFC 500 STCed for our planes!

I have dual G5’s on my F and I just configured my Brittain autopilot to gpss and heading bug off the G5. I am only using the TC100EVT turn coordinator connected directly to the GAD29b. Pin 8 on gad to pin E on TC100EVT and pin 14 to pin F. Pin E and F are on the plug that went to the Brittain controll head and is now disconnected in my case. Pin F is the orange wire, pin E blue. I have not test flown yet. I will in the morning but ground check shows it working. On the G5 I have third party autopilot set to Cessna DC scale 1:1. Pin E and F control the torquer motor on the back of the TC100EVT. 0 volts is centered. +10volts is one direction and -10volts the other. With the engine 4.5 in-hg when I turn the heading bug on the G5 the yokes fallow. I don’t think it will fly a true coupled approach but it should hold the straight line. I will post the test flight results tomorrow. 82337924-6D6F-40CA-9594-F16F234797FA.MOV

This s how my iPad mount was installed during my panel upgrade. It is a RAM universal iPad mount.

Here is another polished Mooney to add to the list. Just finished a three month annual/avionics upgrade. 1968 M20F turbo normalized.

Thanks for the input. My A&P read all the rajay manuals I have and the timing was not changed from factory setting for the stc. He also told me that SI-1325a had been recended and the timing should be 25 btdc. The F is going to the avionics shop for a month or so for all new fun stuff then I can fly.

This is my first Mooney and it has been in the shop getting an intensive annual after prebuy. It is a 1968 turbo normalized rajay. My question is this. Is the timing the same as a stock F? The engine data plate has a 20 scratched over the 25 degrees. The flywheel has two XX stamped over the 20 degree mark. thanks.