Falcon Man

I have bought and eventually sold several rehab projects, which were still flying at the time of purchase, however. In the late nineties to early 2000's it was possible to work under the guidance of an A & P mechanic and perform most of the labor. These were an a E, G, J and K model. I was able to make out fairly well with mostly used avionics upgrades, tank reseal, interior and top overhaul. The J model had a tube replaced by a FAA certified welder due to rust. Nowadays, there are almost no A & P mechanics who will allow an owner to do this kind of work. I was able to essentially trade my sweat equity and mechanic skills for $ because in all these cases I bought low and sold high. Like others have said how much do you like restoration projects? It is really satisfying to see an airplane restored to its former glory, but few pilots have the skills, time and desire for a multi year project. For example, good luck finding an engine shop who can find parts to get an engine overhauled. My IA has 5 Moony's on the ramp waiting for an engine, all with 1-2 years delay on engine OH. Pictures of the project will help fellow mooniacs give you advice, but proceed with caution because you won't be able to discover all the work needed until you dive deep into the airframe. Think of it as a free off restoration of your favorite antique automobile. Good Luck!

As a student pilot in the 1980's I swapped flight hours for fueling, cleaning aircraft and mechanics helper duties at the local FBO. One of the aircraft renters slid a wooden wing Mooney into the home runway without lowering the gear. The FBO AP/IA owner was a crusty old dog who relished in giving the FAA fits, so he drove to Texas from Idaho and bought a used wing from someone and mated the fuselage to the wing, which he never documented in the logs!. In the process the airplane was completely stripped down and one of my tasks was to sand off the zinc chromate off all the tubes before repainting them. The tubular chromoly fuselage cage reminded me of the funny car dragsters I worked on with my older brother and his buddies. Also it looked like the frame of the P51 models I built as a pre-teen. That was enough for me to realize the designers were interested in strength and protecting the passengers in the event of a crash. About the time the Mooney was ready to test out I acquiring my PP certificate (in the P and C brand aircraft), I got to do the taxi test runs of the rebuilt Mooney (my first time operating a Mooney) doing sequential ground runs up and down the runway and working out the known squawks. Finally the owner IA decided it was ready to go around the around the patch and I expected the lead instructor to perform the flight tests. To my surprise and (foolish) acceptance the owner IA said I could fly it around the patch for the first flight! I memorized the POH and recited it to him and over the objections of my instructor I performed the flight around the patch, left the gear down and noted that the left fuel cap was leaking! After that experience I knew all I ever wanted to own was a Mooney - strong, fast, sexy and efficient!

Beagles takes wings off fuselage to transport a Mooney for repair.

I enjoy my 900 in the pilots panel ad I consider it a "primary instrument". Apparently the designers at Moony thought some of the engine parameters need to be front and center. Will a 900 temporarily fit in the lower right pilots panel?N252PR Pilot Panel.pdfN252PR Panelpdf.pdf

Thanks for the salient reminder this article provides.

Possible explanations: the leak was slow and not noticeable on preflight inspection; expansion and contraction of all components of the drain could allow more debris to settle in during the flight and lead to a more noticable leak. The most common debris culprit is flaking of the tank sealant which occurs whenever the wings flex in turbulence and upon landing.

Confession - I literally ripped off the nose gear in a towing incident. During heavy wet snowfall winter I was moving my airplane from it's tie down area so the airport snow plow crew could remove the ice dams from the front and back of my aircraft which was created by the previous plower's work. After shoveling the crusted ice/snow I towed my aircraft with my vehicle and I did not realize that one main tire was frozen to the ground by melted snow and refreezing. So when I was pulling the aircraft it jackknifed so hard it spun the other main tire around and twisted the nose gear clear off and the prop struck the ground. Yep - it resulted in an insurance claim for repair and an ENGINE/PROP IRAN. Hard lesson learned from my ignorance! Do I qualify for a "most stupid aircraft act"? My pilot buddies thought so at the time!

In regards to SAVVY Aviation - what you will pay them for joining and getting assistance will likely be your best option to figure out your situation. I have used them for years and it's one of the best investments I have made in aviation. Do you have an engine monitor?

Good post. None of my Mooneys had a compass clamp - where did you find that?

My OH engine in the 252 had ~ 100 hrs since last flown. It's been "pickled" according to the IA. It will have a "pre-oil procedure" before being run. Borescope of cylinders looks fine. We will see!

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try out those settings once I get my airplane back from the avionics shop. It has been hostage for 26 months! I have friends who are close to 2 years waiting for parts an engine or for factory OH. It's a sad state of affairs.

I followed my Mooney IA's and Savvy's advice on operating parameters: full throttle/MP/full rich in climb, 2200 rpm/65% HP in cruise, keeping TIT ~1550 and CHT's ~ 350F, usually ~ 25 F LOP. Fortunately my stock fuel injectors had a GAMI spread of 0.3 gph and we adjusted the cylinder baffles to keep the # 3 cylinder CHT's cooler than the stock setup. I am using the same operating parameters in my 252, so I am planning on the similar results.

This is a very informative summary. I took my LB engine 700 hrs past TBO with one top OH of cylinders. The engine shop said the bottom had just one "scuff" on a bearing, otherwise it was in good shape. (I elected for OH to new limits). My 1979 231 and 1984 262 both had the old insulation and there was moisture @ the fire wall insulation also. Removing the firewall panel was really labor intensive.

Informed decisions are great!

I have owned and flown a 231 w/ LB intercooler/auto waste gate; a 262 w/ MB engine, two stock 252's and a 1997 Encore. My home airport is @ 5300 ft elevation and have landed/took off from many other hot n' high airports. The turbocharged/supercharged K models are well suited to this mission if flying from/to an airport with adequate length. (My previous G/E/J models weren't able to give me the altitude advantages and shorter times spent over the mountainous terrain I fly over.) The main difference was the 231 had a tendency to have higher CHT's ( > 350 F.) during above std temp's hot days, so I had to accept a lower climb rate after climbing to 1000-1500 ft above field elevation. IMHO, purchase the lowest price K model and take a few years to upgrade it to whatever you desire. This might be a great way to avoid the current interest rates and inflated market. Since it's a presidential election year aircraft don't sell as fast until after the election, so that is another factor that might be worth considering.