tim417

I'm having a strange issue with my trim and I am having my A&P look at it, however I wanted to the hive mind input to see what specific recommendations for my mechanic to follow, as he isn't sure what is going on either. The issue is with the trim/elevator behavior during landing. As you know, as you deploy flaps in the Mooney, it pitches the nose downward. So with every notch of flaps I deploy (or pumps, as it were,) I pull the yoke back to compensate for the pitch down, and trim off the pressure. Around the second to third pump, after I pull the yoke back, I try to trim off the pressure but the pressure doesn't release. I give it a couple partial turns of the wheel as I am used to, but nothing happens. Then a few seconds later, the yoke/elevator abruptly releases the pressure and it can be startling. Everything during preflight as far as controls feel like they are working properly. They are free and clear and move smoothly. The trim wheel moves normally. This behavior just started a few months ago and hasn't seemed to have gotten better or worse. It doesn't matter if I manually adjust trim using the wheel or use the trim servo of the GFC500 system. The empennage behaves normally with the trim adjustment on the ground as does the elevator movement. However, I am suspecting that maybe the elevator bungees have something to do with this issue?

The patch cost me four hours of labor, which I felt was more than reasonable.

As many of you probably already know, Advanced Aircraft Services out of Troutdale, OR is a MSC. They used to do full reseals in the past, but no longer do them. I had heard they still do patches for leaks and had a reputation of being able to give a no sh!t assessment of whether or not a leak can be reliably patched without a reseal, and could do the job. Earlier this year, I called Greg and set up an appointment to fly my M20C up there for him to check out. The left tank was seeping fuel on the spar and my A&P/IA had been bugging me about it for a while asking me to please get it fixed. Greg and I set up an appointment for Monday of this week, so I flew up on Sunday so it would be ready Monday morning. I met with him as scheduled and he got to work on it, diagnosing and patching the leak. He let the fuel sit in the tank until Tuesday around lunch time to make sure the leak was indeed patched and by 1400 hours that afternoon, I was on my way home. It was extremely refreshing to deal with a shop that keeps its appointments and lives up to its reputation of solid work. That and Greg just seems like a very kind, hard working guy that takes pride in his work. Tim

I downloaded one and also ended up buying an old copy off eBay as it was cheaper than printing one out at the print shop/FedEx Printing. Very handy to have a hard copy.

Yeah, he did a great job. No, my original control wheels had a leather wrap that was dried and cracked and the shafts had the 500hr AD. I scoured the Internets and salvage shops for the 201 style wheels and compatible shafts and then sent the wheels to Hector for wrapping.

I did the DIY kit for my C model. It was way cheaper than the six panel Mooney kit and was very easy to do. Hector at AeroComfort did my leather wrap. Phenomenal quality and great communication

Ooh that is also a great option! Great for when I sit in other peoples' planes.

I dont know if I am just terrible at it but I tried the static tint and could never get the bubbles out to my satisfaction and didnt like that it wasnt as clear as I would like. Probably user error on my part. Definitely cheaper than the Jet Shades, which appeals to me.

The summer heat has once again reminded me how hot it gets in the cabin, so I decided to splurge and get a set of Jet Shades for my humble M20C. These shades are removable, flexible shade panels that are custom fit into the aircraft. According to the manufacturer, the premium version of the shades block 84% of the solar energy and 99.9% UV rays. While Jet Shades offers a single kit that encompasses all M20 models, it appears the kit is a six window configuration designed for the modern long body. I contacted Jet Shades by phone, and discovered the best option for me was to buy their DIY kit (only offered by telephone) and cut them to fit myself. This is actually a great option because the DIY kits are cheaper than the custom cut panels and really, you don't add that much work because even the custom cut panels need trimming anyway due to variations of interior trim. The premium shade panels are lightly mirrored and labeled to avoid confusion as to which side should face out. They are semi flexible and can be rolled into a tube no smaller than 12" in diameter. Once cut, rubber trim is installed to clean up the look and also protect passengers from the sharp edges. I spent an afternoon trimming to fit, following the easy-to-understand instructions both in booklet form and also on YouTube. After I installed all four panels, I dragged the plane into the afternoon sun and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Normally it would already be quite the oven inside the plane, but the shades made a significant difference. Yes it was still warm, but definitely less uncomfortable than before. Jet Shades says it decreases interior cabin temps by 15-25 degrees F. I believe it. I will report back with more time with them. The shades are set up to be removable so vision isn't obstructed at night. Here are some pictures of the installed panels.

Yes, it turns out it was a loose terminal at the toggle switch on the panel. Two seconds with the flathead and thr issue was resolved. I love my tech buddies.

Latest and final update. My tech came by and found a weak connector in the line and rewired with new terminals. He also found that one of the terminals at the switch was loose. Once that was tightened, he hooked it all back up to test and the tube heated up immediately. Good reminder to check the obvious things first Tim

Well, here’s an update. I connected the pitot tube directly to my car battery with a 15A fuse and it heated right up, so that rules out the heat element. I brought my multimeter to the hangar this time and I’m getting good voltage at the connector to the pitot tube (12.5v) but only 3 amps. Checking my breakers, I see that the pitot heat is tied to the AUX BUS breaker which is 40A. I am guessing there is a weak connection somewhere that is robbing some power. Any suggestions as to where to look? My A&P stopping by the hangar periodically as he has time to check on me but hasnt had time to troubleshoot it directly. Once I isolate the issue will get him to address it. Tim

Well this makes me sad.

Is there an option to have the heating element replaced on the PH502-12 pitot tube or is the only real choice replacing the entire thing? Prices on 12v heated pitot tubes are crazy.

Great turnout!