Bigdaddie

I was going to go with the adjustable receptacle so I could keep all the studs the same BUT the adjustable receptacles are like $50/EA!

This was a project I was going to do myself, but I may just pony up the $$$ and let ArtCraft do the cowling repairs and install the fasteners.  After all, once I “fix” it, the cost will probably be 2-3X to "fix my fixes."  That’s how I roll

Steve

17 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

Skybolt SS wide flange, a better camloc:

Tom,

That is just a Skybolt Camloc inserted directly into the fiberglass cowling, correct? No gromet?

Steve

On 12/26/2022 at 10:50 AM, Fly Boomer said:

Hve you started your engine with it?

I generally just use it when the master is on for prolonged periods.  I'll give it try and see if it starts when I go out to the hanger.

Sometime during the life of our M20K, the side cowling Camlocs got replaced with screws making cowling removal a pain.  I plan on replacing all of the cowling Camlocs as well as the screws and receptacles.

What have you all been using, stainless or plated? And if you use stainless, did you go with the stainless receptacles also?  Advantages/disadvantages of both?

Thanks, and Happy New Year!

Steve

On 5/13/2020 at 6:42 AM, FloridaMan said:

I carry an EarthX booster pack and a plug-n-jump in my Rocket for emergency jump starts. 

I carry a small motorcycle LiFepo4 battery when I go on trips for the jump start.  Also works great if I have the avionics on for extended periods without the engine running.

On 10/28/2022 at 6:36 PM, Hank said:

That's for crosswind takeoffs. Isn't that what you do? Or do you let the wind slew the tail around as you weathervane into the wind? The former is much friendlier for your pax. Either will have you fly the runway heading.

Oh, I just noticed--my primary CFI wanted me to fly the extended runway path, to the extent of taking the controls at ~300 agl so I could look out the back window and see how crooked I was. 

So which is right--align flight path with runway direction, or aim the nose to point in the runway direction and drift however far off to the side the wind pushes you?

You ALWAYS want to maintain runway track until clear of all obstacles.  We use 400’ AGL at the airlines as a safe altitude to make any initial turns.  The way I’ve always taught and flown crosswind takeoffs is to use cross control (aileron into to wind and rudder as needed to maintain track) until airborne then slowly transition to a crab into the wind to maintain track.  The aileron into the wind is probably the single best tool for making a smooth crosswind TO or landing in a light airplane.  Also make sure to keep that aileron into the wind after touchdown and during rollout.  I’ve seen too many times where a pilot will release aileron after touchdown and we immediately head for the grass.

7 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

So, If I waited till I was 2000 feet from the cloud before I took off I would be good, or does rolling down the runway count? I suppose an airplane on approach could land on me if he never made a radio call, but the half in the cloud was below minimums.

It all depends on where "flight" begins.  It's my interpretation that flight starts at the application of power for takeoff.  So, in your situation, if the takeoff roll started down the runway a bit with VFR Wx, I would call that good.  If that class E airspace was not active, you would be good to go in 0/0 to either 700’ or 1,200’ (where class E airspace starts) where you would need a clearance if not in VFR conditions.

I flew around one winter in the central valley of CA where we get the Tule fog.  Airlines were cancelling flights because the visibility in Fresno was below Cat 1 minimums.  I flew into Chowchilla with ease because the fog was only a few feet thick, and I could see the airport all the way down to the flare but I was then in class G airspace.  I remember driving home thinking man this fog is bad.  The approach and landing were surprisingly easy because I had the runway in sight all the way to touchdown.  Taxiing was a different story.

1 hour ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I spent the night at Arcata once about 20 years ago. the airport was completely fogged in when it was time to leave. I was planning on going VFR and was contemplating filing, even though I don't like doing 0-0 takeoffs. 

Well after 1/2 hour the fog started to move out and 1/2 the runway was clear. I started the takeoff roll in zero viz (well maybe 100 ft) and when I broke out I took off.

I always wondered if that is legal? It doesn't really matter, its an uncontrolled field and there wasn't anybody there.

BTW it was rather spectacular going from low vis to clear sunshine.

If you're talking about ACV, it looks like there is class E airspace down to the surface so if the class E was effective, you cannot takeoff without an IFR clearance.  The exception would be class G where you do not need a clearance to operate IFR if you and the aircraft are certified (God knows I'm certifiable ;).  I'm thinking in your case you need to be VFR prior to commencing the takeoff roll but that is splitting hairs.

4 hours ago, WAFI said:

I don't retract my flaps in the air but as soon as my mains touch or as my nose wheel taps the runway I hit the switch. I find that is helps in gusty winds and rainy days, really plants the plane to the runway.

I'm not a fan of touching the flaps or anything other than the throttle while on the runway.  The only exception to this would be on very short runways you could retract the flaps to increase weight on wheels and thus brake effectively.  Our airport is not very busy, so I typically roll to the end of the 3,200’ runway to save the brakes.  I do make configuration changes once down to taxi speed since there is no hurry to exit.

53 minutes ago, T. Peterson said:

Spirit Airlines has a DFW base. I live just outside of Ennis which is a 65 minute drive to the airport.

Gotta say I love TX though I only got here 7 years ago. Formerly based in DTW.

I was based in DFW from like 1993-1997 flying for Wings West - American Eagle and again from 1998 - 2000 flying the MD88 Mad Dog for Delta.  I had a crash pad in Hurst near Bell Helicopter.  We had a blast but many of our adventures cannot be disclosed on a public forum.  I said I would NEVER return to Texas but being a California native and seeing how this state is progressing, a migration east is not out of the question.  Come on over to Delta.  You can teach me some Airbus stuff.  I was on the 757/767 for 18 out my 25 years here so the transition to the Airbus A350 has been a serious test of my cognitive abilities to say the least.

Take care,

Steve 

16 minutes ago, T. Peterson said:

I too am a relatively new Mooney pilot and my day job is flying Airbus 320 series. I totally identify with the discomfort of pulling the power to idle and forcing myself not to touch it again! I think (and I am totally open to correction) that at least part of the problem is the difference between our swept wing jet and the straight wing Mooney. In the jet we have to catch a high sink rate with power. Adding further back stick just changes the angle at which we smack the runway. The straight wing is much more effective at arresting a sink rate with increased angle of attack or back stick. Compound this with an extra 5 kts for mom and the kids and it is a perfect recipe for an ugly Mooney landing. This is because the Mooney doesn’t want to land if she has enough airspeed to fly. Try to fly her onto the runway when she doesn’t want to and she will do her own impersonation of the “Ali shuffle” or the “Flipper porpoise.” 
I am no expert and can describe the proper procedure better than I can execute it, but FWIW, I try to come over the fence at 75 kts and when sure the runway is made, pull the power to idle and leave it alone! Do not let the airplane touch the runway till the stall horn has at least chirped once. 
A lot of fellas here probably have better advice than mine and I am going to continue to work on my landings but this is what I have so far learned. I am sure you will figure it out shortly.

A320 in TX - AA? I'm DL but wont hold it against you.

9 minutes ago, donkaye said:

As discussed in the APS Course, shock cooling is basically a myth.  Think of it this way: The coolest you will usually find a cylinder is around 250°F.  The hottest should be around 350°F.  That's 100°F difference.  Both Lycoming and Continental say the maximum cooling rate of a cylinder per minute is 50°F.  So, even in the worst case that is only 2 minutes.  It is difficult to get my fastest cooling cylinder to do 50° per minute.  So, for efficiency, if I'm coming over the East Bay Hills in a descent, I'll enter the pattern at 160-170 knots.  I know the rate of slow down to prevent the fastest cooling cylinder from doing 50° per minute.  Hitting the speed brakes will immediately slow the plane to the 140 knot gear speed, after which time the gear is extended around 135 knots.  The plane will then rapidly slow to flap speed of 110 knots.  I'll be on base at that time.  The flaps are fully extended, and the 80 knot base speed is nailed.  Then quickly set up on final at the blue donut speed indicated on the Heads Up Display of Eagle AOA.  This is usually about 5 knots less than that speed "guessed" without the AOA.  Maintain the 3° slope to about 5 feet AGL.  Smoothly reduce power to idle while beginning the flare at such a rate that you end up touching down about 8° nose up, stall horn going off, and still able to see at least 2 center lined stripes down the runway.

Mike Busch spoke on the topic of shock cooling in one of his webcasts.  I agree with you that unless you rip the power to idle from 75% doing 190kts, you probably will not do any damage to our $60k+ investment hung on the front of our flying machines.  The problem is that I’m old school taught to reduce power only 1” MP / 1,000’.  It’s crazy how stuff that I was taught in the early 80s is difficult to purge from that sack of meat between my ears (since we’re opening a can of worms, can you say LOP operations?).

Since the worms are out, can you comment on turbo cool down times on a K Don?  I typically incorporate the final approach, rollout and taxi into this time.

Thanks for all the good feedback everyone.  It looks like I pretty much use the technique that Don recommends just by chance and gaining more experience in the airplane.  I find it interesting that people find it hard to slow the Mooney down and need speed brakes.  I have not had that experience at all.  I descend at the highest speed that air conditions will allow.  I plan on arriving in the pattern with about 20” MP and start that reduction slowly to prevent shock cooling (another topic entirely).  I rarely find myself in the pattern above gear speed.  I also use 10 kts below gear / flap speeds as my personal extension speeds (it’s an airline thing).  Abeam the numbers gear down and approach flaps 15” MP works great and IF I have flown the pattern at the correct distance from the airport, very little power adjustments are necessary.

I’m going out flying this morning and am going to try slowing below my usual 86mph / 75kts just prior to the runway.  My suspicion is that I am carrying too much speed into the flare.  I’ll report back with my findings.

2 hours ago, PT20J said:

You’ll get it. And at least it doesn’t call you a “retard” every time you land 

Sometimes it calls you a retard several times!

1 minute ago, Utah20Gflyer said:

I fly short final at 80mph and normally chop power a couple hundred feet before crossing the numbers,  this allows me to descend and slow so I avoid coming in with too much energy.  Difficulty holding the nose off I think is just a characteristic of the Mooney.  If I really try I can only keep the nose off the ground for a second or two before I run out of elevator so I wouldn’t worry about that other than setting it down as gently as possible.  

You guys are way too kind to explain my less than perfect landings.  The Mooney community is awesome and I'm glad I joined the Mooney family. 

14 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I don't trim in the flare. I trim nose up when I turn final. It takes a little forward pressure, but not much.

By having the trimmable horizontal stabilizer, you get much more elevator authority with trim. I just worry about go around elevator forces which should not be an issue IF you're paying close attention.

1 minute ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I have always used full flaps. They don't do much except change the deck angle of the airplane. If you want to land with the nosewheel up in the air, use zero flaps. You can use pretty much all the same speeds, but you will have a much higher pitch attitude. I always put the gear and flaps down when turning downwind. I tend to fly short patterns with relatively steep approaches. If you drag it in, you will use a lot of runway. I usually reduce power to the top of the yellow on the tach when turning base. This is too much power, but if you reduce it more you will be in the yellow and I don't like to operate there (too many (2) cracked cases). Its a 201 thing, so it doesn't apply to you. I usually pull the power to idle about 1/8 mile from the numbers. Of course the wind can change all. I always land with the trim full up. It is hard to land smoothly otherwise. (bring on the flames). I can do go arounds all day long in that configuration.

I have never been a fan of trimming in the flare, but I may change my ways in this airplane.  It's probably because I'm becoming a weak old man!

8 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

Do you have a two blade or 3 blade prop on your K?

3 blade Hartzell.

12 minutes ago, PT20J said:

From your description, it sounds like your landings are fine except that the nosewheel comes down faster than you expect. This is likely more about the Mooney landing gear design than anything you are doing.

First, the Mooney gear is short which puts the wing deeper into ground effect than most other airplanes. Ground effect changes the induced angle of attack which has the effect of increasing lift and decreasing drag just as you are trying to slow down and come down. This protracts the flare maneuver.

Second, the main wheel axels are farther aft of the CG than on many airplanes. The main spar to which the gear is attached is farther aft due to the location of the maximum thickness of a laminar flow airfoil, and the truss structure of the gear and the fact that it is a trailing link design also contribute to the aft location. In the flare, just before touchdown, there is a pitch up moment that is the tail down force times the distance from the tail to the CG, and this moment balances the pitch down moment of the rest of the airplane (mainly the wing). At the instant of touchdown, the moment arm to the tail shortens from the CG to the main gear, but the tail down force is the same. This reduces the pitch up moment and causes a pitch down often onto the nosewheel.

The third effect is that the rubber puck suspension is pretty stiff and amplifies the jolt when the nosewheel touches down.

The smoothest landings will be made when the elevator is moving up at the moment of touchdown which tends to counteract the pitch down moment at touchdown. Acceptable landings can be made holding the pitch constant at the moment of touchdown, and sometimes it is possible to soften the nosewheel touchdown by adding back pressure just as the mains touch, but I find more often than not I tend to overdo this and sometimes lift off again. If the airplane is slow enough, you can carry a little power into the flare and smoothly reduce it as you pitch up and this tends to cause a landing with the elevator coming up at touchdown.

Last point. I personally can land short, or I can land smoothly. If I do both, it was mostly luck.

Skip

Thanks Skip,

You just made me feel better about my landings.  I spent many years of instructing teaching these same principals. Now I'm thinking "have I just lost my piloting skills?"  Yea I can do the same: get off at mid field on our 3,200' runway with a thump or roll to the end with a mild tap.  I prefer the latter.

10 minutes ago, hubcap said:

How fast do you try to cross the numbers?  

I use 85mph (75kts) for approach (I usually have full fuel since there are no services at my airport) and start to slow over the airport boundry which is about 1,000' from my proposed touchdown point.  I guess my question is: at idle power and on speed -85mph- is the sink rate easily arrested with the exchange of speed?  My airplane sinks like a rock at idle and full flaps.  I think my best landings have been at 3/4 flaps and a slow power reduction over the numbers BUT with a significant increase in runway used.

I have a M20K 231.  I have been playing with landing configuration such as landing with 2/3 flaps and such to improve my landings (it doesn't help that my day job is flying an Airbus A350, a little different sight picture)!  When does everyone reduce the power to idle on a normal landing (no extreme winds or crazy conditions)?  I want to pull power over the airport boundary, but the sink rate increase makes me very uncomfortable.  I tend to pull the power just prior to the numbers but I feel like I have too much energy in the flare even though I get the stall warning prior to touchdown.  I rarely bounce and feel like touchdown is at a fairly high elevator defection.  It's just the short delay between main and nose gear touchdown that gets my attention.

I am a low time Mooney pilot and did get a checkout prior to flying the airplane.  It seems like the more I fly it the worse my landings are.  I just want to be safe and thus consulting you Mooney EXPERTS.  BTW, I am not totally unexperienced as I am a CFII, MEI, ATP with about 15,000 hrs of flight time.  As I say, I'm only a little smarter than the next guy because I admit my limitations.

Thanks everyone.  The support on this forum is awesome and I am proud to be part of the Mooney community. 

On 9/19/2022 at 11:48 AM, Geoff said:

I really wanted that red stripe...

Understood.  We're narrowing the design and nailing down colors.  I feel like I'm splitting hairs at times.

On 9/7/2022 at 10:15 AM, Skates97 said:

I like the large N numbers on the older planes, but then I'm partial to the classic look. Ours is going into the paint shop in a couple weeks. We're changing the N number and keeping with a classic (slightly modified) look.

Who are you using for paint?  I think I'm going with Art Craft.

On 9/7/2022 at 5:19 AM, Geoff said:

My old K model with a new custom paint job...

I'm not usually a fan of stripes running through the back window but yours looks good for some reason.

I think I can do the smaller N-numbers but a question I don't know the answer to.  If I fly to Mexico or Canada (which we intend to do) don't I have to have the 12" N-numbers?

Steve