Pinecone

AWESOME, thanks. Now to get my buddy who is really into 3D printing make me one.

IMO, it is best to buy the best airplane you can afford. Engine and airframe condition are first and foremost. But buying a marginally equipped aircraft, when you are planning on doing your instrument rating is not the best plan. You get your instrument rating and IMMEDIATELY you are not happy with your airplane as you want to be able to USE your rating. And upgrading is much more expensive than buying the airplane already equipped. And a lot of what you would want for IFR will be nice for VFR flying. I would be fine with a 6 pack, but would definitely want a WAAS GPS. An HSI makes approaches much easier. Also, these days, using the avionics is a big part of IFR flying. So getting a plane and doing your instrument rating in that plane with those avionics, would be a good thing. That way you are not having to spend time to learn your avionics versus the school plane avionics. Another thought. Due to your low time and no complex/retract, you will be looking at probably needing a good number of hours of dual from the insurance company. So you can use that time to start working on your instrument rating. You could even ask the insurance broker if they can get you a lower rate if you commit to more dual before soloing the airplane.

Powered Lift

Quotes I have gotten in the last 6 months, install prices are pushing 100% of the equipment costs.

Funny, flying back home from KBDL yesterday we herd several Mooneys in the air. Not a single Cirrus. My friend in the right seat (also a pilot) commented that only Mooney pilots were flying.

Hmm, I wonder if they will process my application from about May 2022?????

The progression of paints was: Enamels Acrylic Enamels Catalyzed Acrylic Enamels Polyurethanes Lacquers are a somewhat parallel path.

Then go to a different DPE. Sorry, but crap like this causes more issues than it helps.

You NEED a DC-3 type.

Didn't see it, but heard xx201J on the air the other day. Looking, probably N1201J. We were flying NE MD to KBDL

Do the Dresser Monster extra thick tread fit on Mooney wheel wells?

Another vote for Byron. I used him to qualify aircraft by reviewing logs. He was not able to do my pre-buy, but he arranged a shop he knew and "supervised" the pre-buy remotely. He recently did my first annual there were no surprises.

Hmm, do you have a picture? Neat idea.

X-Plane has better flight modeling. MSFS has better graphics. DCS for flying combat.

IMO, the hours to build a Mooney could be cut. But it will take time and money up front. Much is made of how the Mooneys are hand made, and they are. But why not do like RV and standardize the parts? I mean the panels, ribs, tubing pieces. This way the workers do not have to hand fit each piece and hand drill all the holes. Matching hole, again, like the RV line. And then is becomes more an assembly process, and a LOT less time. Even the tubing for the cage and get CNC machined, put in a jig, and welded. I looked at building a homebuilt with a tube fuselage, and there is a company I could order the tubing kit with every tube cut and end shaped to fit together perfectly.

$150,000 for avionics is a pretty high end panel. And install costs will be a bit lower that doing an existing airplane, as they will not have to disassemble the interior and remove old wiring and equipment. $100,000 will get a G3X with EIS, GTN-750Xi, high end audio panel , GFC-500, and more installed. And that is buying the avionics at full retail.

Doing dual G5s means if you decide on a G3X later, you can sell one G5, and the remaining one works better with the G3X Touch.

WTF?!. The regs state what is required. DPE doesn't make the regs. Report to FSDO.

Also would be interested in where one could do this.

Then I would do them both. I did the writtens for both, but never pursued the rating. Of course, max bang for the buck is to do one new rating every 2 years to count as a Flight Review.

My 252 is similar avionics, but I have an Aspen 1000 and G-5. I agree with the others, if you do it piece by piece you will spend a LOT more money and more time. As an interim, I swapped the JPI 700 for an 830 for better engine monitoring. The other thing is, $15,000 is not going to do much. Figure most avionics, these days, double the cost of the equipment for an installed price. But if you do piece meal, it will be more, as they will have to pull the panel and interior, put it back, then next phase do that again.

Up to you. But if the maker says 1.6 ounces per quart, I try to hit near that. You are at 1.33

1/2 bottle is right if you only put in 5 quarts of oil

I am an engineer. Keyboard is repeating, mainly numbers.

Do you have Multi Engine Sea? If you have Helicopter instrument, CFIIH makes sense.