Huckster79

That’s fantastic! Looks like you too bought into the “ounces makes pounds” theory. I’ve not had the Mooney long enough for any big projects. But my past plane a Cessna 140 with it’s tiny useful load I lit into lightening it up. I shaved about 50lbs off her! No one thought I could get that much out of a small bird but I did… and only pricey item was getting rid of the tractor starter and went sky tech and an oddessy battery other than that it was a lot of little things. Most surprising was seat cushions the 1947 cushions were horse hair- saved 8 lbs switching to foam! The old horse hair was heavy as all get out! congrats to your wife for packing!

I just googled the difference- I’m going to change course- same steps but going to go the SEM route- sounds like a consistently better product!

This. Make sure ya don’t chase down a problem that’s not there… easy enough for all of us to forget these steps at times, and maybe OP has- but I’ve caught myself chasing problems and then simple things like this dawn on me after I’ve wasted time looking for a complicated issue that wasn’t there.

I’m going to be attempting same thing. Once done I plan on painting it with duplicolor fabric and vinyl paint- I used it on a crappy car interior and it came out looking new! It’s very thin so doesn’t fill in texture and such- very nice paint for this type of thing

It’s what the guppy mouth is a remnant from

What would you say you find that downside to be moving from a beer can to the beefy ol Mooney? I love the feeling of no longer being in a beer can, but I would guess your take on it may be insightful.... The one thing I can say I don't love is one door for everyone, I get it, but I don't love the fact that if that thing is sinking or in flames we all have one normal exit... But given the overall picture I still like the sturdiness I now feel...

Im still getting used to Fuel Injection from flying a carb for a dozen years... I notice after a hot start, which I think I've got down now pretty good, that the engine just doesn't run perfectly even for several minutes afterwards, not rough in general but just a periodic rpm drop then back to normal so to try to describe it visually: 1100rmp...................................................................................1050rpm.......1100rmp....................................................................1025rmp.......1100rpm.......................................................... etc... Probably lasts 1-3 minutes.... Is that just the vapor lock clearing out and its process of getting cool fuel flowing continuously again? Or is that a sign of something? Never happens on a cold start.

Absolutely! I once flew my Cessna 140 from Michigan to Johnson creek Idaho. I’d been at 9500 or so most of the day. All the sudden found myself having extreme difficulty calculating out where I should adjust my next stop to, as headwinds were larger than predicted. It was right after feeling euphoric I was out west again. I’d figured the euphoria was just excitement of being out there. Then when I couldn’t hardly calculate which airport I should go to- I realized something was wrong and decided to land at next airport. on the way there I noticed how shallow I’d been breathing. Focused on that, landed, had lunch and proceeded just fine but focused on my breathing. I’m convinced my shallow breathing had likely lowered my saturation. Prob was excitement and nerves of a flat lander knowing he’s not above the flat bread basket anymore. Turned out fine but demonstrates what you’re saying! now that I got the Mooney I want to get O2 can for any long flight 8 or more… can’t hurt.

No prob! I’m just repaying the guys that gave me thoughtful advise as I have navigated similar decions…

Yea, I think you are on the right track myself. Especially looking at F or J... If you can swing a J- do it, for me personally I could afford a lot nicer F than I could a J, I would have been stretching to afford a J that wasn't run out... But each of our circumstances are different, had I been able to afford a J w a relatively fresh engine I would have. But the price delta for similar engine hours and just J to F made the F my obvious choice, but again J is the haloed gal in the line up, if it can be done. But you are better off, in my opinion, of making sure ya buy a solid bird that's not a fixer upper. As in Id rather have a solid C model than a clapped out F. Id rather have a solid F than a run out J. But that is budget dependent and different for each of us to decide. But with the cost and headache of an overhaul make sure the primary focus is on sound, quality engine, then down the list to other wants... I think you're onto something with being a bit taken back by the advice to buy a simpler plane to save money then upgrade. Nothing wrong with that route, but I think with quality training you are on the right track. But we pilots are just a bit opinionated and we all have lots of opinions. You'll have to take all of what all of us tell ya and triangulate off it to form your plan. I think really the only differences for cost is going to be the insurance and annual which you already acknowledged and it's not that that bad anyway. I was 0 retract time, 500 total hours, my insurance started at $3300 it ends up like $2800 now that I have 25 hours in it. My Cessna 140 with half the hull value was $1200. Annual went from $1000 on the C140 to $2500 for the base annual. So really the only potential for more cost over the Cessna would be if I had a repair on the landing gear or the CS prop... As both planes might need carb/injection work, both planes could have an attitude indicator fail, both planes could need a new alternator/generator, etc... So, sure with more "stuff" on board, more to break potentially, but if you aren't going for a doggedly simple plane like my old 140 which obviously you aren't if you are going to use it for family trips, there's just not that much more potential for repair costs. I love the idea of my manual gear as that keeps things very simple there, so I think my manual gear a flaps are an advantage, from my perspective- less motors and switches.... So yea its going to be a bit more for insurance and annual than a fixed pitch fixed gear glorified trainer, but if you are financially secure enough that the fixed gear fixed prop wasn't the absolute most you could possibly afford, I don't think its going to be night and day... I'm new into the Mooney so I could be very wrong, but from what I'm seeing and studied I don't believe I am. I really think you are making a reasoned decision to go this route as long as you get some good estimates now what insurance and base annual will run and other basic costs and are comfortable with the figure- go buy your mooney You will hear a lot of myths about these birds too, most are myths... The one that sticks out to me is they are a pain to slow down and pain to land. I find when I pull the throttle back and raise my pitch it slows down, when I'm on final it's about like a chickenhawk to land- just about 10mph faster is all. I think the hard to land reputation comes from folks flying sloppy and 80mph on final ends up 85-95mph- nope- peg your airspeed and it lands like any other plane. I'm a rookie and usually make the first turn off without torching my brakes... Sure at a decent altitude ya have to plan your approach a bit more, and I've blown it, but it wasn't anything that one 360 didn't cure- learned a good lesson and move on as a better pilot for it... I also don't see prices going down on birds, save momentarily for a recession, but when we even look at those with cold hard logic- they last between a year to two, but these birds aren't being replaced by new ones at the rate we bend em or poorly taken care of ones corrode out... So I think buying your last plane first is not a bad idea, and that doesn't have to be 100% literally true as in ya can't ever upgrade, but I don't think I'd buy a Piper 4 place then the Mooney, if I could afford it, I'd just buy the mooney and be set for more years even if its not forever...

Absolutely perfect plane for what you are looking for. I'm a new Mooniac myself, a few months in, came from flying a Cessna 140 and 172. What a fine piece of equipment these are- I feel like I went from driving a chevy cavalier with loose steering to a brand new Cadillac in terms of handling and feel. I bought the F as I wanted the increased useful load and room. I think they are worth the increased price, and is almost everything a J is for less (and yes J friends I said almost) I've had my adult kids in back as well as my wife and friends wife- all the rear seat passengers say they are comfy as can be- far better than the chickenhawk was, the seats even recline, great airflow to their vents, etc. And wow yes you can throttle and lean back a lot. I locally fly around 6.5gph. We flew for a while at 5-5.5 but she felt a bit awkward down there, but possibly had I thought of putting one notch of flaps in she would have been fine. She just sat pretty nose high. But yea you can run em on very little fuel if its just building time...

Kinda like everyone’s favorite beer is a free one

Yessir! It cost me a “I wasn’t using it anyway, take it”.

it was the gauge itself. Swapped a spare in and reading was steady

On my 2nd training flight we noticed this and headed home to get it checked out. The vacuum gauge needle was rocking back and forth rapidly- I could t post the video but you can see it in the screen shot… Any ideas? I’m going to have my mechanic take a look but I appreciate the community input to maybe head them in the right direction…

No. I have the old one out and we’re going to see about getting a new cable on it… just haven’t had time yet…

My power boost cable broke, I ordered a new one from McFarlane my S/N was listed as applicable- however it appears my S/n shows two different ones… I’ll call laser, but I recall in another thread someone mentioned it and a few folks had ones they were willing to sell that had upgraded cowls n such. anyone have a spare they would part with? Mines the one with the push button in center of knob…

Be better than vibrating/wandering out to full lean… that’s a guarantee to kill regardless of DA.

Why are they not setup with a spring to go full rich if it’s disconnected? I though, maybe wrongly, that that’s how airplane carbs are setup?

thank you- makes sense.

Gotcha I believe so to make sure I understand you: the bushings allow some "slop" for that bolt? or the bushings are worn allowing slop that isn't supposed to be there? Ray

This bolt appears to have been safety wired in place loose… That’s not right is it? It’s the exhaust support strap bracket

You have hangar fairies too hey?

Is there a specific nane for the newer style? My F is in for annual right now, I’d order one to have done while apart, but don’t want to order the wrong one as in a new but the less reliable style… just the end or the whole control? If it’s been changed since new would there be a certain part number to see if it’s the new better one? So they aren’t spring controlled to full rich if the control linkage falls off evidently?

the bird is brand new to me… Just got my first 1.7 of transition training in it- loved it… But as I make plans to rejuvenate the paint- this antenna caught my eye in terms of looking a lil ratty… But typically you can’t paint antennas correct? Is there any other options besides replacement or live with it? Or could these style of antenna be painted?