highflyer77

Dear folks, I´d like to bring this up again, as also with my M20E I have ripped off tie down rings. So far, I have helped myself by using the main gear to tie down my plane. But it would be nice to be able to use the tie down rings again... According to the comments here it should be no problem to repair this with 5/16 helicoils, or to use the LASAR-tiedown/jack-combo. BUT: I have installed the Monroy-STC long range fuel tanks (86 gals. of fuel). Now I am frightened to open a panel, as I am not sure, if the specific one next to the tie down ring hole is part of the sealed outer fuel tanks... on the other hand, I do not want somebody to drill into the wing for installing a helicoil, as I am frightened that this also can cause leakage of my outer tanks... I would be happy to get qualified answers from the expert´s here, maybe even somebody has pictures that would help ... Thank´s to all in advance !

As I just wondered about payload of my '64 M20E, I don´t think, that it is a typo. 986 lbs. useful load would be close to the roughly 1.000 lbs. that had original M20E's without any modifications... On the other hand, 686 lbs. usefull load would be 120 lbs. below my merely 805 lbs. (mine has quite all speed mod´s including 201 windshield & cowling, A/P, etc. ; I really would be interested on a "average weight list" for speed mod's, avionics, carpets etc. ...

Everything was done properly (I was with the A&P all the time - fuel was drained completely, aircraft was levelled as ordered by the weighing instructions etc.) - therefore the CG moved foreward by more than an inch... I am just wondering what could be the "fat" on my M20E ... does anybody know the weight gain (either part for part or accumulated) for the speed mod´s ? I cannot imagine that from a roughly 1.000 lbs. payload only 800 will be left ;-) !

Hi folks, getting this up again: I bought my M20E, a nice '64 #341 last autumn. In general, I am quite happy at all (otherwise I would have bought a other plane ;-) ), but my useful load is somewhat limited. Before the aircraft was sold to me, a new w&b was done in France: 803kgs./1.770 lbs. empty weight, empty c.g. 48,03 in. I was quite sure that they did a mistake when doing this w&b, so I did a new one here in Austria a few days ago with an Austrian A&P. Outcome was 801,6 kgs./1.767 lbs., but empty c.g. shifted foreward to 46,77 in. Still I am wondering about the empty weight - we drained all tanks and thoroughly emptied the plane :-) ! My M20E has literally all speed mod´s available, GTN650, KX155, ASPEN 1000, Century IIB autopilot, Monroy L/R tanks. On the other side wheelen led landing light, lightweight starter, concorde battery. I am still missing about 100 lbs. of useful load ;-) !