Hank

My C runs 9 gph block time. Assuming you can run your J at 8.5 gph block time [not just in cruise], you will save ½ gph x 2000 hours x $4/gal = $4000, almost the parts charge for the fancy cylinders. My C does not have the B hub, so no inspections, there go more savings . . . Buy the plane that fits your needs. The C fits mine pretty well. Takes two people traveling, takes four people places when we don't stay overnight, and had the highest listed cargo capacity of the singles I saw doing hurricane relief with Operation AirDrop. Ain't nothing wrong with 148 KTAS doing it, either.

Airplane selection is very personal. See mynadjustment to Paul's list above. Despite its cult following, many of us enjoy not having manual gear. There is no extra cost unless something breaks . . . . My C very dependably turns in 147 knots true, which is 169 mph, on 9 gph. I fly Rich of Peak. All it takes is altitude, 7500 msl or more. I'm usually there withun 15 minutes of engine start (the joys of small, uncontrolled fields!). I almost never foul plugs simoly by leaning aggressively on the ground, eniugh so that I need to richen the mixture to taxi uphill. Thus has worked great for me for the past decade. Oh, I also descend power on to make up for the slow climb, it makes a difference in block time! This is true of early manual gear Cs, but beginning in 1969 the cowl is attached with camlocks for quick removal. Many vintagr Mooneys also have one piece bellies, which are simple to remove. And the C retains the cowl cheeks, making engine access incredibly simple. J owners need a helper to remove their lower cowl just to cha ge the oil, but not so on the C, just a few camlocks and each side comes off. My lower cowl has been off one time that I know of in my 11 years of ownership. It boils down to what you want, and the specific planes that you are looking at. Check for these: One piece belly 201 windshield Speed mods--which ones does it have? Electric gear and flaps, or manual gear / hydraulic flaps? Radios--get a WAAS GPS; what are Com2 / Nav2? I also don't worry about carb ice, partially because I have a Carb Temp gage. A poster whi cautioned against this used to have a C without Carb Temp, and wrote extensively about no carb ice worries and no carb heat use; I'm not sure why it became a worry since he sold his C and bought an injected model . . . Search for many threads here about leaking hydraulic flaps and the pain to repair them. Have fun shopping, and stay in touch!

Yeti is cleared for departure, Runway 3-8-0-Right . . . .

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Check the Downloads section, should be several Maintenance Manuals there.

Every takeoff presents the opportunity of a "very bad thing"™ happening two times: just after rotation and during the landing. I did many touch and goes in my Mooney while working on my Instrument Rating; I did two on my Instrument checkride; I've done them before and after, solo, with CFI / CFII and with passengers. But conditions need to be good, no severe crosswinds, no traffic I haven't spotted and not my home field (3200' is kind of short; my original home field was 3000' with trees at both ends, a definite no TnG!). But 5000' is plenty of room; at most commercial fields I could do two or three on each pass down the runway if Tower would agree . . . Other than obstructions and possible distractions, which exist on every takeoff, the only extras to worry about are reaching out with one finger and raising the flaps on rollout (which I usually do anyway), then dropping my hand and cranking the trim wheel. But I usually land with trim very near the Takeoff mark anyway, unless winds are dead calm or I'm high on final. Can't seem to land when the wind isn't blowing . . . .

David and Jimmy are All American Aircraft.

Huh. You've seen more water in your tanks in the last seven years than I've seen in mine in the last 11 years. And I was tied down outside for four days on the Carolina coast this summer, between hurricanes with daily T-storms . . . .

Yep. The engines in our planes and cars convert chemical energy into kinetic energy. There is no kinetic energy in a tank of fuel, but burning it in an enclosed space creates kinetic energy by pushing down on the piston, then the crankshaft and rods turn that straight-line energy into rotational energy, causing the propellor or tires to turn. Thus they are not "motors," they are engines. Who cares what people who don't know or care call them?

I took what They gave me, including cases of water, bags of diapers and containers of infant formula.

My Samsung phone shows full avatar info when I hold it in landscape mode . . . .

P.S.--flying hurricane relief, the loading crews were shocked when I told them that flying solo after 3-1/2 hours that I could carry 600 lbs. Other than twins, all the other planes I saw on the list had capacities of 250-400 lbs. Typically, though, I run out of space before useful load, because I don't carry bricks or many boxes of books.

Sorry, @steingar! Good ADM and troubleshooting! Glad you made it home safely if slowly. I've done the same thing, with a front gear door flapping . . . Please tell me your mechanic is better than your avionics shop! When I was at KHTW in South Point (as much as it hurts to say "south" and "Ohio" together! ), we always used the avionics shop at New Philadelphia, KPHD--a good field for an academic . . . Ben always did good work. 888-GPS-DUDE. Good luck with everything!

Well, @doc_arcadia, all I can say about the C model is good things! I really, really like ours, and so soes my wife. It's a great traveling machine, carries a lot of luggage (she and I traveled once for 10 days, and had room to take a couple of bavs for friends traveling with us in a Cessna) and every now and then carries a 3rd or even 4th person. I'm really glad for my electric gearcand flaps, although some here are quite vocal in favor of the hydraulic flaps and manual gear. But my shoulder won't handle it. You will have the choice, there may be some vintage birds with hydraulic flaps that were upgraded in the past to electric gear. Do buy one with decent radios, a GPS and at least a functional wing leveler if not auto pilot. Acquisition costs for these are quite high, plus installation charges of 60-80 hours of shop time. Welcome aboard, and happy shopping!

Scott--youre the Weather Guy, looking for where the ice is. I'm a simple pilot looking for where the ice is not. Our goals are different, requiring different methods, data and analysis. I can't give what you want, it's not my thing. Ice is to be avoided, not only where it is but where it may be. It's a loss of utility that I am happy to accept. Because the consequences of mistakes are quite severe, and my need is so infrequent, that I can't dedicate the time to it that you do.

Wow, you pull your Mooney nose-first into your garage? I'm jealous of your home runway! I've always pushed my plane tail-first into a hangar . . . .

Love me some Mooney Flyer! Off to go read now.

Freezing levels vs. clouds, frontal passage, Low pressure circulation and the occasional PIREP. I drove 10 hours south from WV one time because an ice storm was moving across my route, and pellets began bouncing off my windshield while driving home from work to get my wife. Flying in WV, yes I have carefully penetrated clouds in winter, with a close eye on forecasts and actual weather for a couple of days beforehand and a sharp eye outside and on the OAT. Snow is alright, if it's not heavy wet snow. But all of that is behind me now, and I'm happy with that. We had a freak 3" snowfall in Jan, our plant closed for 2-1/2 days. Gotta have an out, and know where it is--ice kills. Save it for your favorite drinks!

My icing strategy is simple: when there's icing out (air or ground), I stay inside. This is easier and much less frequent now that I've moved back South. When there's icing inside, I keep it in my drink . . .

The really fun part is emptying all of the beer cans . . . .

I have photos of every gage on my panel in flight, and would like to upgrade to a full monitor with primary gages for EGT, CHT, Oil Temp, Oil Pressure and Carb Temp. Would be nice to add fuel flow. Fuel level too, Left and Right? OAT? I'm not ready to go digital on Manifold Pressure or RPM yet? Am I broke yet, between purchase and install?

That should be fine. 1bar = 14.5 psi; I only run 5" of vacuum. Atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi on a standard day at sea level, and falls to about half that at 18,000 feet.

I guess you aren't looking to turn the tail around the right way, move the low time engine to the nose, or pickle the spare engine and move ut to a shelf in your hangar? Seriously, 340s are capable planes and worthy of ypur love and attention. Happy fixing up!

Electronics run on smoke just like our bodies run on blood--much better when it stays inside! Letting it all out pretty much stops them both . . .

I used to put the nose wheel on the concrete seam outside the hangar, and keep the tail on the overhead fluorescent light (48" aligned along the fuselage). When centered, there was 18" clearance on each wingtip. Back up until nose wheel hit the chock, slide the other one in front. Nothing nailed down, existing floor stripes from previous occupant's plane didn't align with mine.