KSMooniac

Maybe in acquisition costs, but certainly not operating costs. My sense from a couple decades of forum consumption now is that a solid annual inspection on those birds can hit 5 figures fairly regularly. But if the mission calls for something like that, it is what it is. Cardinal RG's are beautiful IMO. And I have no doubt the Tornado Alley TN system really makes one into a great plane. But I agree just about any M20K will likely be faster at the same altitude and fuel burn. It might be close as I expect the TN- Lycoming IO-360 with high compression pistons is more efficient in terms of BSFC, but the Mooney airframe is more efficient aerodynamically. At the end of the day, if you really want a Cardinal then go buy one! Just demo an M20K before you do.

I don't think that system is even offered for sale any more, but I could be mistaken. You might contact Bevan Aviation in Wichita, KS for help with your Century... They can likely give you troubleshooting steps to isolate problems, and then you can send the faulty equipment to them for a bench repair. Unfortunately there aren't any great options on a budget. Maybe the Aerocruz but reviews are mixed in terms of installation, but performance is good. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

I'd bet money that it should work fine. J/K are pretty much identical behind the firewall. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

Correct... the installation is a ton of work since it connects to (typically) 2 coms, 2 navs, overhead speaker, 2-4 intercom jacks, and maybe some unswitched inputs as well as power & ground and perhaps a dimmer circuit. You can probably download an installation manual and look at the schematic to get a full sense of the task. It is further complicated if you have no service loops in the existing harness (like mine!) and need to add or replace a pin or two in a 50-pin connector that is not accessible behind a Garmin tray. It is a buy once/cry once decision IMO... just skip the intermediate steps and try to bring it up to modern greatness in one operation, including wiring your jacks for stereo, maybe adding a hardwire music input or two as well. It is worth it.

Audio quality is the best in the business. The soft keys work fine IMO, but I don't fiddle with much, honestly. The intelliaudio (3d spatial) can be configured easily, but doesn't need adjustment after. I upgraded from the GMA 340 and it is so much nicer. Newer Garmin has some extra features, but I think their audio quality still lags noticeably. You can demo at OSH or other shows and do A-B testing and really tell. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

It's that easy. Actually it is even easier... One 3/32 captive screw! Get the PS Engineering! Way better than Garmin. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

Concorde's eligibility list does not seem to break anything down by serial number. The RG24-15 is TSO, although they have an asterisk indicating potential fitment issues. The RG35-AXC had the same warning, but dropped right in to my 14V battery box just fine. I suspect it is the same for your newer J. Aircraft Eligibility list

Concorde RG-35AXC Edit to add that I retired my previous 2 of these after 7 years in service, each. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

In the US, you can order all of the records on-file with the FAA directly from them for a modest cost, like $10. They'll burn electronic copies on a CD and mail it. But they frequently don't have everything! Was your plane in the US when it was modified? If so, that might be a good place to start. I have no idea how other countries handle issues like this. If it was a field approval, then a 337 Major Alteration form should've been filed too. The FAA website also has a search engine for STC's so you can find everything that was available at one time or another there. I remember seeing IO 360 swaps when I searched everything related to Mooneys many years ago, but your variant doesn't stand out in my mind. The most unusual was the TCM IO-360 swap IMO. There is no such search for random field approvals, though. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

I've not yet attended a Summit as the fall is typically a lousy time for me to make a trip that direction, aside from the always potential hurricane issues. Winter seems like a fantastic time of year for a FL event, but maybe the rest of the country thinks so as well and makes it difficult to book something? If there is something in Jan/Feb/Mar (before spring break crowds) I would very likely attend.

Blackstone has an extensive database and is likely what you're looking for. They'll show the last few measurements for your engine (over time, of course) along with their database averages, along with some human commentary in the notes. Your engine must be an STC or field-approval replacement on your F and not typical of any factory Mooney, so I don't think you'll find any others here with their own data. It might be close enough to the -A3B6(D) models on the J for oil analysis comparisons, though. I used to do it every 2nd or 3rd oil change when I was a new owner, but quit doing it after my cam failed without any indication in the analysis reports. YMMV

The Century you currently have installed is likely repairable, although there are far fewer experts and shops these days. We have resources in the US if you want to troubleshoot via correspondence to start, and then potentially send components over for repair. Bevan Aviation in Wichita can very likely help, and there is a consultant for troubleshooting, Bob Weber, that is reported to be very helpful with diagnostics before you start spending more money on repairs or swapping components. I forgot to mention in my first post that I spent quite a few hours trying to remove all of the KFC 200 brackets, components, wire harness, etc., and that was with a disassembled airplane, and in the case of the roll servo, a cut-open wing. Installing these things in a Mooney is very, very tedious with difficult access in many places. If you do have a legal path to install an as-removed autopilot system, I would encourage to try to find a salvage J with the system if you have the ability to buy the carcass and do the transplant yourself. Getting it approved is a difficult task, though, but perhaps you have a way. I made some money when I bought my salvage plane and acquired upgrades and spares for mine, but that is accounting for my labor as $0/hr and not paying any extra storage (long story). It was a worthy exercise for me, but obviously not for everybody. I imagine there are not a lot of salvage Mooneys in Europe, though, but there would presumably be less demand to purchase them and perhaps it could work out if you can find one.

Not to rain on your plans, but I'm not sure that will be much of an upgrade, considering how old all of those components are and it does not seem you have any installation documents or drawings to assist. You will need all of the brackets and other accessories, not just servos. You would also need an STC Authorization (at least in the US) and I doubt that can be issued these days. Perhaps an avionics shop might have some original documents in deep storage somewhere, but I suspect you will not have much luck. I would also add people upgrade autopilots when their old system becomes unreliable, so the chances of finding working components is far below 100%. The only modern upgrade options are the Garmin GFC 500, Dynon, and BK Aerocruze 100 as far as I know today. Installation labor will be similar for any new autopilot installation, even an old Century system, so in my opinion it makes little sense to spend so much installing old equipment. If you have your heart set on an old Century, your path might be to buy a complete salvage Mooney that has that system so you can get everything you need, and you would have a pattern to work from during the installation. 10+ years ago I bought a salvage J with a KFC 200, but was not even remotely tempted to transplant that system into my J with a less-capable, but simpler STEC-30. Good luck with whatever you decide. I think it would be wiser to spend more for a modern option.

Correct, although there is an STC to put the TCM IO-360 on some vintage Mooneys so you might see one out in the wild now and then. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

I think the typical flow time is on the order of 3 weeks or more for a pro shop to do it. That was my experience in 2008. Several days of poygone circulation, some days for manual cleaning and prep, and some days for application of new sealant. Then it needs to sit for a period of time to fully cure, and then fill the tanks and let it sit for several days to check for leaks. It adds up.

There wasn't much or any paint loss that i noticed except immediately at the edges of access panels and screw holes... Hard to avoid it. But no areas of gross acreage loss. I don't think the polygon removes paint. My original paint was 31 years old at the time, and I re-painted about 18 months later so it wasn't a big concern for me at the time. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

Polygone is the product you're looking for. There is a liquid and gel version, and both are helpful from what I read many years ago when I contemplated doing this myself. I took it to Weep-no-more instead and wrote a big check, and don't regret that choice at all. Paul at W-n-M pretty much invented a process using those products along with a recirculating pump and filter system to get most of the sealant out, which minimizes the hand work inside the tank. I figured I might be able to get all of the old stuff out, but I would not know all of the tricks of the trade for putting new sealant down, and that was worth paying the pro to be done with it, versus chasing leaks forever if I missed some little nook or cranny. YMMV, of course!

The J & K headliners for the same year should be identical. You might verify with parts catalogs from each model. Early J's like my '77 had the old pop-up scoop and round vents that don't work well, but later changed to the NACA scoop on the dorsal fin and eyeball vents in the headliner, which I believe all of the K's have.

When you put $220k into a Mooney and later sell it for $180k, the only thing you can plan is to make sure you get $40k worth of enjoyment and utility out of it! I think you'll find that you get much more than that, such as flying over an interstate on Thanksgiving weekend as one example that I recently enjoyed. Having a good Mooney in the hangar and available on a whim is worth a lot to me, especially after not having it airworthy for over a year recently due to some life issues.

That is surprising to me... The universe of devices that run on 28V cigarette lighter plugs has got to be very small! Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

I think you'll have a hard time finding a good core for sale outright. Homebuilders like to snap up 4 cyl Lycomings. Best case, you find a J getting parted-out due to corrosion and not an accident with a prop strike that might damage the engine. Supply chain issues still exist with Lycoming and other suppliers, so lead times can be awful right now as you're finding out. Experienced labor is also an issue so through-put at overhaul shops or inspection shops is also stressed. As an experienced owner now, I'd prefer a runout to overhaul to my specs versus a fresh overhaul, but that means down time. A first-time buyer likely wants to buy and fly and not deal with a major maintenance task, which is understandable. I don't necessarily trust a factory overhaul either as they've shown they can leave out parts, or put it together with defective parts that show up years later with an intrusive AD. Fairly recently there was a shortage of engine cases for our variant, and those with cracked cases had to scrounge thoroughly. (10 years ago I could only get $500 for my airworthy extra case that I should have saved in hindsight!) All that to say I don't think there is an easy answer or path short of paying your money and taking your chances. The advice to buy the absolute best airframe you can find/afford is still paramount. An engine can be fixed whether it needs to be, but the airframe is much harder to rectify if there are major issues. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

You might check your POH, but I believe the socket is 12V. (I'm flying an old 12V plane, so don't take my word for it!) Make sure you get a good one that won't cause interference with the radios or GPS. Or consider a real permanently installed version...

I installed it as part of my EA dual ignition upgrade. I had to sacrifice one of the 2 1/4" instruments on my left sub-panel to make it fit. It does look nice and certainly does the job, but I agree that it feels flimsy, and I wish there were a cage around the starter button, as well as more resistance or positive detents for the ignition switches. I also wish the sides of the rockers were colored for better visibility so you can verify with a glance through the windows that the switches are OFF. If I ever get around to doing a custom panel, I may move away from it towards separate toggle switches and a different start button. But for now, it will work.

You should have a squat switch on the left MLG, not the airspeed switch, unless it was added later. My 77 retracts just as you describe, but if the throttle is mostly closed then I'll get an aural warning due to the microswitch on the throttle. If the throttle is more than ~ 1/4 open then no beep. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

The plan for putting it back into regular service is a good annual/prebuy, and then regular use. You might do an early oil change (15-20 hours) and inspect the filter and screen for metal. Rust from disuse will be getting worn off, so getting it out of the oil sooner is good. You can monitor filter and screen, maybe add oil analysis, etc, but beyond that, you can't do much unless you want to remove a cylinder to look at the cam and lifters. There is no other way to inspect on a Lycoming, unfortunately. Pricing it as a runout engine is prudent in case it needs an overhaul soon. The biggest thing to check is to look for airframe corrosion as it may not be economically feasible to fix, whereas as engine can always be fixed and value scales appropriately. Not so if you're faced with $50k of corrosion repair. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk