KSMooniac

I think I've got one left, but I'll have to look. Send me a PM and we can talk. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

Great report! How does the integration with Dynon work, exactly? Can you control modes and such through the Skyview, or does it just blindly feed a heading to the autopilot? Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

This is the best answer. They're OEM for Mooney, and an innovative small company making great products. They also sponsor the Mooney Caravan as well. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

1980 is correct. The only non-structural skins on a Mooney are the cabin area around the steel cage, and any fairings like the empennage gap fairings, dorsal fairing (metal on the vintage birds), wing roots, gear doors, etc. The tailcone, empennage, wing, and control surface skins are all structural.

Paging @jetdriven

I can assure you that skin is indeed structural, but the area of your damage is likely not critical since the main loads are likely reacted out by the "box" structure that has #28 (from the IPC pic) backing up the trim attachment as the lower bound of the "box" I'm describing. The skin carries load in monocoque and semi-monocoque (what we have with a Mooney) aircraft structure. Good luck with the repair. I still think it might be easier to replace the entire skin, assuming you can get it from Mooney. It might be cheaper than the DER too. In the past 4 years I've purchased aileron, elevator, vertical stab and roof skins for hail repair from the factory (through an MSC).

It might be a much greater exposure than you're assuming. I haven't followed the Dukes lineage and have no idea who owns them now, or if they're even in the aircraft business. I can say with some measure of confidence, though, that none of our Mooneys are exposing them to any liability today with the 18 year limit from the 1994 GARA legislation. Once they make some new gears and we install them, then that clock starts over, so suddenly they'll have a bunch of >50 year old airplanes that could potentially cause a problem for them, liability-wise. Granted, a failure of the gear is not likely to kill people in a gear-up landing, but the cost of repairs to a plane today is likely >50k or even more. I would not put it past an unscrupulous owner (and attorney) to go after them even if it might be 100% pilot error too, but they will still have a cost to defend. That is what has happened to our industry over and over again with all manner of small parts. I'm not sure what my pain threshold is yet. I would like to have a set or even two on the shelf, but I also have a newer actuator and the different emergency extension bits on the shelf already and there is a point where I'll endure the pain to make that swap than pay a ridiculous price for a new gear set.

Re-skinning would likely be the best solution here. It is too bad it went un-noticed long enough to do that much damage. A good sheet metal mechanic might be able to reskin with flat sheet, but I'd first inquire with your favorite MSC if there are factory skins available for this part... I suspect they might have or make one, and it won't cost terribly much, at least by modern standards. Failing those options, a good sheet metal mechanic might be able to craft a repair per 43.13-1B and do a local patch.

Yes, you'll have to follow the metal cable down to the trim mechanism under the floor. You'll see how the cable terminates in a block with a set screw, and that moves with the trim mechanism. I'd recommend using the elevator travel board to set the takeoff position and adjust the cable/indicator to match. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

What would you do with it? I'm curious, and hope you didn't bid much! As far as value left in the carcass... I see some control surfaces, yokes, gear actuator, and not a lot else. Maybe some of the panel bits, but that poor 430 sure took a beating.

Love mine! The Eagle version is the most intuitive form factor IMO, and mounted on the glareshield in your primary line of sight is critical. A HUD version is likely great as well, but wasn't available when I installed mine 10 years ago. It is my primary reference on final, and it works great. I don't think anyone will regret adding the system. I calibrated flaps-up, because there are cases with very gusty winds in my area of the country where I'll fly at less than full flaps. A "regular" full-flap landing leaves me more margin of course, so maybe I'll fly it a bit above the blue donut if there are no gusts. The flap add-on was not available 10 years ago either, but I'm very strongly considering adding it. I also did not get the heated probe as it makes no sense unless you have a FIKI bird IMO. If you have any ice whatsoever, your calibration will be wrong, and you would be dumb to try to fly it normally with a contaminated wing. Better to just ignore it if you find yourself carrying any ice, don't use flaps, fly & land faster, etc. (Of course best to just not pick up any ice!)

You can only get them through a Mooney Service Center, so call your favorite and cross your fingers.

Only you can answer that. You didn't even tell us what it is.... a rotten wooden wing model, or a 2000 Ovation that someone parked? What are your goals and skills to resurrect it? There are many very similar topics already beat to death here. Good luck in any case.

I believe the G1000 can have some really tricky failures that are hard to properly diagnose, kinda like trying to find a fuel leak when the stain might appear several feet away from the problem. A friend had all sorts of G1000 gremlins that were intermittent in his R many years ago, up to and including occasional Red X displays. Nothing made sense but eventually it was narrowed down to a faulty audio panel LRU, even though the audio behavior was fine... Everything else was nutty! Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

I've never heard of such difficulty in moving switches. If the panel were a structural member, then adding holes and changing the layout might matter, but it is not that for a Mooney. I think any sensible shop would classify moving switches as a minor mod and just sign it off. Approved Data is needed for major mods...

If you don't find someone, I'd encourage you to head over to beechtalk.com and search the Engine Talk forum about break-in procedures, especially articles/posts written by or referencing the Advanced Pilot Seminar protocols, Pelican's Perch (John Deakin), GAMI, George Braly, Walter Atkinson, etc. In a nutshell, you want to maximize internal cylinder mean pressures (not peak!) and minimize CHT. Ideal is high power AND lean of peak. If you're not a LOP operator, then stay very ROP to keep the CHT's down until the rings are set and CHT drops. Hopefully you have a good engine monitor. Once you're satisfied everything is working and you can venture away from the airport, then fly as much as you can at high power and don't do pattern work, extended taxi/ground time, etc. Since you have a turbo, you can do the break-in at higher altitude than those of us without... my last break-in flights consisted of a triangular orbit between 3 rural airports in my region at low altitude to keep my power up.

Bob is very good! I didn't realize he was still working, or that he will work on Century components. He is a whiz with the legacy King gyros for those still keeping those systems going. He'll take very good care of you.

That used to be standard, but from what I've gathered over the last few years after the consolidation the repair prices are nearly as much as buying new now. They removed the economical options from us so we have to pay more for replacement now. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

I'll add that if you cannot get a proper replacement or even a refund for the bad part, please file a report with the FSDO. They should investigate their quality system if they are delivering parts that don't conform to specification. This is a big deal.

QAA has no quality whatsoever in their enterprise. It's a shame that all of these businesses got consolidated in the first place, and then even worse that private equity took over. At the beginning of consolidation (like Hartzell buying Kelly) I had hoped that Hartzell would fix the problems with Kelly quality. Instead, the low quality infected the rest of the combined business. Now we have poor quality everywhere, no stock, and higher prices across many different product lines. It is really awful.

They may be on to something. Professional or not, no mechanic or shop will ever care as much as you do (or should!) about what is going on with your plane. It seems natural to me since I'm very, very heavy DIY with my plane so I know essentially every square inch of the airframe, and almost every bit behind my panel. I know that is not true of most owners, though. My plane had it's original Century II (I believe) removed by a previous owner for an STEC 30 installation, so I don't have any direct experience with Century bits. To get to the bottom of your mystery, you can look at your records, POH supplement(s), etc. and see what is documented. Then you can try to read actual part numbers from various other bits in the plane, and/or match up pictures for Century IV vs. 41 from the internet and make sure you know exactly what is installed. You can do all of this for free with just a bit of effort and not pay a pro that may not really know everything.

I would guess that new one was not built correctly. Likely that simple... Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

You might call Century Instrument in Wichita for a consult. I recently tried to get an Edo Aire airspeed indicator repaired with them and learned that they're essentially not supported any longer. I don't know if the AI is any better off. They have a TON of inventory, though, and might be able to exchange or repair yours. Another vendor local to me is Aircraft Quality Instruments. They did my DG a couple of years ago and it has been fine.

Perpetual blue skies and tailwinds await you, Andrew. Thanks for the update. Your attitude and grace at this point are inspiring to me, to not only count my blessings but to perhaps try to live more intentionally so that I may have the same contentment whenever I may be faced with a battle like yours. Life seems so short the older I get. Godspeed

My understanding is that the EA-100 converts the digital attitude outputs from the Aspen to an analog input for the old autopilot computer... I suspect you could have deleted the KI 256 and vacuum system previously, subject to Aspen backup requirements, though. Originally Aspen required some backup instruments, so a lot of folks just left the vacuum instruments in place. I believe that has changed with their latest Max version. If an attitude backup is still required, you could choose something a lot simpler or more cost effective than keeping a KI 256 going.