mooniac227

Quote: drpep I have subscribed to Mapa off and on for close to 15 years. From time to time it produces very informative articles but for the most part the mag is mostly repeated adds and info on Mapa meetings etc. I have stilled held on to my old mags and from time to time I re read them. One respondent on this thread stated that he found it was a quick read and I would agree. Mooneyspace is far and away more informative and responsive. drpep

I just used aluminum pop rivets. They don't get loose and are easy to install. Check the picture below. José

Yep, gotta get it COMPLETELY CLEAN before applying it. It is designed to bond to the paint molecules so there can be nothing in the way. Fact is, I tell people if they have ever waxed their car, boat, plane, etc before, then you should use a bit of Dawn dishwashing liquid in your water bucket (doesn't take a lot and DON'T make a habit of this) to strip off any other waxes and such before using the rejex.

I've used Rejex for YEARS. Guys, it's really good stuff. It will make your plane much easier to keep clean and the bugs come right off. You'll be amazed at how "slick" the surface becomes and YES, you will gain several knots airspeed when you put it on. Wax is a waste of time. Be sure to get the plane completely clean before applying it. Goes on like a wax, let it haze and then wipe it off. It should wipe off really easy. If not, then it's not dry enough - let it sit and come back to it. Depending upon the temp and humidity it can take as little as 30 minutes and up to several hours to cure completely. Once it does, it comes right off - does not require "buffing" or a lot of rubbing like wax. I use this stuff on all my cars (including my show car) my boats and the Acclaim. www.rejex.com And no, I have nothing to do with the company. I just use the product and have recommended it for years.

Where can I get more info on the Foreflight app you are talking about? I'm considering an IPhone - don't have one yet though.

For those of you that don't use the MAPA email forum (wish they'd move over here!) the following was posted today by Trey Hughes, Executive Director of the Moony Aircraft Pilots Association. I'm sure he wouldn't mind me sharing it as it gives an overview of the status of things in Kerrville: "There have been several new issues affecting the Mooney factory in Kerrville and these have caused a rash of new rumors to circulate the internet the past two days. The fact is, the economy sucks! As I wrote in the LOG, everyone in the airplane business has suffered varying degrees of loss during this economic downturn - read recession. All aircraft manufacturers have gone through downsizing and layoffs including Mooney. At my last count, there remained about 30 - 40 folks in Kerrville and all the "outside" Kerrville offices had been closed. Production has ceased (it makes no sense to keep making airplanes if you can't sell them) and the manufacturing folks have been laid off. The paint shop is closed; the completion center is silent; marketing has been curtailed; engineering R & D has stopped - all in an attempt to get a handle on overhead while the slump in new aircraft sales continues. Of course this is very unfortunate for all those who lost jobs and we will keep them in our prayers as the company moves forward in an attempt to continue until better times. However, some things are still working in Kerrville and MAC management has assured me that they will continue to support the existing fleet as long as possible. Parts manufacturing and support is still staffed and your service center can still order what you need for your current production or legacy Mooney. Warrantee support is still in operation. Aircraft sales is still in operation and there is inventory available for anyone interested in a new Ovation or Acclaim. Tech support and customer support are still offering services to owners. Product support engineering is still there as is flight test and certification. While Mooney is not in production, they still have the type and production certificates and are communicating continuously with the FAA on fleet status. Mooney has entered a state of hibernation (their term) at the factory in order to keep overhead as low as possible without significantly affecting sales and support. They have positioned things in Kerrville so that they can affect a timely "awakening" then the economy shows signs of recovery. As you would expect, with only a handful of people still staffing the various departments and phones in Kerrville, those still there are multi-tasking and sometimes are not at their regular numbers. Patience is important for anyone calling the factory with an inquiry. If necessary, leave a voice mail or better yet send an email to the individual you are wishing to contact. Email addresses are easy - first initial followed by last name @mooney.com should work. If you are still having problems call the MAPA office and we will attempt to intervene. By the way, those who have tried to log on to the Mooney website or connect to the Service Bulletin/Service Letter link on the MAPA website will notice that Mooney's server is down. This is an unfortunate coincidence (timing is everything!) because it is an actual technical problem and not related to the economic reduction at Mooney. If anyone has any questions or fears, please call me at MAPA and I will try to help. Regards, Trey Hughes Executive Director Mooney Aircraft Pilots Association"

Quote: jackdb We live on final for 11L @ KBJC - Likely the only ones in the neighborhood that consider that an amenity...

Ok, I'll join in... I owned a Cessna 182 at the beginning of '08 and traded for an Acclaim in May. I flew the Cessna 61.2 hours and flew the Acclaim 99.8 hours for a grand total for 2008 of 161 hours. Longest trip was from Lawrence, KS to Reno, NV for the Air Races. Longest non-stop leg was from Phoeniz, AZ to Lawrence, KS. Looking forward to a 310 hp '09!

Sure wish we could get the MAPA folks to convert over to here. I really hate their email forum.

I'm going to do the 310 conversion on my Acclaim. Will let you know how it goes...

I installed the Reiff heating bands this last fall. They work great. Even heat. What I like about Reiff is that it is completely independent of the engine and it's systems. Unplug it an it's just along for the ride and can't conflict or affect anything. I got the kit that uses the bands plus the oil pan heater. Took me the better part of a day to install it, but then again I wasn't in a hurry and kept stopping to take business calls and a long lunch.

Got the plane back and TKS is now installed. I did some testing and have lost right at 7 knots. This is a standard Acclaim but we do have the new Type S prop. We don't have the lower flap gap seals or the new composite front gear door that come with the full Type S package. So I suppose it's a hybrid of sorts. Our build was almost to the point where they switched over completely to the Type S and had used up all the "old" props, so even though we are not a Type S, we got the new prop. I say that because I believe that the bulk of the loss of speed with TKS is the mods done to the prop. Before, with the prop control all the way to the firewall, I would get 2490 to 2500 rpm. Now, with it firewalled, I only get 2470 max. That sound normal? Should the TKS have slowed down the rpm? I wouldn't think so. A 7 knot decrease is ok in my book for the added safety of TKS and is a good trade-off, but it would seem like if I could get the prop spinnin' back up to 2500, it would shave some of that loss off.

Quote: Cruiser I have Rieff heaters on the cylinders and an oil sump heat pad. I put a ceramic box heater in the cockpit and turn it on when I get to the hangar. One trick I find very helpful is to prime the engine and then wait at least a minute before attempting the start. I usually will get a start in two or three blades.

Quote: Cruiser sounds more like a business issue. If the IRS wanted your flight records they could just ask for them. Besides the FAA as a complete set.

I asked the same question. Apparently, if you opt out of the system, the data is not stored. They researched it and wrote a paper on it. It is posted on their website so I don't think I'm sharing anything that is something you "get" as a subscriber. Here's the paper: http://www.advocatetax.com/images/userfiles/How%20to%20Preserve%20the%20Confidentiality%20of%20Your%20Flights%202.pdf

M20BE - Well, thanks. All I can say is that it works. There is a bit of a "hassle" factor (but it is largely mitigated by having the wiring permanently installed and having the freezer in the hangar) but the payback of having a higher useful load when AC is not needed is worth the relatively small amount of bother. (not to mention the extra $20 grand!) I don't have long range tanks (don't have the bladder to match!) so the only weight gain I have is the TKS. I worried a bit about the limited useful load prior to purchasing the aircraft, but actually I have not had a mission yet that I could not complete due to weight / balance concerns so it hasn't really been a factor. Can I put four grown men in the plane with full tanks and fly for 5 hours? No. But then again, I don't need or even want to either...

Robert - Living in the midwest, temps in the summer here get ridiculous too. Like you though, I was counseled to choose between AC and TKS. I chose both - SORT OF. I went with the TKS but I did not opt for the factory AC. Rather, I bought one of the large "Arctic Air" AC coolers that you put ice in. I hard wired the control switches up to the panel (there is a switch for the fan and one for the pump.) The weight (full of ice) is just slightly less than an installed AC unit, but I only have the weight when I want it. Cooler days and all winter I don't have it in the plane. I put a small freezer in my hangar and some tupperware type containers to freeze water in. In the summertime I just grab a couple large blocks of ice out of the freezer and put in the ARCTIC AIR. The thing does a GREAT job of cooling the plane without adding any humidity. I taxi and climb out in comfort and then turn the thing off at altitude where it is cool anyway. The cooler maintains the leftover ice during cruise and I flip it back on during descent. When I get to the hanger, I put the discharge hose on the unit and pump the water back into the tupperware and put it back in the freezer for next time. The beauty of this is that the whole setup cost less than a grand, so I saved well over $20k. I'm sure it works just as well as it cools the cabin down in minutes. I can turn it on while I'm preflighting the plane and it's fairly cool before I even get in. And also, as I said earlier, I'm only carrying the extra weight when I want it, so the flexibility is really nice. I just have a small "pig-tail" in the baggage compartment. I put the cooler in, plug it in the pigtail, throw the ice in and go.

Glad to hear all this positive input on TKS. My Acclaim is in Salina right now getting it installed. (3 weeks without my bird! Aaaaggghhh!) At any rate, they told me that the TAS loss varies with the aircraft. 8-10 kts is on the high side. I was told some have reported as low as 4 kts. They believe most of that has to do with the prop. At least that's what I was told. I have a Type-S prop and this is only the second aircraft they have done with this particular prop. They didn't have any feedback from the owner of the first one.

Having TKS installed on the Acclaim next week. I know there is a bit of a performance loss when installing TKS. Question is... Do you think it would help to do the 310 hp upgrade to make up for the loss? Would be great to have the TKS and not see a reduction of TAS.

George - Do your calculations take into account the reduced weight? McStealth - I've had my Acclaim to FL240. Was middle of the summer in TX, don't remember the temp, but I got 238 knots true. I typically see about 2 knots speed per 1,000 feet, so at FL250 on that particular day should have got about 240 knots. Would be interesting to know what some of the performance figures are for Bonanza turbo prop conversions.

Just transitioned from a Cessna 182 to a Mooney Acclaim in June. Everyone here is right on with what they are saying. Mooney's are EASY to fly - very stable and predictable. Plan your descent and land with the correct airspeed and you will have NO ISSUES. The "hard to fly" rap has come from folks that either don't know Mooneys or have tried to land them too fast. Mooneys are built to FLY and until you slow down, they will continue to fly - you can't "force" them on the runway. Fly her right down to the runway at the proper approach speed, level off, pull the power, and she'll practically land herself.

I thought this discussion was about the plane's wet tanks, not the pilot's...

AVWEB produced a video of an interview with a rep from Rolls Royce at the AOPA show. It's on YouTube:

Some may already know of this site, but for the rest of you, this website provides a very nice graphical look at Metars, TAFS, Sigmets, Airmets, PIREPS, Nexrad Radar, etc. etc. And it's all in plain english and overlaid on a google earth map. I like to go here first and get a good overal snapshot of the weather picture. Many times, you can make a "go/no go" decision right from this site. www.avnwx.com Take a peek at it and let me know what you think.

Yep, I agree. She is very nice and she represents Mooney very well. She knows the product, is easy to talk to, and handles herself very well. It was a good move bringing her aboard. My son and I met her at the Reno Air Races. I posted a pic on another thread: http://www.mooneyspace.com/index.cfm?page=2&mainaction=posts&forumid=3&threadid=20