airkraft

VERY GOOD article. Thank you, G Ellis...

This came from MAPAlist. I don't think they'd mind. I cut a yardstick down to just over 12" and taped these measurements to the stick. It's proven very accurate!

67M20F: We operate at similar density altitudes. You ask good questions. I hope I can help. Mooniac58 and Cruiser have great operational advice, in my opinion. To M58: I would recommend increasing cruise altitude by several thousand feet if you are going long distances, especially if you are over water. From my experience, you may pick up a few KTS TAS over 9,500' DA especially if you use 2,500RPM instead of 2,300. Again, 67M20F: KSMooniac seems very tech. savy. Shoot for mid 1,250's hottest EGT on t/o. Lean 100ish rich during climb. Find your peak at DA's above 10,000 feet and lean to 50-80 ROP. [Perhaps, LOP if you have GAMI'S and know what you are doing]. Lean to 80-100 degrees ROP at DA's where you may achieve more than 75% power. 1,475 seems high, you are right. I'm normally 1,300 degrees F EGT at our high altitudes. I'd love to hear from others. This is a very important issue as to performance, safety and our budgets...

I think you'll do well with Western Skyways. Good decision, in my view. Not to necessarily open a new can of worms, but... I have read that the Power Flow exhaust is very effective on the carburated Mooney's. Little, if any, performance gains on the injected 200 HP Mooney's. I can attest that the PF was worth the money on our flight school C172 (O-320E2D w/ Ly-Con 160 HP STC). Anyone? Thanks in advance...

Western Skyways overhauled our IO-360A1A about a year ago. They were a pleasure to deal with and the engine runs beautifully.

Interesting. Parasite drag or engine producing a bit less HP or both? Last time I had totally smooth air on a long X/C, I noticed that my seat position could actually affect the trim.

I have the Scimitar Top Prop on my E model. I've not yet had an issue with the MP/RPM restrictions. Mooniac58 apparently does not either. He's based near sea level, I'm at almost 8000 feet. I worried about the new restrictions before opting for the Top Prop. Now that I have some experience with it I find it may actually be less restrictive than the previous limitations (I can't recall exactly what they were). Unless I'm missing something, the restrictions should only be a factor for normally aspirated Mooney's operating routinely below approximately 6000' DA'S where cruise MP's might be greater than 24 inches. Even there, wouldn't 2,350 RPM or less achieve 75% cruise power with WOT or less? Unless your sightseeing, on a very short flight or battling high winds aloft, I do not see why one would operate even a normally aspirated Mooney so low. My true air speeds seem to max out around 10,000 feet. Anyway, I'm very pleased with the Scimitar conversion. I picked up a 2-3 knots TAS, perhaps some ROC.

I would be very hesitant in installing a 3 blade prop. on a 4 cylinder Mooney. The M-T prop may be an exception, but it's very pricey. I've read many an account of negative vibration issues with the metal 3 blade, as well as reduced cruise speeds. I have had the Hartzell two blade scimitar Top Prop on our 1966 E model for almost a year now. No vibration problems and picked up 2-3 KTAS in cruise. We paid somewhere around $7K direct from Hartzell. The original "pointy" spinner as supplied with the kit developed a crack before 25 hours in service. Hartzell was outstanding in their warranty efforts. The new style spinner is holding up just fine.

Glad things worked out well. Makes me appreciate the "Johnson Bar" even more.

Agreed. A MSC or a, truly savvy independent IA. Don't mess around with any less!!!...GK

I did not get a 10-15 second warning. The engine, an IO-360A1A, quit immediately. Maybe the fact that the auxiliary fuel pump was already operating and that I was in a descent had some effect.

Yup, I've run one dry as well (almost intentionally) in our 1966 E model. The engine came back in just a few (very long) seconds after switching to the other tank. The boost pump was already operating since we were being vectored to final for Albuquerque Intl. I backed the throttle to somewhere less than half travel before switching tanks. I did not get the over-speed. The owner's manual advises to retard the throttle if a tank runs dry in order to prevent "engine over-speeding and possible mechanical malfunction." My plan was to operate on the tank that ran dry until the fuel gauge read just above empty, or the engine began to sputter, before switching tanks. There was no sputter, it quit abruptly. What was more unsettling, however, was that the fuel gauge on the empty tank was reading just about half way between 36 Lbs. and empty. The other side read only slightly higher, so I was not sure before I switched tanks if the other side had sufficient fuel quantity to supply an idling engine. Obviously not prudent fuel management on my part. I know several Cessna 320 operators who routinely and procedurely run tanks dry in order to maximize range. I'm hesitant, however, to make this SOP on my longest flights without more anecdotal experiances from injected Lycoming Mooney pilots. Anyone know if the fuel gauges can be adjusted to be more accurate especially when nearing the low quantity end of the scale?

Anyone have ideas or experiences with a MSC that will allow owners to assist?

I'll chime in on the C/E vs. F/J/K model discussion. We operate a '66E model. As for room, I've never been in back of an F or J so not sure how the extra +/- 5 inches of leg room feels. For trips less than about 2 hours I have no problem with 4 adults as long as they are not large. What is large? 5'11" and 180 lbs. might be a realistic estimate for the admittedly smallish rear seat. On a longer trip three adults and some extra wiggle room is preferable. If you are traveling 4 1/2 hours or more you are likely to be carrying a bit of luggage. Four adults and their stuff begins to challenge the cubes in a short-body Mooney. I have flown 3 guys ( two dimensioned close to above, me in left front seat @ 5'9" 155 lbs) three pairs of downhill skis/boots and gear for a weekend. Yeah, the airplane was stuffed but no complaints from anyone. Where else can one do this cruising at 10,500' and 11,500' at over 150 KTAS on less than 10 GPH?!

Quote: randypugh Airkraft, what do you mean by wach your gross weight? Can you fly out of Leadville at gross in the summer?

You can safely operate out of Leadville in the Summer. I'm in and out of there frequently in the E model and our 172 ( I prefer the Mooney!). 6,400' is a lot of runway. I like to build some extra airspeed in ground effect before climb-out. Use correct mixture, mind your gross weight and use terrain/ wind to help find lift. ALWAYS have an out. That's 90% of safe mountain flying in a nutshell.

I doubt a new Acclaim could break ground faster than my E model at KASE or KLXV!

Quote: 67M20F Thanks for the info, 30" I have never seen that in my plane. I usually cut it back to 2400 and 19-21" so i guess i just giving up speed at that huh.