Lood

Herewith all data from the weight & balance documents in my posession: Year: E/weight Arm 1966: 1665 lbs 44.5" 1986: 1670 lbs 44.9" 1993: 1693 lbs 44.6" 1999: 1708 lbs 42.7" 2005: 1710 lbs 43" 2007: 1700 lbs 43.6" 2012: 1773 lbs 44.8"

Ron, here in SA, certified airplanes all have to be be weighed every 5 years - even when everything stayed the same. You then get a new weight-and-balance certificate. When due, this is normally done during the annual inspection. I'm never present during the annual, but I have a very reputable AME which happens to be the Mooney agent in Africa. The requirements when weighing is general knowledge so I trust that they indeed did remove everything from the airplane, including all fuel. I have an electroninc livestock scale that is calibrated and can weigh up to 2 tons in 100g increments. I think I should do my own weighing session and see what the results are.

Well, after my short, first try at LOP, it seems that my F will also be capable of doing 1000nm. I lost about 8kt in cruise but even if we make it 10kt, I can fly for 8 hours at a TAS of 130kt, burning 7 gal/hr and still have 8 gal of fuel in reserve. This equates to total distance of 1040nm in no wind.

I bought my Mooney in 2008 and it was weighed in 2007. Its empty weight was 1700lbs on the dot. This meant that I had a payload of 660lbs and I have flown it at MAUW many, many times without any problems. This year it was again due for weight and balance and was I shocked when it gained 72lbs in weight. Its empty weight is now 1772lbs!! The thing that boggles, is the fact that since I bought it, I had the old, heavy King 175B removed, together with all other avionics that I didn't use, such as the DME and ADF. These were replaced with a KX155 and KY197. I also had all obsolete wiring removed that were left in the airplane over the years. To top that, I replaced the old and very heavy starter with a small, lightweight B&C. I was actually very excited and thought that after the next weighing session, I might have a payload of around 680lbs - maybe a little more. However, I am now stuck with a 590lbs payload and it really sucks - that's the same as a C172!! My Mooney has been repainted by the previous owner, but I am not sure whether this was done prior to, or after the 2007 weighing. What other factors could have such a dramatic influence in my airplanes' weight ?

I have about 20 hours on my new engine now and today the oil temp had me rather worried. Right at the beginning, the oil temp ran just about at the top of the green arc, but as the breaking in of the engine progressed, the oil temp decreased. For about the last 10 - 12 hrs, it sat firm at around 180 - 200 deg. On the first 2 hr leg this morning, all was normal. When I took off again for a short 25 min hop to refuel, I noticed the oil temp right at the top of the green arc. OAT was around 10 deg celsius. We landed, refueled and took off again for another 2 hr leg. I climbed at 120 mph to FL095 and the oil temp was just under redline all the way up. Once settled in the cruise with WOT (19"), 2450 rpm, 80 deg ROP, OAT 7 deg celsius, nothing changed. After about an hour, I went LOP and all other engine temp dropped substantially, but the oil temp stayed at about redline all the way to landing. Oil pressure was very good and all other temps were very cool though and I must add that my original oil temp guage is not very steady but fluctuates all the time. However, it certainly seems to be running a lot higher than it did. Could this have something to do with the engine's break in? The first flight we did with the new engine was at sea level, at full power and for almost two hours. After that I flew it at higher altitudes, but for the first 14 hours, I always kept the power above 75% - WOT and alternating the rpm between 2500 - 2700. Initially, oil consumption was just about nil and I added half a quart after about 7 - 8 hrs when the oil level on the dipstick fell below 7. After that, the oil consumption increased and is now more in the region of 1 quart every 5 hours. I haven't allowed the oil level to come down to 6 on the dipstick as all of my flights have been more than 2 hrs and I don't want the oil level to drop below 6 at this stage. So, maybe the engine is just blowing the oil out due to the high level, but why the increase in consumtion and now the higher temp?

OK, here's little feedback. I got up to FL095 today on the return flight and took the big step. It was really a non event with the JPI and among others, here are just a few points noted: I flew WOT, 80 deg ROP, 2450rpm, 10.5 gal/hr, 160 kt on the GPS. The JPI calculated my endurance to be around 4h30 IIRC. I went LOP to -5 deg on the leanest cylinder, same power settings and the above changed to 7 gal/hr, 152 kt on the GPS, endurance now almost 6h30!! At ROP, my hottest cylinder was 340 deg with the cowl flaps about 1/3rd open. LOP, cowl flaps closed, that same cylinder ran at 320 deg. It was amazing to actaully see all the temperatures just come down at once. At TOD, I chose to go back to the ROP setting and after minutes, I had to crack the cowl flaps to prevent the CHT to go above 340 deg. I will certainly experiment more in future.

We have two children, now 10 and 12. I bought my first airplane when they were 2 and 4. Of course, their needs come first but we've managed to keep flying as well and we're very far from rich - never mind "uber rich". Sacrifices? - you bet. Other guys play golf, spend thousands on RC models, go skiing in the Alps, drive impossibly expensive cars, live in multi million dollar homes, etc, etc. I just fly.

I'm doing a a return flight tomorrow which will total about 5 hours. I am planning to repeat the Gami lean test to find out how my new injectors are performing ITO the Gami spread and while I'm at it, I want to fly LOP. I have a JPI EDM700 with fuel flow installed and I am quite confident in its use. I have spent a good amount of time reading up on LOP operations but I still have a few questions that I want to confirm: 1. I will be taking off from 2200" and 4000" runways, respectively. I plan to climb to FL085/095 as normal at target EGT of around 1200 - 1250 deg, but the CHT will dictate the exact mixture setting. Once stabilized in the cruise, I will go LOP. Is this the correct way? I have seen some pilots going LOP during the climb at as low as 1500" AGL. 2. How far do I go LOP on the last cylinder to peak? I've read about many different opinions and it seems that different engines require different LOP settings. I've seen settings from -10 to -80 deg. My engine is the IO360A1A. 3. On the descend, do I go ROP at TOD or do I stay LOP during the descend and go ROP at a later stage? 4. Which is the most important and critical factor to monitor during flight at LOP? 5. What Gami spread number is considered too large for successfull and effective LOP operation? 6. Would it be wiser to wait until I can do the exercise with somebody that has actual experience in LOP? Keep in mind that I am flying on a brand new overhauled engine that has done only 16 hours SMOH and I do not want to harm it. I appreciate your advice.

Thanks to all for your replies. My view on the touch screen GPS's was pure from hearsay and locally, most pilots don't like the Aera due to it being difficult to operate in bumpy conditions and the readability issue. Not sure if there's a difference in resolution between the Aera 500 and 560, for instance, but I doubt it. However, Jose's pictures tell a different story. I'll do a more in depth research and will try to actually test the units.

While my trusty old 296 is getting a bit iffy, I decided to take a look see to get an idea of what's what in the GPS world these days in the event that I need a new one. Was I unpleasantly surprised. It seems that there are only two options: 1. The cheaper, touch screen Aera, AV8TOR, etc type and 2. The very expensive and gigantic G695, AERA 795, Avimap EPK IV, etc type. Problem is I don't really want either as I find them all rather unpractical in some or other way. I don't like touch screens and it seems that most are all but unreadable in direct sunlight or very bright conditions. Other side of the coin is that I'm not prepared to pay $2k for a state of the art GPS but it's so big, I'll have to remove the co-pilot seat to make space for the GPS and then it blocks the half the outside or panel view. So, what are the options... Spend the money and make space in the panel or cockpit for Mammoth or get a hard to read touch screen cheapie and be annoyed? And why on earth did Garmin decide to stop making very popular stalwarts like the 296, 495, etc?

Thanks for the replies. Seeing that I had new injectors installed, I'll repeat the Gami lean test this coming weekend to see what the spread is now and apart from that, I'll know which cylinder runs where. I'm also ready to go LOP. Been reading up on it and spoke to quite few people the last couple of days and I feel confident to try it out.

I've flown my new engine for about 16 hours SMOH and since day one I've been slightly annoyed by the #4 cylinder running a bit hotter than the other 3. Although I've noticed it on the JPI during flight, I downloaded the data yesterday and it is confirmed that the same #4 cylinders' EGT runs cooler than the other 3. The temperature difference is not really a train smash, but unfortunately my nature is such that it bothers me - all the time. On average, the #4 cylinders' CHT runs about 25-30 deg hotter than the rest and ITO EGT, about 40 deg colder. This must indicate something? If the EGT on this cylinder was in line with the others, I would attribute the higher CHT to an improper sealing baffle maybe, but the fact that the EGT is also out of line should indicate that something on cylinder #4 is different. Could it be a bad spark plug or maybe something to do with the injector? I would appreciate your expert advice.

I had the lower cowl closure from Lasar installed on my Mooney and I did not gain anything to mention in the speed department, unfortunately. However, my engine does run substantially cooler and it looks way better that the original large opening.

Hi Dan, yes it has been removed completely and the opening in the cowling has been riveted closed with an aluminum plate. It was very well done - almost unnoticeable. The control inside the cockpit was also removed. Even if it was still installed, I doubt whether I would have used it. I live in a dry and windy part of SA with lots dust and I would rather cautious to use it. The idea of sucking unwanted dust, etc into my engine scares me somewhat. Normally, I also don't fly very high - usually 6500 - 7500ft and that's around 3000ft AGL where I live.

Hank, I don't have ram air on my 'F. I find this discussion very informative - especially the possibility that there might have been an induction leak somewhere on my engine. I never thought anything about my MP being lower than normal untill I read this thread. I'll compare the MP of the new engine to that of the old one and I'll also see how it compares to those in my POH.

I agree that mine is low, but that's the facts. To confirm, I just had look through my files and pulled the Gami lean test results. Here goes: OAT 50 deg F; pressure alt: 6500ft; WOT; 2430rpm; MP 21.7" If you do the simple thumbsuck calculation on MP that decrease by 1"/1000ft increase in alt, mine will sit at 16.7" at 11,500ft. At 8500ft, I normally got a MP of around 20". Just for interest sake, my TAS is/was also lowish - 138 - 140 kts. However, my brand new engine was delivered to my AME yesterday and they are installing it as we speak. I must confess, I am like a little child - absolutey overboard with exitement and anticipation. My Mooney should be ready to fly by next week Thursday and I will most certainly share my joy after I brought it home.

I'm sure my F won't get 19" MP at 11,500ft. I haven't been that high, but my MP is just over 19" at 9500ft, IIRC. Could it have something to do with my old engine? Compressions were not bad though.

A friend of mine had an RV6 that he built himself. It had the O360 with constant speed prop and cruised comfortably at 165-170kts. Apart from the high cruise speed, it also climbed incredibly. However, he didn't fly it very long before selling it. He kept his C170, also with O360 as well as his Piper Vagabond?

I've never flown in one, but considered a C177RG when I was buying. A friend of mine put it to me rather straight: "One day, a Cardinal will get you into a place where it won't be able to get you out of again." Aparently, they need some runway in hot and high conditions. At least, that's the general word going around in SA.

After being on the ground for almost 6 months due to a complete firewall forward overhaul, my Mooney will be flying again in three weeks time. I am VERY, VERY excited to say the least. However, a local agent called me and asked whether I wanted sell. I told him "no", but in case I got offered a ridiculous price, I would probably consider it. The used airplane market here in SA has just about come to a stand still and nothing really moves. There are a couple of 'F's on the market, ranging from around $60k - $70k and nothing sells. I told the agent that if I could get $87k, I would probably sell. I had my engine completely rebuilt with brand new parts from Lycoming. This includes pistons, camshaft kit, crankshaft kit, crankcase, etc, etc. Basically, the only overhauled or reconditioned items that were used, are the cylinders. I bought 4x first life cylinders that were still standard, had them bored to +10 and overhauled as per regulations. This excercise is costing me a small fortune, but in the end, my Mooney will always be a stock "F" from 1967. My line of thinking was that if I could sell it at $87k, I could upgrade to a "J" model. There are a few on the market here and one that specifically caught my attention is a '78 model that has 300hrs left on the engine and it can be had for around $65k. It had a complete top end overhaul about two years ago due to a prop strike, which means that it will easily reach its TBO. With the amount of flying that I do, I will fly it for another 5 years to TBO. I will then use the change from my"F" to replace the engine with a factory reman and I'll have a "J" that is good for life. Good example "J"s keep their value much better compared to the vintage models and midtime models sell anywhere from $100k - $120k here in SA - depending on year model, hours and overall condition of course. Apart from being even more efficient, the "J" seems a better investment and I've always wanted one. What would you do?

I use dirt strips 99% of the time and have never had any issue, whatsoever. When going into an unkonown dirt strip for the first time, I just make sure about its condition. In most cases, I actually prefer them to paved strips. Both my own strips are dirt and that's about all my Mooney knows. I do have cement run-up pads on my strips where I park and do all power checks, but when I happen to be at a sandy strip that does not have one, I normally skip cycling the prop. Just do a mag check and set the mixture and off I go.

Indeed. Shipping is very expensive and the 8:1 $/ZAR exchange rate doesn't help. I'll get a quote from the guy that imported my engine parts. He gets a container from the US weekly and should be much cheaper than me dealing directly with Spruce.

Thanks all.

While I'm going to fiddle around with the panels inside the cockpit, I also want to sound proof my Mooney. It has no sound proofing material whatsoever and it is really extremely noisy inside while flying - even with an ANR headset. Amongst all the different options available, I came upon the following products: Soundex Premium and Super Soundproofing. Super Soundproofing's product appeal to me because they specifically state that it will not absorb moisture. Can anyone give me any feedback on either, please? Also, if I order the material in sheets, how much would I need to do my F and which thickness would work best? Or should I use different thicknesses in different areas?

Can anybody tell me the composition of the plastic used in the interior panels of our vintage Mooney's? Although certified, just by looking at them, I'm pretty sure that they will burn just fine during a cockpit fire. The panel on my cockpit door really doesn't look that good anymore and when removed, it is really very flimsy and a few of the fatsening screw holes are torn out. I have an old friend that has vast experience, not only in building airplanes and gliders, but also in working with all sorts of composite materials. I'm sure we can produce a panel of much better quality than the one currently installed, or maybe we can just strengthen the current panel on the inside with a suitable material. I haven't seen the replacement panel form Plane Plastics, but it will be almost impossibly expensive to import them to South Africa in anyway.