triple8s

Hopefully Riley Aviation or someplace like them will end up with it and make use of what little is left. I have been through their place and it is amazing what they can do with old aircraft. I was in there several years ago and was in awe, it was there I realized that no matter how bad it is, if you really want to make it airworthy it can be done. http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/hangar/museums/kissimee/kiss.htm

"It sounds, from the posting of Peter, that if I buy an Aspen product I really don't own it at all. I am only using it at the behest of its "godlike" creator. Someone is either a total control freak OR acting like one because he does not trust his equipment" In the busniess world and the sue happy society that we live in I see exactly why Aspen and lots of others do what they do. It is all a matter of protecting the business, the owners, and even the employees. I would bet that the Aspen unit even though it has been submerged probably works just fine and may even continue to work fine, however, I wouldnt want my name on it knowing it had been underwater or transfered from one aircraft to another. How would you like to sleep at nitght knowing someone may be hauling the family to the Bahamas depending on the unit in IMC. NOT I no thank you.

Anybody that buys a used vehicle and doesnt kick the tires......well? Would I buy that plane? Maybe but I would take a week off from work and get a motel near 1A6 and go over the logs take off the interior panels to SEE the tubes. There are bolts that access the tubing and I would want to run a mag/wire in to see what comes out. Just because an airplane has been apart or rebuilt doesnt mean it isnt a good airplane, if that were the case there would be no airworthy P51's or the like. Is this a good A/C? I dont know but I wouldnt buy it or any other vehicle without doing the homework first. Our only alternative is to buy new. Who likes that? 1965 Mooney M20 NDH? 50 years and NDH? Anyone who believes that doesnt have the brains to fly.

I am by NO means an aircraft expert, however I have been told this from day one as my primary instructor is an IA. " The most dangerous time to fly an aircraft is the first flight after a maintenance activity."

I too have been thinking about the dreaded reseal job. I even went so far as to ask a friend who has lots of Mooney parts for a couple of old tank panels so I could experiement with ways of removing the sealant. After messing with them I decided I would put it off a bit longer and just pay to have the resealed. So this solvent will dissolve the old sealant enough so that it will wash out? What about the residue and the fuel system? Are there any unusual issues if you have aux tanks? Should you strip and reseal all the tanks if only one is leaking? The only real leak I have is the left Aux tank just outboard of the left MLG, I usually just put a bit of fuel in it when filling the mains to keep it wet, unless if I am going on a long trip. The aux tanks were put in in the late 80's, on average how long does the sealant last?

In todays market? EVERYTHING should affect the price. There are many VERY good deals out there right now and to be honest I would probably not settle for a bird that I had to wonder about. I just barely missed a really great deal on a Mooney, yes I already have one but hey like I told wifey now is the time to trade up. The firewall is a very substantial structure and if it is bent or deformed around the engine mounts I would run like hell. If it is bent or deformed low then you have a gear collapse, there are better deals to be had. You dont have to settle.

Step was gone and I didnt even know it came with one till I helped with the first annual. That being said I have a small plastic stool that stays in the hangar in the proper position for entry. I dont really need it so I just leave it in the floor and when I push back into place the stool and the tape on the floor guides me to park in exactly the same spot everytime. One thing I have seen is what critters do to an airplane and I wouldnt take any chances on having any critters in my plane, saw a mooney that had to have wing replaced because of a rat's nest/urine against the mainspar. I'd rather have the lightweight plastic stool than the step. Stool doesnt take away any vacuum either. Finally have VFR weather today so I'm gonna get my chores done and put some lead into the environment. Shame on me! lol

I an not a skilled mooney pilot my bird still humbles me when i least expect it however, if a person comes in at the proper speed and holds it off till its done flyin and the yoke is almost all the way back the roll out is indeed very short. Painter? Dont you have a video or photo of you taking off in a pasture not 10 ft off the ground with gear up going by a cow? I thought I saw that somewhere a while back. lol

FWIW, we pay tax by the gal, burn more pay more in tax, go figure.

I dont get some of this, the lower btu's mean lower energy so ya have to burn more. Look into the propane delivery trucks, they have HUGE gasoline engines just to have enough power to get the job done. Compare another example of btu/power ratio, a deisel pickup vs gasoline powered pickup. Why dont we have gasoline powered Semi's? Gasoline has lower btu/gal than diesel thats why. Has anyone looked into how much fuel must be burned to produce the corn for one gallon of ethanol? What about the economy of it? Will we all have to get long range tanks just to stay up for 3 hours???? I dont want ANY more EPA or FEDERAL Govt people telling me how to live!

These work. ( http://www.barkeraircraft.com/Engine-dryer-kit.html ) I made mine it is ugly but who cares. You can replace or reuse the dessicant which turns pink when moisture level goes up. When it is pink ya bake it in the oven @250 F for until blue let cool and sometimes it takes a couplea bakings but is ready when it stays blue. I store mine in a glass jar that I seal up tight because it will draw moisture. I was tied down outdoors for a year when I first got my bird and I was anal about moisture, I bought a cover from Bruce's, heck if they forecast rain I would even tape over the fuel tanks caps. I was lucky enough to have access to 120vac so I ran the dehumidifier for the engine and a small dehumidifier in the cabin. I went out of town for a week and even taped up the seal around the door and baggage hatch. Humidity kills aircraft. If you make your own engine dryer be sure to put a filter on the air lines to and from the engine; you dont want any of the little dessicant balls going into the engine, that is very important.

My bird had a Loran in it which the previous owner had removed. If I am not mistaken the loran was removed and an Apollo GX-55 was a slide in replacement maybe the antenna had to be wired in, I'm not sure. The gx-55 works fine not as handy as a 430 but for the price they are not too bad, and IF it is a slide in for a loran it would be a cheap improvement. Here is some reading: http://www.bennettavionics.com/gx55.html

Ballpark figures, but remember, get what fits your needs. I would like to have a 231 to get over weather but 99% of the time I dont have that to worry about, so why have the extra maintenance expense. A good C or E will be plenty of airplane for 2 or 3 people with light bags and an F or bigger for more room. No way I would EVER pay 90k for anything less than a 231, but thats me. 35-45k = M20C 40-55k = M20E 50-65k = M20F 70-90k = 201 90-120k = 231

I'd be happy with Vne increase, I can easily cruise in the orange with a O-360 as it is.

Unless you have lotys of "crap" to haul around avoid the Bo it is fast and pretty but takes big thirsty engine to get'r done. I get 147KTAS with an O-360 Lyc. I have manual gear and manual (hyd) flaps and there just aint much to go wrong with those. From my experience the "C" I have has been a very cheap airplane to operate, I can drive to the hangar in 20 minutes preflight and be on the atlantic coast in just under 2 hours and it costs about 16 gals of 100LL, now what could be better??? Oh and a 45 year old "C" does NOT have to look old.

Flying, the second best feeling known to man................... a good landing is the first!

I have square windows, but it is supposed to be a 64 model, is it a 64 or 65. Flight testing in the original logbook was 12th month of 1964.