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carusoam

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Everything posted by carusoam

  1. DINK…. No college bills…? Does the spouse want to fly? The first Mooney acquisition is the start of something spectacular… the second Mooney is where you get the chance to buy the perfect forever-plane…. Based on your own experience… Enjoy the hunt! We started with a ratty M20C before moving up to the O… don’t go ratty unless you have to… Go Mooney! best regards, -a-
  2. Thanks Joe. indeed brass won’t cause mag deviations… my quirky response comes from the fact I didn’t know if the rivets could actually be brass…. Or some other fancier alloy… that only appeared to be brass… PP thoughts only, not a mechanic… best regards, -a-
  3. Hey gents..! Some things we learn from the modern NA Mooneys… that most likely apply to the older Mooneys as well. both old and new were built for nearly the same mission… just, the newer models have more development time collected through the decades… 1) the Ovation has the NA IO550… 2) it’s EGT gauge is calibrated with actual numbers. Mounted in a specific location where there is a confluence of three exhaust streams on one side of the engine… 3) the climb procedure includes leaning in the climb… 4) the EGT is maintained by using a blue box on the EGT gauge, white for the G1000… 5) the box or arc is 100°F wide, and runs from 200-300°F ROP. 6) adjustments are made as needed… 7) the needle falls safely out the bottom, colder… as altitude increases. 8) airflow through a modern cowl was highly studied… 9) My M20C’s cowl met basic requirements of the day… some of its airflow did exit the front of the cowl. Every now and then you could see where an oil drip would show signs of its escape… out the front. 10) its tach also suffered by being mismarked… some things changed over decades of knowledge… Red arcs became yellow by rule change… the avoidance arc was changed, and remarked, or added, using a piece of tape on the lens… 11) These important arcs only apply to the engine/prop combination that came with the plane…Updated markings can be put on the tach for a small charge at an instrument shop… 12) if you change the prop or the engine… make sure the markings are appropriate… the yellow arc helps keep the pilot from operating in a zone where harmonic vibrations can break engine mount welds… harmonics can’t be felt by the pilot, because the usual vibrations feel the same to even the best calibrated buttock… The M20C only used four bolts to hold the engine to the firewall… I have the experience of losing two welds, that left the engine holding on by three bolts instead of four… 13) The POH is a great resource of info… and so are the STCs that come with a new prop. 14) for a great reference, get a copy of the latest POH published for your model… especially for the older models that only got owners manuals… 15) Vx, Vy, and cruise climb are very similar for all Mooneys… the heavier ones are marked in kias, lighter are in mias… 16) climb rate is all about excess hp to weight ratio… get as light as possible, and add hp… 17) 200 rpm is 10% of my engine’s hp… make sure the gov is set up properly… also be sure the prop stops are set up properly. This is really important when the gov fails! (To flat, causes rpm over speed… controlling rpm with mp, the engine can be woefully underpowered. ) if I use (in the O…) 2500rpm instead of 2700rpm, my take off distance increases from 800’ to 1200’, when lightly loaded. A 50% increase. 18) Vy, like best glide, is weight dependent… 10kias faster when near MGTW, than very light…. PP thoughts only, not a mechanic, or CFI … stuff I picked up over the years… Best regards, -a-
  4. It will probably be difficult to find our GB / Guy Ginsbee. but not too hard to search outside of MS to find him… he makes a high quality product, worth looking for… Best regards, -a-
  5. Hey munnerlyn! you mentioned the plane is new2U… there are about a dozen places that the small Lycoming is know to possibly have drops from… Get the bright light out… and start at the top where there are seals, gaskets, and hoses… simple solution to a common problem… often, people find these things are ancient, and can use a nice replacement… See if you can identify the valve covers… their gaskets may still be ancient cork… their screws could be equally ancient and have uneven torque applied.. nearby is a group of oil return lines that drain the valve box area… lots of hose clamps that may be ancient… The M20E makes a great forever-plane! Welcome aboard and best regards…, -a-
  6. hey gents! The goofy battery relay works ok when brand new… … and you don’t take a lot of time when pushing the switch… But… if you push the switch real slowly… you can either find a dead spot with no power running through it… or both batteries connected allowing for excess voltage from one battery finding another way to go to ground… if you study the electrical drawings for the switch and relays…. you may find that they theoretically make sense… but, in real life, with a bit of wear… remember to push the switch with intention… there are a few relays by the batteries that share the same part number… I bought a spare because the relay wouldn’t switch batteries… it turns out… the battery switching relay was attached to my dead battery…. O1s didn’t get the nice set of CBs in the tail… (‘94) pp thoughts only, not a mechanic… Best regards, -a-
  7. For Dan, that used to be a single fill up… not sure if his Acclaim has the same max fuel capacity…. Gotta love José’s extend fuel tanks! Best regards, -a-
  8. All this talk of bottles… I need to invite José…. See if he is up for the conversation…. @Gagarin The ziploc bag is a nice general purpose device, that doesn’t look like a urinal. nobody picks up a ziploc and asks what is this for? Best regards, -a-
  9. When looking at the fuel necks of various long bodies…. you can see different lengths of the neck… and how air can get trapped above the bottom of the neck…. Mooney did this intentionally to the M20S eagles… to additionally limit their volume. Strategically installing a vent hole in the neck can restore the full volume of the existing tanks… There are three or so placards that indicate the ‘legal’ fuel volume… on the panel, at the tank selector, near the fuel caps…? Filling the tanks above 100g takes time for air to pass through small holes drilled in the wing ribs… of course, the plane has to be parked on level ground…. The POH has the placards and locations in the limitations section…(?) Over filling the volume doesn’t become apparent… the tank vents are so far up hill the fuel doesn’t reach them…. If you strategically use a hill to put even more fuel in each tank…. When back on the level, fuel will try to escape out the fuel cap if its seals aren’t up to the task… The Cg of the fuel tanks doesn’t change from fully full, to fully empty… at least the POH on gives one Cg location for the tanks… regardless of their status… Sooooo…. With proper venting, about 103 gallons usable can be found without modifying the tanks…. Adding the next bay outboard… brings usable fuel up to about 130g… PP thoughts only… @Cris and I discussed this back in 2011 for his Screamin’ Eagle. Proper drilling technique is required to avoid dropping aluminum bits into the tank… and avoid lighting a gasoline fire… The O has a slotted vent to avoid the usual air trapping issue… consider buying that part from Mooney in place of modifying the existing one… note: the fuel nozzle with auto shut off, will keep from filling the tank unless you hold the nozzle while filling the last few gallons… Best regards, -a-
  10. … disassembly of a Mooney for flat bed hauling is done via removing the tail cone and firewall forward…. Our local MSC does this as needed… usually a recovery process… In the event of landing in a field…. I keep a business card with their number on it… Select your favorite mechanic before going down this road… His signature is going to be important to the ongoing future value of the machine…. oddly, having an N-numbered plane in Europe has its advantages… Speed and efficiency is preferred world wide… PP thoughts only, not a mechanic… Best regards, -a-
  11. Odd notes on door opening in flight… 1) everyone has had at least one… 2) Check lists usually cure it from happening again… 3) There are odd reasons to do it on purpose… like a seat belt hanging in the wind… (really loud vibration sound) 4) They mostly happen in the traffic pattern at low speeds… where the door doesn’t get or cause any damage… 5) A couple of baggage doors have opened in flight and wrapped around the fuselage… the piano wire hinge stayed intact, requiring a replacement door. 6) MS has had one baggage door open in cruise flight… get torn off, and wrap around the horizontal stabilizer… It is one interesting read… if you are not familiar. Lots of rearrangement of the tail feathers occurred… Fortunately, a very professional (test) pilot handling the rest of the flight… Fuzzy PP memories only… not a mechanic. Best regards, -a-
  12. Eric is always helpful… and we also have a really good Whelen guy around here if you need any help regarding the new bulb you are trying to use… See what electrical connectors the plane has already…. Often, the landing lights use a ‘blade’ style connector(?)@OSUAV8TER Best regards, -a-
  13. Way cool! We get great EI support right here on MS! Way to go @oregon87! Thanks for being here. Best regards, -a-
  14. Way cool… A bunch of color screens to aviate and navigate… but no colorful engine monitor? tachometers get better… when they aren’t driven like a bicycle’s speedometer… Important note… When using two digital displays like the G5s… they look like they can both show attitude if one display fails…. Be sure they both have an independent AHRS unit to support each one… Nothing is worse than expecting to have a back up display, when your single AHRS unit fails…. You get two red Xs for the price of one failure… bargain! Sure, the TC used to count as a back up attitude indicator… and so did the TnB before it… in real life… old TCs only work good enough in smooth air. So don’t have an AI failure in rough air…. And if you haven’t practiced partial panel using a TC lately… make doubly sure you have two truly independent AI systems… There is a thread around here where an MSer (unknowingly) had a single AHRS device supporting two screens…. The AHRS device failed in IMC… fortunately, he is still around here somewhere. For fun… watch your TC on a bumpy day… see if you can follow it with any accuracy. PP thoughts only… not a CFI. Best regards, -a-
  15. Great summary Mike! This would be another important calculation for flying in the clouds… The battery(s) has to support the panel long enough to get back on the ground (or back into VMC) after an alternator failure… it really helps to have digital electronics in the panel… for their lower amperage requirement…. And larger battery capacity… for more electrons to use. we don’t usually have a ton of excess electrical power to support ancient avionics… So cutting battery capacity in half would be going the wrong direction…. Best regards, -a-
  16. Side note: (lead observation) My O360 was a lead pellet manufacturing system… for my first year of ownership… somewhere near Y2K… No engine monitor, no Fuel Flow sensor… minimal instrumentation… (low pilot time) Aggressive ground leaning was the method to minimize the lead balls that would collect in the lower spark plugs… Good luck Gevertex! Nice pics and descriptions! Best regards, -a-
  17. The hard part about using a V-band clamp with no written history… How many torques does it really have? What happens when it has too many? The known part… Bravos have experienced V-band clamp failures… Leaking like a blow torch under the cowling… That part of the exhaust system is under the most stress, highest temps, and greatest pressures… a tough place to be for a clamp… Always use a CO monitor… it can help identify an exhaust leak near its beginning… @mike_elliott is my go to guy for details on V-Band clamps… he has the experience of their weaknesses… PP thoughts only… not a mechanic. Best regards, -a-
  18. MD may be a bit far…? https://flyrpm.com Byron aka JetDriven is a great mechanic and M20J owner and… commercial pilot. When you see his plane, or read some of his posts… it makes an easy decision… Byron helped me transition back into flying my M20R, a lot of years ago… Best regards, -a-
  19. This is the tough part about technical writing… The above posts are actually quite positive… relaying some challenges that may be found along the way… and methods to avoid those challenges… All are an attempt to help out the OP… oddly, it may not seem that way. Without knowing very much about the OP… Like where in the Mooney World is he? Wanna see a Mooney up close? Is he anywhere near TX? AAA is a great place to see and feel Mooneys up close. I updated my diatribe above a couple of times… trying to soften the negativity, without being full blown Mooniac crazy… Best regards, -a-
  20. come onnnn…. big Daddy! What are you hoping to get out of the new tech battey? Even if the battery is light years above current gel technology… and it may be… Does it prefer an optimized charging system for best performance? Challenge1… If I put the light weighted battery… in the same place as my original battery(s)… I get to add lead weights in the tail cone to keep my WnB correct… Fortunately for me… I would have options like… add A/C, or a Fiki system that weigh a similar amount in that space… instead of lead. Sooooo… if all you are looking for is the weight savings…. The challenge just got a little bigger… Fortunately for you… The M20K has all kinds of opportunity to move weight around… Sooo many ancient avionics that weigh a ton… Two batteries in the tail cone that can be swapped out… Lots of wire in between… There might be an opportunity for 100LBs of UL to be re-captured… How are your WnB calculating skills? Are you updating the panel any? Tossing out a vac system, or two? Do you have the old weather radar in the wing? 100 AMUs later… the most expensive battery swap ever… PP thoughts only, not a mechanic… My dream long body… will have AC, O2, and Fiki… and a very tiny Charlie weight for WnB perfection. And lots of touch screens… Best regards, -a-
  21. bummer… Lasar was the king of rebuilding/updating nose gear… See if they have recovered from their move… it’s been a year or two…. Then there is the list of pre-flowned parts guys… starting with Alan… Best regards, -a-
  22. The medical is key… study the questions… know the answers… Don’t guess… There are proper ways to navigate through the mine field… Even for those with challenges of heart issues, various medicines, or missing an eyeball… Somebody around here will be familiar with that challenge… AOPA is also a nice resource for this… Good luck! Best regards, -a-
  23. Welcome aboard Dtips! 1) You have come to the right place… to learn about what you are trying to accomplish… 2) If you have a ton of dough… train in your Mooney. 3) Short on dough…? Training in your Mooney, isn’t usually the best route… until you are going after your instrument rating… IR. 4) Finding the right Mooney for you… will probably fit somewhere between M20A and M20V…. depending on how selective you are… may take a year to find and acquire the right one nicely dressed…, get started! 5) If you aren’t a mechanic… avoid the lower cost levels of any model…. The work involved to bring a worn out plane up to nice and safe… is prohibitively expensive… 6) planes have four costs… that can be added up. Airframe, engine, instrument panel, paint and interior… 7) if you want to be scared… look up the price to overhaul things to brand new condition… in the end, you end up with a brand new plane… with today’s cost, and 1970s vintage… 8) If you want to feel wealthy… look up what it costs to overhaul a brand P’s engine… IO720… 9) For the most part… searching for a first Mooney… there is a bit of a sweet spot in the alphabet… 10) Expect all Mooneys to have exactly four seats… some have a bit more leg room than the others… 11) Expect 98% of all Mooneys to have retractable gear and controllable pitch prop. Essential bits of a fast efficient plane… 12) Entry level Mooneys come with two Lycoming engine choices… O360, and IO360… 13) O360s are carbureted and 180hp… IO360s use fuel injection and other details to get to 200hp… the extra 10% hp is actually meaningful for many. 14) The sweet spot… M20C to M20J. Easy, natural, step-up from the trainer… your insurance provider will define transition training for you… often 10 - 20 hours before solo flight and then taking passengers… 15) The C, has the O360, it is a short body Mooney… makes a great plane for a family of four… until the kids grow to full size. 16) The E, like the M20C, has the IO360… preferred by the retired crowd… perfect plane for two people, with room to take four, on short hops… 17) The F, like the M20E, with more room in the back… preferred by Money makers that sit in the back… 18) The G, an oddity, it is the mid body Mooney like the F, but sports the M20C’s carbureted engine… aka the turtle of the Mooney crowd… 19) Next step up…. The Modern Mooneys… starting with the M20J… Mooney got out the aerodynamics book, and fiberglass… and modernized the M20F… and called it the M20J. 20) So start looking for what plane fits your desires and needs… and start building your list of needs… Controller seems to be a nice place to find Mooneys…. use caution… if looking at mid level M20Cs, and you see an M20F at the same price… there is probably a reason for that pricing oddity… dig deeper to figure out why it is priced so low… something may be damaged or worn out… Buying a plane… There is something called a pre-purchase inspection… PPI… it is imperfectly, the best protection for your wallet… There are no bad Mooney models… but, old machines have a tendency to need proper care over time… all planes need proper care, not just Mooneys… My first Mooney… M20C. I found MS while looking for my next Mooney… M20J / Missile… My second Mooney turned out to be an M20R… aka Standing Ovation… I got my IR… between ownership of the two planes… in 2008. It’s been a while. Nothing cooler than waking up in the morning… checking the weather… and have the grandkids visit their grandparents hundreds of miles away…and be back later in the day… or three days later… depending on how you feel. Life is short… Fly Fast! Go Mooney! You can do it! PP thoughts only, not a plane sales guy… Best regards, -a-
  24. Hi everyone! Some notes on our speed brakes… 1) When you use them… you are giving up some of that efficiency that some Mooniacs crave. 2) they disrupt the airflow about 3X the width of the brakes themselves… deploy in the rain for a visual confirmation. 3) essentially they are a wing shortner…. soooo expect a small increase of AOA required to maintain level flight once deployed… SB magic… 4) These devices are speed dependent… 5) at Vne, they have a tremendous effect… 6) For emergency descent, gear down, power out, prop pushed in… combined with the brakes… you will be landing in less than three minutes, no matter what Mooney you fly… a 6k’pm descent… 7) at traffic pattern speeds… they can help reduce airspeed a little, due to the short wing effect and increased AOA…. Similar to pushing the prop all the way in… the down shift maneuver. 8) at landing speed… you are going to need a CloudAhoy app connected to your WAAS device to see the data…. It isn’t something you can feel.. unless your calibrated seat pants are that good. 9) all of this magic come from the placement of where the brakes are on the cord of the wing… if they were closer to the leading edge, they would be more disruptive at slower speeds… further back, they would be lost in the airflow disruption that is already going on… 10) since airspeed2 is the driving force for this drag… the speed brake effectiveness is more obvious near Vne… and still plenty obvious at Vlo other notes… 11) all Long bodies have Speed brakes, as a replacement for full flap slips at low-ish speeds… where the flaps have a tendency to blanket airflow over the horizontal stabilizer… 12) Soooo… they still work at slow speeds, just not as much as they do at gear down speed…. 13) Landing with a vertical descent of 6k’pm would be considered slightly unstable by most Mooney pilots…. Unless your traffic pattern was 6k’ agl… Oddly… 14) flaps are not deployed for emergency descents in Long bodies… 15) The descent rate, at gear down speed is better, than slowing down to Vfe…. 16) The procedure includes slowing to extend the gear, then speeding up to enjoy the additionally braking at gear extended speed…. 17) Emergency descents are a blast… they aren’t very good for the health of the plane, or the people riding inside…. Or the efficiency of the flight… 18) Since we are on the ground at 60+kias… with an AOA, mandated by the gear geometry, high enough to take off… hitting the brakes above 50kias is sure to skid both tires… 19) It is likely… that deploying the speed brakes will improve the transfer of weight from the wings to the wheels… slightly, not magically… 20) adding the extra detail to a landing procedure… won’t make any friends after the ensuing distraction / gear up discussion… PP thoughts only not a CfI… my speed brakes get their most use BEFORE each flight… check list item… Best regards, -a-
  25. Time for Sue to get to the States! Best regards, -a-
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