carusoam

MSFS is an excellent procedure trainer. Get it right first on the PC, then go do it in the plane. It's the cheapest way to know the airport environment and the instrument approaches that you are going to face before you get there.... I am sure everyone will agree that MSFS is not a subsitute for real training, and its nav data gets old as it is not kept up to date. Best regards, -a-

Dave, Do you have a copy of the parts catalog? There is an excellent drawing of what the actuator system should look like. I amended my post above and included the drawing reference. It turns out that the M20F actuator system is very different from the M20C actuator system. Best regards, -a-

Removed my thoughts..... It turns out that M20C & D are very different from M20E & F. Mooney M20 Parts Manual - Parts Catalog Page 247, Fig 58 Cowl Flap Closure Control System, Best regards, -a-

Phil, Thanks for the link. I am not sure of the benefit of a third class medical. I am required to have one to fly my mooney, but I don't need one to fly light sport or drive my big honkin' SUV in tight formation. There will come a day to stop flying, but it will probably be announced by something other than a third class medical. Based on the dropped requirement for light sport, I can follow the same logic for PPL. Should we sign the petition? -a-

Joe, My M20R has recently finished its annual in Robbinsville. The plane has 15 years of MSC documentation. I bought it with a pre-purchase inspection done at an MSC. There will be no surprises by taking it back to an MSC. If your plane has not seen an MSC in a while, it is a good idea, but may be slightly surprising... Your other choice of mooney knowledge is Caldwell, KCDW. I have no experience with them. It is worth visiting Robbinsville to see what mooneys they have opened up on their floor. Dave Mathiesen is the key person running the business. Best regards, -a-

Barry, A short search for LEDs in other threads will be a reminder that leaving at least one old bulb in the circuit is a good way to keep the rheostat working. You might have that bulb...There should be a light over the fuel switch on the pilot side that can be included in the circuit. This way you can have your LED nulites and an old incandescent to help you out. Of course, check with your A&P for details.... -a-

Jpusser, Check your POH for the chart of fuel flow vs. manifold pressure (MP) at your chosen rpm. I am thinking that the 9gph that you researched is at a reduced power setting. the 11gph that you are experiencing is related to a higher power setting (full throttle, 2500 rpm, at 5,500 ft). What does your POH say? My M20C experience showed that I would measure/calculate slightly less than 10gph at full throttle, 2400 rpm at 11,500 ft. This was using the similar leaning technique and fuel measurement that you have described. Start, taxi and Climbing were on other tank and removed from the calculation. You will find that power setting can greatly increase your fuel flow rate. With this set-up, it is diificult to to accurately measure fuel flow while flying. Fuel flow gauges have become very popular in recent years. See the following authoritive article: http://www.mooneypilots.com/mapalog/M20C%20Evaluation/M20C_Evaluation_Report.html "the M20C should always give true airspeeds between 142 and 146 knots below 8000 feet and right at 140 knots nearing 10000 feet. Fuel burn rates at 50 degrees rich of peak should be right at 11.5 gallons per hour down low and 9.5 gallons per hour up high. Remember, these numbers are for the most efficient cruise power setting - full throttle, 2500 RPM, leaned to peak plus 50 degrees rich, cowl flaps closed." Best regards, -a-

Dave is right on target on this one. I went to the body shop with a panel that had all three colors of my plane. They matched each one and generated a formula that any paint shop can follow. The next trick is trying to get a good way to spray it as an amateur. -a-

jpusser, How are you measuring fuel flow in your in your 62C? fuel flow monitor? If it is based on refilling the tank at the end of a flight, did you account for high fuel flow during take-off/climb? How are you leaning to get best fuel flow? Are you using the ships' EGT or do you have a better monitor? Best regards, -a-

Dave, I like the idea. With the R, there is an fresh air vent out the bottom, overall my dimensions are probably different than the J.... -a-

Ned, I'll see what I can come up with. When I first got the 65C, the straps were decayed. I thought they came with the plane. As you may know, My C is gone, I have the R now. -a-

I have the reif.... But I am considering the Red Dragon for those days away from electricicty... http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/reddragpreheater.php 12V with disposable tank option. Can be powered by car battery or portable inflator/jumpstart battery. No, I don't think I would use the ship's battery for this, save the power for the starter..... I'll reconsider the generator route though.... -a-

I have seen one mooney missile owner using 3M tape. His thoughts were more towards use as an ice repellent. His paint was not worth saving... -a-

1964-M20E, Are you based in KNEW? I am planning on visiting the Big Easy. My pre-planning indicates that KNEW is a great spot for GA. Any thoughts on airplane parking, fuel, travel (taxi?) etc. Thanks, -anthony-

"Because my plane does not have luggage tie downs" Takair, 65 M20Cs have tie downs, are you sure that 64 M20Es do not? Adding tie downs would be a better solution... than relying on the seat back to evenly adsorb a 9g impact of a 120 lb object and protect the occupants in front. Calculating 270 Lbs. per attachment point is assuming even distribution with the object already pressed against the seat back prior to impact. Since your plane was delivered with seatbelts with no shoulder harnesses, I don't think the seat back was designed with that much thought and matching testing to prove it's value as impact protection. Being safety conscious is not paranoia, but applying today's safety standards to 40+ year old planes is not a perfect fit either... Best regards, -a-

Don't hesitate on changing out the landing light switch/CB. They don't age well....compared to the rest of the plane, anyway. It is not too difficult to swap out. LL Circuit: buss, Switch/CB, wire, blade style disconnect, bulb filament, ground... It doesn't get much simpler than that. If the wire and disconnect are insulated properly, the only thing left is the CB. They are heat triggered based on current running through it. I think it is possible that the vibrating instrument panel is easier to trip the CB, when it is at it's limit, than sitting still. Best regards, -a-

The 1965 M20C has it's own gyro for the wing leveler blind mounted back by the vacuum actuator for the step. As you leave the cockpit, you can hear the gyro winding down.... -a-

[1] I very much agree with dave to - fly the plane. [2] I also very much know as power goes on, nose goes up, airspeed decays rapidly. Agressively maintain proper attitude while trimming and configuration changing. I am not sure this is a teaching tool, but it is a reminder for me regarding trim and full flaps. "The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent impact with terrain." http://www.aopa.org/asf/ntsb/narrative.cfm?ackey=1&evid=20070614X00725 Indication of full flaps on final: "Approximately 1/2 inch of threads were observed on the flap actuator jackscrew, consistent with full flap extension." Indication of go around: "The flap switch was in the neutral/off position, and the landing gear selector was in the UP position. The throttle, mixture, and propeller controls were in the full forward position." The flight was between two of my favorite airports using our favorite airplane by a person with many hours and years of experience. Don't let it haunt you, just remember to keep the attitude right while you fly the plane..... Best regards, -a-

JL, I meant dissertation in a good way.... I really appreciate the technical discussions. It gave me something mooney related to think about while spending hours mowing and moving leaves today. So this is what I thought. (The FAA may think differently....) [1] For engine health, you definitely want intake air temperature and manifold pressure as close to the intake as possible. [2] For the health of the turbocharger itself. TIT is important as this is the heat going into the drive side of the turbo (turbine inlet temperature). Very similar to EGT. It gets very hot and the turbo has its limit there. [3] The value of knowing the temperature between the turbo and intercooler is simply to identify how well the cooler is working. You can now compare OAT to CDT (temperature rise during compression) You can compare CDT to Intercooler exit temp. (temperature drop provided by the intercooler) Your real redline for engine health should be based on the air temperature entering the engine. Ideally the same redline that came from CDT prior to intercooler installation. Unless there was some correction for instrument error or placement. Your real redline for turbo health should be exhaust temperature enterting the turbo (TIT). The temperature exiting the compressor does not create an alarm worthy piece of data that I can think of. [4] Fuel pressure often has a top limit. I think it was put there in the event of blockage due to ice or other substances. It would give you the hint something is not right before destroying the pump. My M20C would indicate higher pressure on colder days, near its redline. I am not sure how much the viscosity of fuel increases in winter (I am guessing not much) but something was changing. On the other hand. I cannot find a fuel pressure indicator in my M20R. Excess pressure in the fuel injection system returns fuel back to the tank. I do have a fuel flow indicator, so I have some indication of pressure. There is nothing available or valuable to set a red line to in this case. Best regards, -a-

JL, Great dissertation on modern engine instrumentation. I believe this, in combination with your turbo knowledge and previous experience, makes you a subject matter expert on this topic. By chance, have you asked JPI if they can supply you with an oil level sensor? Why wait for oil pressure to drop to emergency levels when you may be able to sense a middle level like (4qts). I am sure "quick drain" issues have been removed from your list, but other things could pull the same mean trick. Dave, If you leave the photos attached at the bottom of your post, they will stay in the body of your post. Best regards, -a-

'65 M20C was rotarty dial also.... -a-

Dave, I usually have my son with me when we go to adventurous places. If I had one of these devices I would not be afraid of getting stuck. It took three of us to push out of the soft grass at KOSH. -a- Now, I have gone back and edited to see if anything goes wild....

I'm with DaV8or on this one..... [1] With steam gauges all lined up, I travel down the GS with trust that the runway will be at the end. What if (under great stress) I forgot to switch the HSI from GPS to VOR/ILS or tuned the wrong frequency? [2] With chart symbols or synthetic vision on the glass HSI, I travel down the same GS with the additional sight picture that in fact a runway will be at the end. Just to be clear, I am a steam gauge driver and I have no synthetic vision. It seems to me that there are technical advantages of glass systems. I use my GPS to confirm in fact the pot of gold is at the end of the approach. Overall, both systems are complex and require familiarity with their operation. The limit on either system is still the Mark I eyeball and brain operating system version 1.0. The only thing worse than leaving the gear up when it should be down, is following nav needles that are tuned to something different than you think. humbled by the discussion, -a-

"Is there a way to just use a tail weight to relieve enough pressure off of the nose gear to remove it and reinstall it?" dmevans, I have heard about putting a rod through the tow handle hole. Jack stand (block) on one side and jack on the other. [1] you only need to get it of the ground a small amount. [2] use a second jack stand (block) to hold the plane up, don't leave pressure on the jack. -a-

If you will be racing other similarly modified M20Fs, you may be slightly slower.... It seems to be just another factor in the decision making process. It is still a Mooney. A smooth ("clean wing"), and untwisted wing would be preferred by the people that want to be the fastest. The Acclaim was built for the most seriously speed afflicted. Typical Pre-J speed mods: 201 windshield, cowl closure, flap gap seals and tail root will also help. The F listed above has a 201 style windshield, the E does not. If you have all of the best from this list, you end up with something very close to a J, including the price you will pay. When you get the opportunity to test fly the aircraft or as part of PPI. Fly the standard four course speed drill (3-way if you prefer). Know how well this exact plane is flying before committing to it. -a-