carusoam

Well… uh… nevermind… That was quick! I never saw one of these before… Fasted sale on MS ever… 5 minutes from post to sale. Go MS! -a-

Wombat, It is very challenging to understand everybody… until you get to know everyone… when buying a plane… some things are normal to expect. Airframe, engine, and prop logs, by law, go with the plane… Logs, by law, have to be maintained… Flight logs, engine monitor data, and oil analysis are up to the user… If he decides not to keep them, or share them… no big deal. As a buyer… I would like to see these things if able… I also remember going to see an M20J once… the seller asked if I wanted to go for a ride… I really didn’t want to know how he was flying his plane… I was just interested in a safe outcome… I wasn’t a serious buyer at the time yet… but I was in the same place with a nice M20J that was for sale, while getting started at looking… and he really handled the plane well… Go ahead and ask for everything… expect that things will get challenging when the nicest plane is missing a certain detail… If engine monitor and flight data have a dollar value associated with them… they will get listed under avionics… in the for sale ad… You are buying the plane, not the the seller…. If you accidentally annoy him… he doesn’t have to sell to you…. Some of the best planes are forever-planes… the person that sells them probably won’t be the PIC that knows where all that data went… Buying pre-owned machinery is a blast… no two machines or sellers are alike… Best regards, -a-

The extra tall baffle plate sure looks odd… Walk the line of Mooneys at the airport and see if anyone else has the extra plate there… Compare to the other side…. Extra sheet metal on that side too? Check the maintenance and parts manual… does it show all of the baffling? The M20J has four cylinders that are being cooled in the top down fashion… But air has to get in the top first… Don’t be afraid to show the rest of the pics… if you want a more complete answer… baffle seals are important… starters and alternators need to be sealed properly… Got an engine monitor with that? The M20R is known to have a warm cylinder, because a piece of sheet blocks a small amount of flow into the cowl… PP thoughts only, not a mechanic… Best regards, -a-

I would invite @Jake@BevanAviation, but before I do… Let’s leave a note of what AP we are discussing… is it a BK KAP150? If it is electric trim, independent of the AP… Know that these things are susceptible to old grease issues… Clean off the old… replace with new. Should be butter smooth…. For real old grease… open the gearbox properly… clean and replace. Gearboxes add challenge because they have certain spacers to contend with… PP thoughts only, not a mechanic… Best regards, -a-

@Austintatious @aviatoreb -a-

You may be looking for a special owner with a special plane… Depending on the economy… the number of planes is somewhat limited… I sense you are willing to pay extra for a plane that has all of what you need… So much for discounting everything properly… Best regards, -a-

Selecting a Mooney that is perfect for you… is as easy as ABC…V! If you ever have to re-learn the alphabet… this is an easy way to do it… A) Get an M20A… if you like composites… technically, wood was the first composite used in planes 100 years ago… 180 is a lot of ponies… B ) Get an M20B… All metal, short body… it has to be the lowest entry cost of all the Mooneys… comes with the short rudder throw. C) Get an M20C after the 1965 Model year… it is the most bullet proof, and highly updated, of all Mooneys including its O360. (Figuratively speaking, don’t actually shoot one to somehow prove a point) the rudder gets even longer in later models… D) If you can find the M20D Master on its fixed gear… it is special. Otherwise, it is just an M20C in a Master’s fine robe. E) Get an M20E it is the most advanced 2+2 on the market… and it can pull 2G in a steep turn, better than a Corvette on gatorback radials! Complete with an IO360 for comfy cruise in LOP… F) Get an M20F for its full back seat luxury… someday, way off into the future, when you live in your back seater’s house… you can remind them of how you went out of your way for their comfort back in the day… like an E limo…stretched. G) Get an M20G… same back seat luxury as the F, with the bullet proof O360… your friends will call you the turtle, while you flash them all the dough you saved up front… H) Don’t get an M20H… I) Don’t even look for an M20I(i)… J) Get an M20J… the second coming of composites arrived, improving aerodynamics of every corner… few planes meet the speed or efficiency of this bird… UL continued to improve with later airframes… If you love your high powered engine shoe horned into small frames… Go Missile! K) Get an M20K… because you have taken flying to the next level… the flight levels! The first mid body Mooney with a TC, standard… If you thought the Missile was cool… the Rocket is even cooler! L) Get an M20L… If you like bleeding edge technology that is 30years old already… The PFM is for you… This is the first Long Body. wait… check on valve spring availability for these plane’s engines before purchase… or see that the Porsche engine has been replaced with something different…. M) Get an M20M… If you like to fly in the front seat of a personal airliner… the TLS is special. Its Bravo edition is even specialer… Turbo Lycoming Sabre… N) Where’d the N goooo…! O) Look for R when looking for an O! P) Look for Gatorade bottles when this comes up… some use ziplocks, other has a tube…. Look for José he is around here somewhere…HF radios, tubes, and flying across the Atlantic… Go José! @Gagarin if you are out there, push the like button… R) Look for the best NA Mooney on and off the planet…M20R, Ovation!. Long body, now available with 310hp… better Power:weight ratio than your Corvette… (unless your corvette got delivered after 2022 and has a flat crank or electric spare motor) very similar to the M20C, just more Mooney! S) Look for the Colin Chapman inspired speedster… M20S. First they simplified it, then they added lightness… and on the sixth day… Rocket engineering upped the power… for 310hp performance… find the Screamin’ Eagle… T) Looking for an improvement to the venerable Ovation… the only way to do that is get an M20TN… like an O with a pair of snails, replete with their own MP controllers, and intercoolers… Go Acclaim! U) Looking for newer and better than the Ovation that dad flys…? Go Ultra! Like a Standing O but, four versions newer, 310hp and WAAS color screens galore, PIC gets his own door, and they threw on some large composite panels just for fun! V) Lottery winnings are in the bank… Show me the Mooney!… Fastest, four seat, factory built, TN’d, GA Plane, on or off the planet…. Go Acclaim Ultra! Faster than an Indy car on the back straight… and doesn’t take a pit stop in twice the distance… W) Wait there’s more… There are a bunch of mods that have added a TN, or some aerodynamics, or have moved a more powerful engine into the airframe… I have covered only a few… Let me know if I missed anything… this is just a list off the top of my pointed head… Best regards, -a-

You know… sooner or later a walk is going to be involved. My favorite shoes have always been Sperry Docksiders…. Really good on a teak deck, and so thin you can feel the difference between brake and rudder pedal…. Then one day… perusing the Sperry factory outlet….a magical sale was occurring…. Sperry driver shoes!!! even softer and more flexible than the docksiders… They sure aren’t designed for pushing your Porsche around the paddock…. So keep that in mind while pushing the plane up hill into the hangar. And… winter and bare feet… its -40 at altitude… your tosies are gonna get a bit chilly… Those aluminum heat exchangers under your feet are attached directly to the 170kt wind chill. Get a set for your significant scared to fly other…. It will warm their heart. Buy a few pairs for yourself… they are gonna get dirty. Check out the soles… small rubber nubs that protrude through the leather… There is an older thread around here somewhere… +1 for heals on the floor… that’s where the nubs are!!! Best regards, -a-

I use the FF indicator… at idle. Lean until rough, then enrich. Mixture full in (IO550) FF = 4gph Mixture set for taxi FF = 2gph The IO360 is probably near 2/3 these values… Best regards, -a-

Airplane lesson…. Car lesson…. 101. We call it a 12V system…. Nominally. And generally… the voltage is most often over 12V… Unless, it has been draining slowly for a while… like a month without flying… But, when the alternator is charging it… zooom… 14V! Sooooo… There is always a bit of confusion to people new to the game… Realistically Mooneys have two available voltage systems… 12V and 24V… 24V has become the standard of many vehicles… because the tons of wires become 1/2 tons of wires with the higher voltage… PP thoughts only, not a mechanic… Best regards, -a-

Between C & L… 1) No engine manufacturer in particular is error, or problem free… 2) Camshafts 3) Crankshafts 4) Cam gear 5) Aluminum gear in the oil pump 6) Small diameter exhaust valve 7) Valve assembly alignment 8) Oil cooler leaks 9) Cracked cylinders… Things that come to mind… Imagine having all of the oil drain out of your new airplane in flight… then landing on a golf course. What do you say for that…. Fooooooore! Mind if I play through??? Are the turbines any better? Best regards, -a-

Extra points will be awarded to anyone that can load Chris’ wagon just a little more… Best regards, -a-

MS prize for staying positive during challenging times goes to…. Gever!!! Corporate finance guys wrap all of the surprise expenses into one tough quarter… they throw in every expense they can find… This allows them to start their accounting fresh. The maneuver is quietly called kitchen sinking it… where they even threw in the KS! Best regards, -a-

Look at the back of the AP’s box… (helps to have a flexible camera…) If you see a tube going there… One end of the tube goes to the static system, the other goes to the sensor… Somebody the other day reported their static sensor being independent of their auto pilot…. Of course, I can’t recall what AP we were discussing at the time… Best regards, -a-

Check data logs for CHTs… We all like to see CHTs maintained 380°F and below… But, fire breathing dragon mode trades cylinders for lots of speed… Using FBDM often… even 400hrs is too soon for replacement…. Or too expensive to use FBDM…. We would need two Acclaims to cover the down time. Hmmmmm… How about some fancy valve prep… porting and polishing and flow balancing of the new cylinders… to match some fancy Gami balanced fuel injectors… You did get that 310hp STC…. Right? Speaking of inner beauty… the intake plumbing of the Acclaim is amazing!!! Lotso curvaciousness… PP spending OPM only, tax season is not even near over yet…. Best regards, -a-

+1 for being on the look out for water in the static system… Water has an innate ability to be carried by air all the way to where the sensor is hiding… See if the altimeter is showing any funky behavior as well… PP thoughts only… not an instrument guru… Best regards, -a-

Do we know if Chuck Shavit is staying with the merger? I got CloudAhoy to measure T/O distances in @Cris’s Screamin’ Eagle… Then compared it to my Standing O…. To make sure the installation of my factory reman was meeting the expectations of Rocket Engineering’s 310hp STC… Not that the seat of the pants doesn’t work… but WAAS GPS data is slightly more precise…. Going through retraining in 2012… Cris and I used it for review of the various procedures after the flights… Flying a Mooney can make any student look good! Ever do so many maneuvers, you can’t remember all of the details…? Back in the day… Chuck answered my email questions…. It makes sense to have this program blended in with the usual nav app(s)… It cuts chances of forgetting to start one app or the other in half… (check list 102…) PP thoughts only, not a CFI. Best regards, -a-

Interesting… That’s a fine fettle of fish you came across there Aerospace! 1) All airplanes get a fuel drain at their lowest point in the system…. Our 65 and later planes have the gascolator at the lowest point… M20Bs have a glass bowl up by the firewall… 2) We have one drain… that we pull twice. 3) Flip the fuel selector between pulls… 4) Do this early in the Pre-flight… to verify the fuel doesn’t continue to keep dripping… 5) Pushing up on the fuel drain is not highly recommended… 6) there is a rubber tip on the drain that can get knocked off, ending any flight for the day… 7) Fuel has a funny way of carrying a variable amount of water in it… and can have that water fall out of solution based on temperature… 8) Avoid assuming there is no water in the fuel system because it hasn’t rained… 9) There are too many ways to get moisture in the system… without being aware of it getting in there. 10) a pan is often used to catch fluid that falls to the hangar floor… it’s a bit more challenging to be looking for water and dirt particles here… Summary… There is one way to be sure moisture has been drained… Drain two wing sumps, and… two pulls on the gascolator drain… flipping the selector valve in between… Don’t forget to be looking out for dirt, rust, or rubber particles whike you are there… Thanks for sharing the details! Best regards, -a-

I was thinking about the value of the high speed charger yesterday…. In bright sunlight, the background light uses a lot more energy… 1) iPads give two warnings of impending doom… 10 and 5% energy levels…. 2) When really busy… these warnings get deferred easily…. 3) When really busy… distraction is nearly guaranteed… and good intention isn’t enough… 4) IPad gives its last warning as it shuts down…. 5) A slow charger takes several minutes to charge up to the minimum level to come back on…. 6) While this all takes place… you wonder if the cord is actually working… 7) This all took place… comfortably at my kitchen table, not in the air… Is there a way to know the rate of charge a device is absorbing? Is there a screen that shows charge status? How do we know it is working as expected and not in some form of low energy limp mode? Best regards, -a-

Sounds like the AP’s trim servo or possibly the elevator servo has gone rogue… Let’s invite @Jake@BevanAviation to the conversation… AP servos see a lot of use and have a tendency to get dirty as they wear… Are you seeing any altitude oscillations to go with that, any before now? PP thoughts only… Best regards, -a-

Awesome post again JL! Great M20K details and a pic! Best regards, -a-

As far as UL goes… The most around here is around 1200 LBs… M20S Eagles have the best opportunity for this…. Close to 1k is most common… 7-800 is usually an M20K that got all of the options and gets used as a traveling machine for one or two…. Spare vacuum systems, radar in the wing, O2 bottle mounted on the tail… turbo system, MP controller and intercooler…. There have been lots of improvements with color screens…. The older avionics weigh close to 100LBs more… With four adults in the plane… we don’t typically fly more than two hours at a time… Some people sleep for a few hours… and wake up on the bumpy descent…. My longest flight was about 900nm non-stop…. I have 100gallon tanks. Flying with other people in the plane can get a bit technical… if everyone decides to use O2, eat, drink, or get air sick…. You get to be PIC and flight attendant at the same time. Best regards, -a-

The cool thing is…. There are no bad Mooney models… except one. The M20L PFM has become too hard to own with the Porsche engine in it still…. But, if you are mechanically inclined and have enough dough… it is the first Long Body! Decide if you like small, medium, or large… short, mid, long body…. Pick the engine attributes you like…. Carb, fuel injection, turbo… If you go turbo… normal waste gate, automated waste gate, and intercooler… or 2X… for the twin TNs…. For IFR flight in the modern ecosystem…. WAAS GPS is a must. Finding the right bird can often take up to a year… get the search started as soon as practical… This way you get practice at what you like to have… so you can move quickly when you eventually find it… PP thoughts only… I like buying and selling machinery…. Best regards, -a-

Note the drain hole at the bottom of the tank… not an inch high. the extra height would accidentally keep a lot of water from draining properly…. Best regards, -a-

Jimmie is a great resource…. Ask as many questions as you can, take lots of notes… lots of details…. About the plane, some upgrades while you are there, setting up insurance, setting up finance, setting up Transition Training and flying home… Fantastic memories of working with Jimmie… Best regards, -a-