carusoam

Hey all! This is one of my favorite discussions… Stay focussed… 1) Focus on determining which M20 is right for me… A, or V, or something in between…. 2) Focus on finishing the PPL… then focus on the next steps… IR, seaplane, glider rating, tail wheel endorsement…. 3) Focus on finding a place to keep her… even if it is a tie down in NJ… 4) My M20C lived outdoors her entire life… she looked worn before I got her. A good cover, and a good cleaning and wax are helpful… 5) My M20R lived outdoors for a year… a near perfect paint job, doesn’t stay that way living outdoors…. 6) If you have aviation experience… family members count. You can probably determine the best plane for you… 7) If you have no aviation experience, and an M20V sounds about right…. There is a lot of work to get done… 8) Some people fly a trainer for the first hundred or so hours… 9) Others buy a Mooney and train in it… too much focus required. 10) Often finding the right Mooney can take a year…. So stay focussed! 11) Renting a plane has its benefits… until you own one. 12) Tying down outside has its benefits… until you have a hangar. 13) Keeping your plane in hangar is pretty cool… until you own your own hangar. 14) Owning your own hangar has its benefits… until you have your own hangar home…. Soooo…. With all that out in the open… Natural Mooney pilots are good at multi-tasking and staying focussed on everything all the time… Keep moving all the balls forwards… keep asking questions… find a mentor. When buying a plane… know what a PPI is… decide how to use one, who is going to do it, how much you want to spend… there are plenty of discussions around here for all of that… Enjoy the hunt! Go Mooney! PP thoughts only, not a plane sales guy…. Best regards, -a-

100LL central Jersey… 5.35 Cars… 2.95 inflation beating territory… -a-

I nice rough way to measure performance against book numbers… 1) use a long runway… 2) Use CoudAhoy app.. 3) supply CloudAhoy with WAAS data. it is better to have a bad instrument and have good power….. than have a good instrument reading, and have bad power…. getting a modern tach is relatively low dollar upgrade, if able…

Scary way to look at the same challenge… (purely hypothetical situation) Same plane, and runway… and we’re bringing the family along.. for some reason, my engine is only 10% off its max hp that day…. What could possibly happen? T/O distance is 1200’ instead of 800’…. A huge 50% increase! What if I load the plane up to MGTW? It’s hot out, whole family is heading to the beach…? The whole runway is getting shorter, and the 50/70 rule is jamming up in the brain…. Stopping distance is getting tiny. expect rpm being off by 100… important if the engine is not set up correctly… less important if the tach has aged, and data is false. mechanical tachs, with the speedometer cable… can get a nice accuracy improvement with a new cable… PP thoughts only… Best regards, -a-

An example where the importance of RPM is shown… My favorite airport, 2k’ long runway… O3 power… off the ground before the halfway point. If not, stop! O1 power… trees start getting bigger in the windshield before being off the ground. Stopping distance is getting really small… Economically… the 200rpm cost something like 20amu back in the day… prop, STC, and install… If your gov is set too low, and you are missing 100rpm… about 5%hp. Get with your favorite mechanic for a low cost power boost. Instrument and power accuracy are important on short fields. PP thoughts only… Best regards, -a-

bust out the smart phone app, and audibly determine actual rpm! know if your engine has been set-up using the ship’s tach, or something more reliable… accuracy at the high end is important for T/O power… accuracy at the low end is important for landing distance… If you fly by the book numbers… the instruments need to be accurate to get book numbers… New EI tach and MP gauges to match the new engine is a great idea…! Briefly… I have studied the rpm discussion pretty closely a decade ago… when going from O1 to O3 power… RPM 1: 2500, 280hp, 25gph, T/O length 1200’…. IO550(g), stock Macaulay RPM 2: 2700, 310hp, 28gph, T/O 800’… IO550(n), Acclaim TopProp For comparison, I also collected data riding in @Cris’s Screamin’ Eagle. I wasn’t going to pay for the O3 power, if I couldn’t measure it to know it was real… Distance measured using WAAS gps for accuracy. CloudAhoy app. 10% more horsepower…. 1/3 less runway used…!!! keep in mind…. These rough numbers don’t account for the big improvement in ‘excess power’ that is used for acceleration, T/O distance, and climb rate…. For max T/O distance… you wouldn’t want to be 100 rpm low. For engine reliability/wear… you wouldn’t want to be 100rpm high. It is good to calibrate your tach. At least know how far off it is using an rpm app. Checklist items… MP RPM FF If all three meet your spec., you are developing full HP! GO! There may also be a seat of the pants difference with all of the horses running… depending on your seat’s sensitivity. PP thoughts only, -a-

Let’s see if I can add something without adding a mistake…. 1) The big pull… a step used for people using a turbo charger… where leaning slowly can leave the turbo running at incredibly high temps for longer than necessary… 2) the big pull for a NA engine… will get you in the window of the final setting quicker… which is OK too… 3) peak occurs in a slightly different place depending on a bunch of variables… but, on that one current flight…. You set your MP, and RPM and then lean as slowly as you are comfortable… wait for the EGTs to respond, lean again… wait again, lean some more… if you over shoot… Enrichen slowly… wait longer… going up or down… the peak is in the same place. It will appear to move if you don’t wait long enough for the TCs to completely settle. 4) Some thermo couples react faster than others… see how long yours takes during the run-up… each time you click a mag off and on… 5) Expect if you are hunting up and down with the mixture knob, and can’t figure out why the EGT doesn’t settle smoothly in the same place… even fast EGT sensors take about 15 seconds to settle on the final value… 6) I like being at 10k’ for leaning experiments… or setting the MP at 20”… 7) Running at peak… or a few degrees LOP guaranties that all of the Dino juice has been converted to noise, while producing maximum power for speed… with an MP that is safe, and CHTs below 380°F…. 8) Near impossible to set %bhp with an MP gauge that isn’t working properly…. But, at 10k’, running wide open throttle (WOT)… you can’t hurt the engine while experimenting with your leaning procedure… 9) It is also important to have your CHTs reading properly… this way you will know that your cylinder cooling is getting done as expected… Message for my friend @Danb… the %hp calculation always uses the Compression Ratio (CR)… the TN’d IO550 is a lower compression than the NA engines, but not as low as the typical TC’d engines… the POH will have the CR for the engine listed shouldn’t be too hard to find… PP thoughts only, not a mechanic… or CFI… or instrument guru… Best regards, -a-

Hey Ben! 20+ years of owning an M20C, wow! Congrats on your first MS post! Marketing thoughts… 1) Calling an M20C old… probably won’t help any… 2) Everyone knows how old all Mooneys are by their alphabet code… even M20Rs are old. 3) Upgrading to sell… houses, cars, planes… Unless you know the buyer… whatever colors or device you select, would the buyer want that? Can you get upgrades done at a lower cost than the buyer… 4) Buyers can have better skills at upgrading planes than you have… and can be driven away by what you select. 5) Price the plane appropriately to reflect its current status. A good idea. 6) Putting lipstick on it probably won’t make things better… addressing wear and tear items… A good idea. wash and wax, clean and ready the inside for sale… 7) Address any and all AW issues… these are the usual things that get in the way during a PPI… 8) Post pics, plane and car! 9) Start the search for a nice M20K! Don’t wait… which one interests you the most? 10) Got your IR? Do you like needles or color screens? Will you be flying solo or with family? Keep your eye on UL, Some M20Ks are fully loaded with stuff, for maximum travel! You have been approved to upgrade! I went from M20C to M20R… after a decade. The M20R is just like the M20C, just more Mooney! PP thoughts only, not a plane sales guy… Best regards, -a-

Hey DC! I know we have discussed this topic a few times… Anyone can set up a poll… @201er is our most prolific pollster! See if you can get it figured out. If not, just start a thread and see how many people join the discussion… How much experience you had… What Mooney was the first… How long until you moved up to the next one, and which one was that… Two issues I wanted to have good experience with… before going 280hp… and a good review again when going 310hp… 1) Go arounds, with all of the trimming…. 2) Everything else… Go for it! Best regards, -a-

Hey Dennis, welcome aboard! @dennis78750 This question comes up several times each year… The answer is always… it depends…. 1) It takes a lot of dough… 2) It takes a lot of time… 3) It takes a lot of dedication… 4) Sure, if you have all of these… you can skip from the low powered machines to the full on high powered and turbo’d devices… 5) Most people with limited time or funds… do their training for the PPL in a simple trainer… and acquire about 100 hours before moving up to their first Mooney… if you accidentally bend a plane, do it to a rented mule. 6) Skipping a step means you are going to miss some valuable experience that you are going to want later anyways…. There is plenty of value to be found in getting to know various airplanes… the trainer is just one of them… the glider and the tail dragger are a couple of the others… a few MSers have some fun aerobatic experience as well… others have flown high powered helicopters… 7) Before getting the 100 hrs. in the trainer… be on the look out early, for which Mooney you want… and start the search… it can take nearly a year for everything to come together… 8) Often, people acquire an M20J… popular features and attributes, and flys quickly, and will give you the experience to move up… an M20E makes a fantastic retirement plane… 9) Moving up to things that have more than 250hp, or have a turbo… can get a low time pilot into dangerous situations…. 10) Sure, the airforce puts people into jets early on…. And the airforce takes care of the dough, time, and dedication part… 11) Transition training…. There are many CFIIs in various states around the country… that have Mooney experience. You want to learn every detail available about your bird… hiring the Mooney specific CFII is the right way to get that. 12) There is a consolidated list of Mooney CFIs around here… search on the word consolidated…. There is also a website where all of the Mooney CFIs are listed… an E-magazine for Mooney enthusiasts… 13) there isn’t anything hard or dangerous about flying a Mooney…. It is just amazing how dangerous you can be to yourself with powerful tools… 14) We have at least a few members that were successful learning to fly in a 280hp Mooney Acclaim…. They have jobs like race car driver, doctor/business magnate… and really know how to purchase the training they are looking for… about me… 100 hrs. In a C152, a few more in a C172, a couple more in a DA10… 1k hrs… in the best Mooney ever… M20C. a couple hundred more in an Ovation… the finest Mooney ever…. Not a doctor, or race car driver… and took a decade to get my IR. There are a few threads around here that list all of the Mooneys ever built… from A to V… I know I have made the list a couple of times… They all still fly. They all are still loved… Inflation has been tough on airplane prices… I hope your stack of dough has grown along with the economy. As you move up the skill tree… consider what else you would like to learn… On the East Coast, having an instrument rating is really helpful for flying away for a few days…. And not getting stuck due to weather… early on, be good at knowing the weather, and have the ability to make a U-turn out of the clouds… and don’t run out of gas! There is so much experience to be gained… different seasons, different weather, different areas of the country There are a few things to learn about purchasing a plane… lots of threads around here for that… it helps to know your experience regarding used machinery… what your budget is for things like a pre purchase inspection… the PPI is always interesting… it often matches the price of the plane you are looking to buy. They are always imperfect. Yet they are the best protection for your wallet. Mooney specific mechanics get mentioned a lot… Acquiring all the experience can be a lot of fun! You can do it! Enjoy the hunt! Best regards, -a-

Dear MS Friends and Family… Merry Christmas! and see you soon! Best regards, -a-

Echo, Keep in mind… When organizing the center stack… the depth at the top has the inverted Y tube back there… the audio panel traditionally goes in the top spot because it’s depth isn’t very long… Some radios are so long… they may bump into the inverted Y… Best regards, -a-

I got the simple eye issues… went out of focus at around age 17…. And have been drifting slowly over time… with age…. Best regards, -a-

Also be looking for a seal inside the door… a split rubber sheet that allows the mechanism to slide may be hiding in there as well… PP thoughts only not a mechanic… Best regards, -a-

Foam rated for outdoor UV protection is all that it would take… Material density dimensions fire resistant and best glue to use may make a call to Lasar a worthwhile endeavor… Automotive foams often have similar qualities… How much does the Mooney specific foam go for lately? Best regards, -a-

Great discussion gents! makes me want to add a pair of TNs… MP controllers… and inter coolers…. Now where is that STC! Go Mooney! Best regards, -a-

Aging eyes have interesting properties… the distance sight get sharper over time… as the close in sight gets weaker… Something to do with the eyeball changing shape as it ages… This helps plan your next visit to the eye Dr… Best regards, -a-

We get vultures in NJ… Slow soaring Turkey sized birds… giant risk to leading edges an windshields… they like to hang out near roads that produce nice deer meat for their diet… the deer are getting better at road crossing… and teaching their young? they must have learned what a car is in the last decade…. Just not better enough… best regards, -a-

Isn’t it a simple tighten to inflate, loosen to deflate type system? the door bladders probably work the same way… it probably comes from a blood pressure cuff…. PP thoughts only, not a user of any of these devices… Best regards, -a-

You probably should call @Mscheuer at PSE… You know what you have, and what you want to do… Mark knows what you need and how to get it done… PS makes the best audio systems available outside the big G realm… Find Mark! Best regards, -a-

hey all! +1 for progressives… 1) driving and flying are very comfortable for the same reasons… distance to the IP are similar… I use the same glasses for both… and using my iPad at the kitchen table… 2) challenges… golf, skiing, running… the distance to the ball, bumps, and ground, matter… 3) contacts… same challenges, different solutions… 4) a second pair of glasses with no transition really helps… 5) the outdoor glasses get that ‘transitions’… automatic tint adjust… 6) it is a pain… when you realize that the map my run app is hard to read while jogging… 7) with good glasses, fit properly… you may wake up one day forgetting how complex your eyewear corrections actually are… then another day… you forget your glasses were on, and crush them… messing up the fit, has a constant reminder to go see the doc and get something adjusted… PP thoughts only, not an eye care professional… Best regards, -a-

The cool thing about the old wiring… The UL improvement can be quite large! especially when removing the entire ancient systems… there are a few records and pics of what has been removed around here… Best regards, -a-

See if @Speed Merchant is around… If I recall correctly… he refreshed his M20J as if he was building a new plane… fancy switches and CBs to finish the job… Best regards, -a-

Nav displays… 1) mostly a few short wires and power, connected to the associated radio… 2) Filling the hole nicely may cost a bit more… 3) Ask your favorite radio shop for their suggestion… Expect small hours and small additional bits and pieces… to nicely fill the holes left behind… 4) research: Find the install book for the actual device to see how many wires are attached… or if lucky, remove the screws and have a look… Some displays near the bottom of the panel are easier to get out, compared to the ones near the top of the panel…. 5) Sounds like they might not be attached to anything already…? Probably one of the easier removal projects around… The ADF display may have only one cable going to it…. 6) Removing all of the dead wires of a com radio and GPS… take a few extra hours… chasing all the way to the tail and into the ceiling… best done at annual time where the interior may be out already…. 7) Doing all of the work all at one time… will minimize the time spent planning and executing… 8) whole radios come with lots of wires going long distances… compared to a VOR display or ADF head… 9) use caution with old BK stuff… these can be fully integrated systems… where the GPS is connected to the HSI, AI, and static system at the same time… much more planning is better…. PP thoughts only, not an avionics technician… Best regards, -a-

Really depends on if there is any extra wire length to allow the radio to move to the new location… you might be able to look and see what is back there… My M20C would have had a much better chance for that… The newer planes with radios still installed by the factory… limiting extra wire was one of their weight saving priorities…. Good luck! PP thoughts only, -a-