cliffy

Think about taking off with a dead battery! IF your generator quits you will have nothing to back up electrical power with. Your panel will go dead TU! Really think about it if you are charging off into IFR weather. IFR flight is another reason to do the CAW Capacity Check every annual. Just because it starts the engine (which uses very little capacity) doesn't mean you have enough to get back on the ground with when the generator quits! As a comparison- in the older 737s we "might" have had 30 mins on battery alone. That is why a dual gen failure was a full blown emergency. How long will it take you (if IFR) at cruising altitude to get down and into a near by airport if the generator quits? Just something else to think about. Did you take off IFR with an old battery - that you have no real idea how much is left in it? Inquiring minds want to know :-)

Remember we're talking 1950s designs here. Not really high tech electronics of today. Farmall tractor technology!

What Mooney says and what Lycoming says are 2 different things On the O-360 min oil by Lycoming is about 2 1/2 quarts! The Mooney book is higher :-)

It should also help reduce radiation heating from the exhaust stack Its simple to make and about the same size as the body of the oil cooler. Not really big deal to install Probably can do it as a Minor Alteration (log book sign off only). Do make sure your cowl flaps are opening the correct amount (it varies by model and year) That makes a big difference in cooling as noted above in that it lets out more air and lowers the "below deck" pressure Airspeed on my D model doesn't seem to be too affected by cowl flap opening position. I just leave mine wide open all the time. In actuality the air flow coming in the cooler mounted on the lower cowl is not efficient. Most of it slides by the cooler opening as was demonstrated many years ago by "tufting" the cowl area there. I've always wanted to try a small "scoop" just below the cooler opening to see if more air would be passed into the cooler.

And what do most (vast majority) pilots need? Just that! If you're going to use full CAT I capability all the time then you need something more (say $20,000 more) but if all you do is VFR/IFR with an occasional approach (realize 95% or more of GA IMC approaches are above 200/ 1/2) then $7K might just suit you fine unless its a case of keeping up with the Jones' ( I gotta have it) I too did the CAT III life for a long time but I just don't need to look at low weather in a SE airplane any more. What part of retired don't you understand? :-) :-) :-)

1 PREFACE This document includes instructions that pertain to the installation of the BendixKing Vizion / AeroCruze 100 Autopilot on the specified Mooney M20 models. The modification consists of installing one roll and one pitch servo, an autopilot controller unit, a pitch link sensor, a wiring harness, connections to the airplanes existing pitot/static, electrical systems, mounting brackets/hardware, disconnect switches, and includes several options for the installer. The BendixKing AeroCruze 100 has been previously produced by TruTrak Flight Systems (hereafter referred to as TTFS or TruTrak) as the Vizion Autopilot system. Legacy references to the TruTrak name and Vizion system are synonymous with the AeroCruze 100 installed under this project. The installation was tested to meet the applicable regulations of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 23 for the Mooney M20. 1.1 Reference Documents Table 1: Reference Material Document Title TruTrak Flight Systems TT-195 Master Document List TT-166 Vizion PMA Autopilot Installation Guide TT-186 Approved GPS and Software List for Vizion PMA Autopilot TT-176 Vizion AFMS TT-167 Vizion Operating Manual 1.2 Applicability This document is applicable to the Mooney M20 models identified in Table 2. Table 2: Approved M20 Models Mooney M20 Models M20B M20C M20D M20E M20F M20G M20J M20K M20L M20M M20R M20S It is NOT approved below 700 AGL! Just like most Brittians https://www.bendixking.com/content/dam/bendixking/en/documents/document-lists/downloads-and-manuals/TTFS-305-Mooney-M20-Installation-Instructions-Aerocruze-Autopilot.pdf

Have been to F37 in my D model Didn't leave anything there that I had to go, back for! :-) They did however have cheap fuel when I was there but little else. The "crew car' if it can be called that was a broken down rusty old PU the ran on 6 out of 8 cylinders. Got to fly around the restricted area to get in there.

DID you try puling and resetting each breaker one by one to see when the light goes out?

There is one other aspect of stalls/spins in Mooneys that is not remembered or talked about by anyone at Mooney anymore. If you look a the TCDS for the C model - in 1969 you'll see a big change to the elevator down throw from 10 degrees prior to 22 degrees after 69. No one would address this at the factory even 15 years ago when I was there several times trying to confirm an old memory of the FAA requiring more stall and spin testing as they said the early throws were not enough to recover at the ends of the envelope. I have a fuzzy memory of the situation but it was a long time ago.

Much the same thinking went into the Twin Comanche getting a bad rep because the FAA wanted Vmc demos at low altitude to "impress" on the candidate the need for recovery The FAA changed their mind and the Twinkie added 10 mph to the speeds way back when Spins in proper aircraft are not a problem My Commercial Check Ride 60 years ago was with the local retired head of the GADO office and he had me do 4 spins (2R/2L) in my Cessna 140 and said that was good enough let's go home and signed me off. We went 1 turn in the spin and about 3/4s of one coming out. Didn't take it any farther. Used to do them in 150s also. NOT in any Mooney and not beyond about 1 1/2 turns. Bill Wheat made a believer out of me. He did things I would never have tried. I'm not test pilot material.

As far as Mooney spins are concerned- I had a nice conversation with Bill Wheat many years ago in which he described an entry into a spin in testing that he carried too far-- 5 turns He said he almost didn't get out of it and would never do multiple spins in Mooneys again Occasionally we hear on this site some who purposefully play with spins in Mooneys I think Bill Wheat's admonition is a word to the wise if the subject comes up. I think the placard says -- "Spins NOT approved" in Mooneys.?

IF the numbers the OP wants are not readily available one can always look at a Koch Chart and estimate what the runway length and climb rate might be to a high degree of accuracy (working from sea level numbers) (Google it) As one who was required to fly the length of T&T runway (west of MIA) at less than 10 feet! (gear and flaps 30) when I checked out in the 727- Yes it can be done even at less than 10 feet but to what avail is it REALLY NECESSARY for the average pilot? As for me - after more than 60 years in this flying business I find my NEED to push the limits just ain't there anymore. Trust when I say if you haven't been to the edge you REALLY don't want to go there. It ain't fun by any means! Machismo has no place in flying- period! End of sermon. A truism- ALL accidents are investigated the next day when the weather is usually ALWAYS better!

The garmin 175 works fine unless you need the comm side also.

You will like the Skyview HDX I integrated the Dynon comm and transponder/ADSB into mine and like the total interplay among them

They still have to turn in all the paperwork and wait for FAA approval process to commence

There is one BIG rule with dual mags- Pay Attention! NEVER AND I MEAN NEVER loosen a mag hold down nut with a star washer underneath without replacing the star washer for a new one!! Dual mags (and others) have fallen off because of this very problem. Anytime a hold down nut has been tightened and then loosened for any reason- THE STAR WASHER MUST BE REPLACED WITH A BRAND NEW ONE.PERIOD!!! End of sermon.

Many months ago I asked for a letter of no technical objection from Mooney about using the spring actuator rods on the J bar landing gear and was told they would talk it over. Nothing has come of it yet. If they could be used (which I feel is a real possibility) then much of the monkey motion of rigging the J bar gear would be eliminated. I can see no reason why it wouldn't work. Yu get the proper over center torque either way. Anyone who "adjusts" the gear on a Mooney without reference to the correct tools is playing with fire. And, you can't just drop in on the complete rigging directions in any place you want. You have to start at the beginning a follow the entire procedure through.

A Master Solenoid is not a Standard Part by definition as there is no industry wide design spec for manufacture that meets SAE, MS, AN or other nationally recognized design. that anyone can match to make the part (think AN bolts as they are Standard Parts that meet an AN Standard for quality). There is a reason why you can't find a log book entry for installation. Think about it. A diligent search will turn up the certified part I had to go through the same path a couple years ago. A PMA one can be found. Before you do the parts cannon approach though do check the wiring and switches for continuity, connection security and operation by using, a volt meter to find voltage drops. Many times its nothing more than a loose connection on the Master Switch but it can also be a failure like I had.

The restrictions are prop specific You have to find the STC and read its restrictions for YOUR airplane and have the correct markings and placards installed. You should have a panel placard with the restrictions on it. The original handbook numbers are wrong for your 3 blade.

On my D/C model at home port (3,000 MSL and 80 degrees) I can stop easily in 1200 feet and get off in the same amount of distance One only has to watch many Mooneys landing here to see most of them cross the end at 100' and 90 MPH and then whooptie doo for 2000' thrying to get slowed down. Happens every day here. After just going into ST Barts airport in the Twin Otter and actually seeing it in real time I could make it easily in the Mooney. https://www.google.com/search?q=landing+in+st+barts&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS1033US1033&oq=landings+in+st+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgEEAAYFhgeMgoIABAAGOMCGIAEMhMIARAuGK8BGMcBGIAEGJgFGJkFMgYIAhBFGDkyCggDEAAYDxgWGB4yCAgEEAAYFhgeMgoIBRAAGAoYFhgeMggIBhAAGBYYHjIICAcQABgWGB4yCAgIEAAYFhgeMggICRAAGBYYHtIBCjExNTc2ajBqMTWoAgiwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:9ef4d135,vid:FDAfuLo78mc,st:0

You're kind of like family here so keep checking in We ae always glad to hear from you no matter the subject. Tell us about camping in S France We colonists have never heard of it What kind of camping- tent, caravan, walkin backpacking? Most of us are of an age where sleeping on the ground doesn't work out too well now :-)

You don't see low aspect ratios and rivets on the top if high performance gliders either do you? :-) ;-) The knowledge is there (has been for almost 100 years) of what makes a clean wing and why It all boils down to the trade offs of design. Gain something here and lose something there. And then the industry matures in materials and process and the market moves on to better things

And then you have the Cirrus plastic wing A pure case of a better mouse trap

People were smaller back when Mooneys started down the line ! Heck Bill Wheat MIGHT have been 150# dripping wet.

Everyone is waiting on you! :-) :-) Inquiring minds want to know