Jeff_S

Hey all, I've had a flaky oil temp situation for some time now, where it will mysteriously drop out for awhile and then come back. It's a measurement issue for sure, not an actual oil problem. This is a G1000-equipped plane. We've changed the connector where the wire from the probe connects to the wires going into the cannon plug. We've cleaned out the cannon plug. Problem still comes and goes. So Savvy (Paul K) suggested the next best troubleshooting step was to change the oil temp probe. My A/P finally has gotten to this work and after getting a part number from Mooney he's showing a price of $800+ for this little doohickey! That seems like a lot...but hey, it is aviation after all. Just looking for opinions or other options on how I might get this little doodad to see if it solves the problem. Thanks! Jeff

Here's an electronic POH for an Ovation 2. Note that the only real differences between the 2 and 3 are those found in the STC docs that Mr. Cornfields posted earlier, although this will now help you more since the Ovation had significantly different power available than the Eagle did. Hope this helps! m20rAFM.pdf

So, if you look at the Rosen website, they do have a photo of an installation in what is presumably a long-body with the overhead switches. So in theory it should work. However, the model year numbers of approval are pretty clear, so perhaps Mooney changed the attach points later. I do think that having that large visor there would interfere with the switches when it it folded up, so that may raise safety concerns.

Last time I checked on this, the Rosen visor was NOT available for the Ovation or any of the Mooneys that have the overhead light switches. That was a few years ago, so something may have changed...but I kinda' doubt it! Good luck. If you do find that there is now a model available, please advise, because I'd be interested in picking some up as well.

Contact LASAR as well: http://www.lasar.com

Thanks Anthony. Regarding the v-speed fluctuations, those are most likely driven by a few factors: 1) Hot day with thermals 2) S-TEC 55x doing its best with a rate-based controlling mechanism, and; 3) 1 second interval logging is going to capture every gory detail!

Hey all, I recently made a mid-afternoon return trip from Charlotte to JAX area (KFHB) and climbed to 10K' for the quick trip. This got me on top of most of the clouds, and luckily the buildups were happening west and south of me. People often ask about climb characteristics of the Ovation 3 so I thought this graph would be interesting to folks. I climbed directly from 600' to 10K' with no real level-offs. My approach in climb is to stay at or about Carson's speed of ~130 IAS and take whatever vertical speed I get, leaning out every few thousand feet as necessary. I did start with the A/C on initially but then turned it off once the outside air got cooler. This chart is from the Savvy Aviation app. Each plot has data points on both X-axes so pay attention to those if you get confused. Any questions, let me know. Cheers! Jeff

Try rocking the wings a bit...that always works for me!

I've posted this a time or two, but it shows climb and cruise performance for my 310hp Ovation at various altitudes. Note that climb was at 2600RPM and WOT, so not quite the full climb performance you would see at 2700RPM. Hope it helps! Altitude Climb and Cruise Performance.pdf

As to the Mutt Muffs, they are definitely sized for the dog in question, from X-S to X-L. You can find out more on their website. Good luck!

I've done quite a few Pilots n Paws missions. I think the most important thing is what Anthony mentioned above...make sure they are contained in their spot, with a crate or tie down or whatever you choose. I learned this the hard way when on my first mission, a strapping young-adult chocolate lab chewed right through his leash and joined me in the front seat while on climb out...it happened fast! (But was otherwise uneventful...he proved a worthy co-pilot.) Most puppies will simply fall asleep as soon as the drone of the engine and the altitude take effect. My biggest concern now, having flown around with a couple of dogs, is ear protection. Dogs' ears are way more sensitive than humans', so I got a a set of Mutt Muffs for our last dog to help protect his hearing. That worked...he heard perfectly right up until the cancer got him. But he was a stalwart trooper in the air. I think for one flight it's not a big worry, but if you're going to fly regularly with your dog you should look into some hearing protection. Have fun! Here's our newest addition. He hasn't been in the plane yet but it's only a matter of time.

Thanks Matthias. I suspect my issue is related, and I really appreciate the photos and your advice.

Was out attempting some altitude tests (to repeat the measurements I posted here from a few years ago) and crossing through 11.5K' all of a sudden my Oil Temp gauge got the dreaded red X. Oil pressure and all CHTs/EGTs were normal so I just did a 180 and headed for home. On the descent the Oil Temp came back about 4500'. Any other G1000 users had an issue with the oil temp probe or connections going wonky over time? I've had this with the MAP so I know to clean the cannon plug occasionally, just wondering if anyone has had this issue with the Oil Temp. Also, I don't suspect the altitude had anything to do with it, but I include it in case there's something I'm not considering. Any thoughts are welcome. I've attached a screen shot of the flight profile showing altitude vs. oil temp. Thanks!

Nice video...well done Chris! What day did you shoot this? My hangar is just a few steps from Chris's so I can attest that he's out all the time flying around. Just a few comments: 1) Given the only slight variations in stall speeds, I wonder how much of this could be do to measurement or environmental error rather than actual differences. The Vso speeds are slightly higher, so I guess maybe there is some actual difference. 2) Does the type of flap really matter? All flaps tend to promote the pitch down effect to some degree, so I'm curious if it's important that the Mooney's slotted flaps make a difference. Also, would be fun to take my Ovation out with the newer speed brakes to see if there's a measurable difference in effect. 3) Either way, it seems the effects are minimal so there shouldn't be too much consideration about whether or not you're using speed brakes to land. I actually do...this was suggested by Joey Cole when I first got my Ovation, and he said that he feels it reduces float. Given their placement in the air flow at low speeds this may also be negligible, but any little bit can help. It does become another memory checklist item on go-around, although the plane is certified to fly with speed brakes in any configuration so it's not unsafe.

According to photos online, both antennae are on top and this looks to be the same exact configuration as my G1000 Ovation. Swapping the GIA63Ws would be the obvious step, and would be a quick thing for an avionics shop to try. If the problem follows the radio then there's your answer. If it doesn't, then some more sleuthing is required, as it could be in the antenna, the wiring, etc.

Paul, exactly what is that antenna (make/model, etc) and where does one procure such a thing?

Not too many people actually answered the OP's actual question, which was about Ovation performance up high, so here's my experience. I've had mine (310hp) up as high as 17,500'. I stopped there because I was just out testing the limits of the airplane in VFR so that was as high as I could go, but really, that's as high as I would want to go anyway. I don't have built-in O2 and no desire to wear a mask, so I was also testing my canula and blood-ox levels at that altitude. Climb performance was anemic, for sure, but I still managed to get 350 FPM which is fine. The plane definitely rides in more of a mushy attitude up there, but it's not uncomfortable. There is less stability in roll and pitch due to the lower air pressure on the control surfaces, but again, it doesn't feel too bad. I've attached the performance numbers from this test flying for you to look at. I did some testing at 12,500 for "best power" vs. "LOP" so you can see there are some gallons to be saved at the expense of just a few knots airspeed. For real trips, I wouldn't hesitate to get up to 15K on east bound trips and have done so on several occasions. Made it all the way back from Kerrville to Atlanta in 3.8 hours at 15K' one time, and flew several other eastbound trips from Denver, KC, etc at 13-15K'. If you catch the right tailwinds it sure makes you FEEL like you're flying an Acclaim. But westbound? Not a lot of advantage doing that unless you get very calm or slight tailwinds, which isn't common. Hope this helps. Altitude Climb and Cruise Performance.pdf

I'd say that's a pretty decent expectation for a 310hp Ovation at 13-14 gph. (Remember the 310hp upgrade only really applies at takeoff...no one cruises at 2700 RPM.) Those are going to be LOP numbers unless you're above 10,000 feet, roughly. Depending on other characteristics of the plane (overall weight and loading, other drag characteristics, etc.) that's about what one might expect. I have the big A/C scoop on belly of my plane, which I've been told equates to up to 5 knots of drag, and I would expect to true at 175 KTAS at that fuel burn in a cruise configuration (2450/WOT). So 182 is not out of the question.

Well, let's see. Updating the backup instruments from "steam" to "digital". Adding an AOA indicator. Adding a HUD. Swapping a USB power adapter into one of the round holes. Adding a marine navigation radio. Probably a few others if I think about it hard enough. These are all real things that I've seen in birds like ours. People need to quit hating on the G1000 just because you can't change things willy-nilly. In exchange for some structure, you get a fine system that is well-engineered and somehow, someway, gets the airplane to where it needs to be just like all the other systems. We all know the only thing that really matters is that the big air circulation fan in front keeps spinning!

See my thoughts inside your quote box questions, above.

There is no harm at all. Mike Busch would tell you to cruise at a low RPM/high MAP setting all day long, just manage your fuel flow correctly to stay out of the range of max cylinder head pressure (e.g. LOP or very ROP). It's really always just a function of your personal choice between speed and fuel flow, as long as you keep your engine temps in an acceptable range.

Just to provide some clarity to the OP's original request, here's my understanding of the Ovation evolution. This is done from memory and general knowledge, so there may be some inconsistencies which I encourage others to point out. 1994 - Original production. IO-550 rated at 280 HP via a reduction in max RPM to 2500. Three bladed McCauley prop, standard steam gauges, King avionics various other options available. 1999 - Eagle variant introduced, reduced HP to 244 with RPM restriction, lighter weight cabin materials to compensate, fewer options to keep weight down. 2000 - Ovation 2 introduced, switch to Garmin 430 avionics, two bladed McCauley prop, other options available. 2003 - DX introduced, Garmin 530/430 and rearranged panel to use Moritz gauges, 3-bladed Hartzell prop, etc. 2005 - GX introduced, G1000 avionics, option to increase HP to Ovation 3 310 HP by increasing max continuous RPM to 2700, first by STC and later by Mooney factory. 2018-19 - Ultra introduced, two door cabin, G1000 NXi, composite cabin, etc. Hope that helps.

The 2550 RPM setting was indeed identified by Bob Minnis during the STC conversion process, but it seems a bit dated with the engine instrumentation you have built into your G1000. I find 2550 to be a bit loud for a constant cruise, and it will drive your CHTs higher. I usually dial back to 2450 and WOT at cruise altitudes, and then use the lean finder to get to 25° LOP. Interestingly, this correlates pretty closely to the numbers in the chart. My point is that you don't really need to use that chart because you have better instrumentation available to you to manage fuel flow, CHTs and EGTs to stay within acceptable limits. If you're new to this, I would encourage you to search out articles by John Deakin and Mike Busch on the best ways to operate these IO-550 engines...it's great educational material. Good luck and fly lots!