FoxMike

Dave, You need to plan a "C" note or more every time your wheels hit the concrete. The group I was traveling with wanted to stop at even more islands but I insisted we stop where we would have something to do. If you go to St. Marten be sure to land on the French side. Cost will be $100.00 or so but at Princess Juliana it will be 3X that. A coupe of other thoughts. Money is a bit of a problem as some US bills are counterfeit so most vendors will not accept anything bigger than a $20.00. Make sure all the bills you take are not torn or beat up. I found that the fuelers will take larger bills because the fuel is so expensive. I would not carry more than several hundred at a time. Because you will not be on any island very long I would not exchange for too much local currency. Most places will take US money although the exchange rate is not the best. I still have a small amount of local currency from each country. Maybe I will get back down there and have a chance to spend it. I gave all the change to the Salvation Army since the US banks will exchange with them at no charge. We rented cars on ST. Marten, Martinique and Guadalupe but found it was just as cheap to hire a cab. We let the cab driver act as the tour guide. If you rent a car in Grenada you have to go to the police station to get a permit. Again, enjoy the adventure.

I did almost the exact trip in 2011. We did Stella Maris, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, St. Marten, Guadalupe, Martinique, Grenada, Curacao, Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, US. Plan a about $100 or so for ramp fees at most of the airports. Willemstad required we hire a handler. Venezuela would not let us near shore so a raft is a good idea. I got a bill from Grenada for airspace use after I get home. If you come home through Central America you need to file advanced notice for both overflight and landing with each country. Some countries will issue a code that you report to SENAM at border crossings. I found it best to stay on an IFR flight plan. Central America seemed to be the biggest pain about paperwork. I got a Jepp trip kit and followed the entry requirements section. At the time of our trip Nicaragura and Guatemala wanted at least a week advanced notice. I hid a lot of US dollars around the airplane so I would have enough to pay fees and gas. Very few places accepted credit cards. Plan to be on the ground well before dark. DEA patrols the Caribbean and they get very suspicious near dark. The places we enjoyed the most were Dominican Republic (although getting flight plans approved anywhere in the country is slower than molasses), St. Marten, Guadalupe (but not Pointe a Pitre), Curacao (diving was marginal), and Guatemala. Watch out for parking fees in Costa Rica. Recent hurricane damage needs to be assessed as descent rooms may be hard to find. You will be asked for proof of insurance at many of the airports. I made 50 copies of general declarations partially filed out and had to make more. That is all that comes to mind right now. Have a good time when you go, we certainly enjoyed our selves and might do it again.

Here is my take from 40 yrs or so flying the Rockies and doing long cross country flights. Turbos are very useful around the Rockies, I have been operating turbo airplanes for many years. I own a Bravo with TKS and find it to have excellent dispatch reliability. The biggest reason I have to cancel trips is unreliable snow removal at my home airport. So you can own an airplane that can handle most weather but the question is do you have a schedule that is flexible enough that you wait until the weather gets better. A non turboed airplane climbing to 17K with a load of ice on it is a receipe for disaster. You can usually make it but you will sweat profusely in the process. If you are still getting ice at 17K you are in real trouble. I owned a non turboed but booted Baron years ago and could tell a story about a trip in exactly these circumstances. If you can avoid trips like this by waiting you can probably do with an Ovation or a J. I find I use the TKS almost all year long for short periods of time. On the other hand most of the time I am hauling around a lot of equipment that I use very little. Owning airplane decked out with all this stuff adds measurably to the cost of operation and requires considerablely more pilot knowledge and skill. You have more systems to be current in operating. My TKS system developed a leak on a trip. I realized the problem pretty quickly and changed altitudes to get out of the ice. On the way home I lucked out and found a mechanic who fixed the leak in about 30 minutes. Another concern is finding a mechanic that is capable of maintaining your bird. A MSC could handle the task but you may not have one near you. If you need to pick a fight the weather you need a well maintained airplane.

I installed a 4 blade MT on my Bravo in January. I have had the cowling off twice since the prop replacement. I can get it off myself but it is more difficult because the new spinner is fits slightly more snuggly than the McCauley. I have not figured out how to reinstall it without a helper. On the subject of cruise speed I have found that turning the engine RPM at 2200-2250 and using 30-32 inches get me a little better speed but at a higher fuel flow (17.5/hr). The speed gain (a couple of knots) seems to offset the greater fuel flow so I average 10NM/ gal. With the McCauley I used 2300 and 28-30 inches. The MT has more blade area so I guess turning it slower lowers the drag a little. So far I like the prop. It is quiet and smooth on the flight deck. Biggest like is nose heaviness on landing is gone. Be sure to get the nickel steel leading edge. I think MT's claims about the performance are reasonably accurate.

Unfortunately no engine options are available. I would like something with better fuel specifics but I doubt their is enough market for anyone to go to the brain damage of doing an STC.

I put mine on the door frame at the bottom front. It barely fits so you have to be careful mounting it. No paint to damage in this area. When you open the door it can be seen by the customs guys. So far no complaints.

TKS fluid is available locally in metro areas. Falcon Crest, you have one nearby carries it. You could also try a larger FBO in your area. I usually go for 2.5 gallon containers.

I am pretty sure the timing should be 20BTDC. I owned a RayJay many years ago and I am sure I never changed the timing when I installed it. Maybe something changed in the last decade or so but I doubt it.

I have several ideas. I would start with windshield washer fluid. If you have a bifold door it may help to raise it slightly until the rubber seal starts to strain. Use the windshield fluid on the front and from the back (inside the hangar) slide a thin but wide board under the rubber from the back. Work the board up and down and as the ice breaks work the board along length of the door. Another idea if to use a propane weed burner to melt the ice. This must be employed with extreme care so you do not melt the rubber or start a fire. Good Luck!

Weight of the MT prop from my memory is 63lbs. The cost is around $15K with nickel leading edge and hardware for TKS. Install and balance were free if you go to Deland.

To give an answer about the improved performance of the TLS with the MT propeller I would say all my flying and observations have been during below standard conditions. Leaving Nashville on a really cold day I was getting 1400fpm on 32/2500 at nearly gross. When things warm up a little it will be a better time to look at the numbers. BTW MT says the performance for this propeller should be 8% shorter take off distance, 2% better climb, 2Kts better cruise and 10 pounds more useful. I would wager that those figures are reasonably accurate.

Here we go

Back in the fall, a thread was started about an MT Propellers. Back then I had one on order for my Bravo. I promised I would give a pirep when I got it installed. I ordered the prop right after OSH and it arrived about Christmas. I needed to help a friend in Titusville so I decided to stop in Deland and have them install and balance the prop. Long story about install but I will save that for another day. Since the install I have been to KTIX, M54 (Nashville) and back to Denver and done some local flying. My impressions so far are The prop (a four blade) is extremely smooth. One reason I wanted to do this is that after 3.5 hours behind the Mc Cauley I needed to get on the ground for a spell. The vibration was fatiguing and I often do long trips and I need 4-4.5 hour legs. On the way home from Florida I did 4+ hour legs without difficulty. The four blade MT is about 2" shorter than the McCauley. It makes the cabin much quieter. In fact I am very comfortable flying without a headset. Since I like background music I still wear the headset a lot. I found takeoff runs shorter and the climb rate better. I also found I need to keep the taxi RPM down to 800 or lower or get going to fast. Landing is different, I think due to blade drag and the lighter prop. The airplane seems to float less and decelerates faster which I rate as a positive factor. I find I can hold the nose up longer as the tail has less weight to lift. I have not put this to the ultimate test as yet. The test will be a full load of fuel and two fat boys in the front seats. The Bravo now handles much more like a K model. The ride in turbulence is a little less desirable than it used to be. With the heavy prop. the Bravo would really plow through the bumps. It now bounces a bit more. Cruise speed I am still working on. I normally use 28/2300 and a fuel flow of 15.5. When the MT was set to that power I got the same indicated airspeed at lower altitudes (under 10K). Since the prop is shorter I tried 29/2400 and found that the fuel flow was higher and the plane was a little faster and the gas mileage only decreased 3%. I also tried 32/2200, fuel flow about 17.5gph. The result was a good 5% higher indicated over the McCauley and the gas mileage was about the same or a little better. The percent power however is 81%. When the weather gets warmer I will get an idea if the engine cooling is improved. I think it might be. Well that is about as much as I have observed so far. I see improvement in all the areas that I deemed important when I ordered the prop. Not large improvements but certainly worthwhile improvements. The only potential problem is that to pour enough TKS fluid over the prop blades they increased the flow which seems to cheat the flow to the wings. I only flew in a little ice so I need to evaluate this a little more. One other thing I have found more difficult is trying to install the lower cowling. A few more practice sessions may improve my skill at this.

I have been a bravo owner since 2003 and put about 1700 hours on it. Previously owned 2 E's, a Baron and T210. I was shopping for a Rocket when I got a ride in a Bravo. The interior size and interior finish sold me on the Bravo. Since I like to travel the extra space was a great feature and especially more room on the flight deck. I often do 8 or 9 hours days and little more room on the flight deck is appreciated. I just got back from Florida and appreciated the extra room, a good heater and FIKI. Mooney did the instrument lighting right for those night legs. These are the sort of things I appreciate on long trips. It is also a lot quieter than the Midsize Mooney's. I have time in all the Mooney products. Maintenance cost is very much dependent on how well you handle the airplane. Bravo's are very nose heavy and need more care in landing than any of the rest of the Mooney line. Push the engine too hard and the exhaust will crack. The wet head is a real asset if you fly high. The Bravo with FIKI is a real weather airplane but requires good piloting skills. Currently, they are cheap. If you want a traveling airplane this model will work well. I usually get about 10NM to the gallon.

The extra speed maybe a result of lower density altitude in cold weather (engine makes more power). I have not been to AGC for many years, what kind of shape is it in? I did my first tour of an approach control facility in the terminal building at AGC some sixty years ago (Boy Scout trip). Back then approach had one radar with very limited range, a teletype machine and a dozen controllers running around in a small room making flight strips and passing them on. Back then controllers wore coats and ties to work.

I was going to stay out of this but I can't resist. I have owned a Bravo for 14 yrs. and find it to be comparable to the Acclaim in most respects. The salesman says the Acclaim goes 240Kts but if you do that regularly you are going to top the engine about every 300hrs. The Acclaim goes a little faster than a Bravo but not much at reasonable power settings. If you have a need for a weather capable airplane and have the skills to manage the equipment either the Acclaim or Bravo will work equally well. My Bravo has a KFC 150 and steam gauges. Goes about 185Kts on 16 gallons an hours. Equipped with FIKI, stormscope, and NEXRAD, I am comfortable in most weather. Turbos help when you get into serious ice. The cost of maintaining the airframe and all the avionics and other systems is mind boggling especially if you do not have use for the equipment. If you have a need they are great airplanes but they keep you checking account at near minimum balance. BTW my insurance this year for a smooth policy was $2400.

If it were me i would repair the MT although I am learning how slow MT is at doing anything but selling and promising.

Really sorry to hear this. Roy's dad flies along with our Wednesday lunch group on occasion.

Chris, I reread your original post again and should add that using full rich is not a good idea at altitude. I had a friend with a RAYJAY powered Beech who flamed out in the FLs due to to rich a mixture. You should have EGT or TIT in the 1400 to 1500 range for climb. I always flew mine at peak EGT in cruise and if I needed more power I would lower the EGT 100 degrees. Depends on how your servo is setup but full rich may maybe holding you back.

Thanks Tony, I have a new MT prop on order and I always change alternator belts anytime the prop is off.

I could write a book on RAYJAY as I owned one for 15 years. First you do not get much boost until the waste gate is almost closed. This is due to two things the turbo must be spinning at high RPM to put out any boost (low turbo RPM only causes back pressure) and the induction system is inefficient. Because the IO360 is so efficient an engine a lot of heat is absorbed in the power stroke (a good thing) and less gets into the exhaust system to turn the turbo. For this reason you do not an outrageous amount of power increase at high altitudes. I found 20-21K to be the optimal altitude range. Their are two ways to get a little more power one is to increase engine RPM (higher exhaust flow) and a richer mixture (more unburned fuel in the cylinder gets out to the exhaust system. Either shortens your range significantly. I seldom fly my TLS above FL210 as the advantages of higher are very few and the risks are significantly higher ( read about the the Acclaim pilot whose O2 system leaked and caused his demise). I do have some induction tubing in good shape that are left over from my RAJAY days if you need them.

After an overhaul the bearings are tight. In 25 hours or so the bearings wear in and the oil pressure drops some. An adjustment of the oil pressure should raise the pressure.

After engine overhaul I waited about 50 hours before prop balance to give the bearings and other internal parts a chance to wear in.

I have a new MT prop. on order which is supposed to be delivered in November. After it is installed I will have a B3D32CV417-D with polished spinner backplate (not cracked), TKS hardware available. This is a prop. for the Bravo and it has around 1900hrs. on it. A new one from Air Power is $15,000+ the spinner. Would like $3000 for the prop, spinner and TKS hardware.