FoxMike

Did you remove this stuff from a Pitts? It is all upside down.

Mike, I have a Bravo that I have owned 10 years or so. I try to fly every Wednesday with a group for lunch. If you could get to FTG I would be glad to take you along. Festivities start around 10AM and the airplanes get back into the hangar around 2PM. Flying is always weather dependent and I have annual inspection coming up in the next few weeks. Let me know of your interest. Walt

The Bravo exhaust is grim. I have owed two other turboed airplanes have had little problems with their exhaust systems. I would suggest you send the whole system to a good welding shop so they can do it right. When you get it back lube it well before you reinstall it. Keep an eye on the TIT during high power. I have found keeping the TIT around 1600F will help you get max life out of the system. I have found that using 30/2200 about 75% will keep the TIT around 1600F at peak. Good Luck!

I might be, would need much more information including if I can use it and retain the FIKI certification.

What I saw is an update of the 770 they showed at KOSH this year. I am guessing they have done some major changes to the system to make it more user friendly. The FMS button is gone replaced by FPL. The presentation on the screen (in the picture on the brochure) looks more orderly. Maybe someone with knowledge would be willing to enlighten us.

I was passing by an avionics shop last night and noticed a brochure for the King 770. The screenshot they used for the cover shows relabeled bezel keys and a much cleaner display. I have no idea if the feds have blessed the changes as yet but it appears to be a genuine improvement. Aspen Avionics is given credit on both front and back of brochure which begs the question have they become a full partner in this box?

Nose wheel shimmy is not normally a problem. You need to have a Mooney expert look at it and diagnose. I would do that right away lest you damage your airplane on the next takeoff. When you get a real bad shimmy you cannot control the airplane and you will likely end up in a ditch or worse. The overboost problem also needs immediate attention. It may need to have the density altitude controller adjusted and more carefully safety wired or it may need an overhaul.

I remember many years ago one fellow with a particularly rank Mooney was awarded a 50 lb bag of dog food. He kinda took it in stride.

rbridges, I just took a PS 7000M-S out of my Bravo for an updated audio panel. The 7000 has two music inputs so each of you can listen to your own tunes. The factory originally installed with only one input wired up but it hard to add a second input. Look down at avionics for sale to view my ad. This audio panel would work well for you. Walt Bell

I just removed a 7000M-S option6 audio panel from my TLS. Has marker beacon but needs external lights. 6 intercom, 2 music inputs and much more. The reason for removal was to make room for a PS 450. The audio panel was manufactured in 1999 and has been used for 1500hrs in my TLS. It comes with tray and connectors. An excellent piece of equipment. Asking $900.00. Photos can be sent on request. Walt Bell

chopperboy, Do you realize that you have TWO controllers on the turbo system. I would look at both first if they work correctly then check the hoses that are connected to them. The TLS has 333 hoses and making a connection mistake is certainly a possibility. Also when the hoses are made sometimes a flap gets cut on the inside of the hose. A flap could cause intermittent problems. Good Luck!

I recollect that Continental stopped supporting that engine a few years ago.

Let's see 5001 Hrs. divided by 48 years of flying = 104/yr.

I have found on several occasions that the receiver on the airport is set low so the lights will not come on when another nearby airport with the same freq for lights is activated by a pilot. If the lights do not come on try flying right over the runway and clicking on the appropriate freq. I dislike this when doing an instrument approach but the airport is just trying to keep its utility bills down. Sometimes it makes sense to call and let them know you will be using the airport and they will set the receiver a little higher.

Jimmy, You can go to the trouble of putting cameras on the plane or you can fly in some ice and land at an airport that is below freezing. I did that with my Bravo and found ice on the landing light lenses and the prop spinner. Amazingly the antennas, wing tips, and belly were ice free. You may notice areas of the wing that will build ice because of damaged TKS panels or leaks in the system. I found leaks in my Bravo after several hundred hours and subsequently torqued and safety wired all the nuts that secure the tubing. It is a good idea to check out the system and make sure it is working properly. TKS is a good system if properly maintained.

Mike, I just replaced the fire bottle in my 99TLS. The RT-1200 bottle is still available but has a different handle and did not look like it would fit. I choose the RT-600 which fit OK. When you get a new bottle you also get a new mount. In my case the old mount had mounting holes 5 inches apart. The new mount had the same so it was easy to take the old mount out and put the new one in. Hope you are as lucky. Walt

Gretchen Jahn

I put a set of VGs on a T210 that I owned. I was genuinely impressed with the low speed handling qualities. At the time my home base had no tower and was under Denver Class B. I had little room to maneuver while following 172s that were in front of me in the pattern. The VGs really helped particularly when i was heavy. I raced the airplane once a year and found the speed difference was about 5kts. During normal cross countries I hardly noticed the difference. If your engine ever quits and you have to land off airport you might be very happy you have VGs.

Here is a wild guess. The vernatherm seat may not be sealing completely. Lycoming used to loan a tool out to true up the seat. Again just a guess. You might take the vernatherm home and put it in the oven make sure it meets specs. when hot. Good luck.

I am sure someone else makes them but I do not know who. I think you are stuck with ordering from CAV. When you get it please examine the the box and filter for all identifying information and pass that information on to all of us. Sometimes the manufacturer will sell direct but not always.

One other thing are the Bravo's with G1000s and STEC autopilots. The path to WAAS and ADS-b compliance is uncertain and could be (will be) expensive. Probably best to avoid that equipment.

The big items would be checking on crankshaft AD (applies to mostly later models and rebuilt engines). Inspection of the exhaust system for cracks. Also AD on tail which should have been completed (few airplanes were subject to any repair). Crankshaft AD could cost a lot, I spent about 20K to replace the crank even though Lyc sent me the replacement for 2K. I have owned mine since 2003 and like the airplane. The wet head is a good feature if you fly high. If you find one with TKS make sure it is working properly and that the stall strips are not starting to come unattached. Get a good pre buy as the Bravo has lots of expensive to replace parts on it. Good Luck!

flyboy0681, I appreciate your post comparing the 770 with the GTN. I went to OSH this year to checkout the just approved King and Avidyne equipment. The 770 really looks to be a flop. I see they just sent their President to the locker room. I wonder if they can get a new version of the software approved quickly that would be user friendly. They really need a miracle to get the 770 competitive with brands A and G.

Stefan, Sometimes a complete seal is not necessary. Although a long way to go, try the Weep No More people. They have done some work on my airplane and did not need to completely reseal. On the subject of tank size, I would not mess with larger tanks unless you have a continual need for them. Your idea of a trip to Cancun could be done with the tanks you have. Fly over to New Orleans and kick the trip off from from KNEW. The overwater would be about 150NM less. Adding tankage for sale purposes would be attractive to a few buyers but I would bet you would not recover 50% of your cost. Putting in an ADS-B system (UAT) would be a better use of money. Just my thoughts. Walt

You might try to find one partner. A two way partnership costs 1/2 of owning yourself. Airplane prices especially Mooney may move up some in the next couple of years but no guarantees. The older models are sure possible if they meet your needs. Acquisition costs are lower but upkeep may be somewhat higher. It looks like ADS-B is going to cost $4K or so for a UAT system so it won't break the bank but I doubt it will be the last mandated equipment you need to buy. You might put the word out you are looking for a partnership and find someone who would sell you his interest in another plane. I bet you have already thought of all this. Many years ago I owned a 1/4 in an E model. I was the only instrumented pilot in the group and none of my partners wanted to buy a transponder. I decided to buy a E model myself and since then have owned all of my airplanes myself ( except for a Baron I owned for a few months). Managing the costs is rough unless you have a business need for the plane but it can be done. Good Luck!