FoxMike

2500' is Ok but not great. I ferried an M20K for a friend who bought it from a competent pilot but who had an incident on his home airport due to it being only 2000' long. Getting an IFR clearance on the ground at uncontrolled airport can be a problem. I have a drive of 35 minutes to my airport but have little other choice. Even though it is further I would go for Hagerstown.

O2 leaks are hard to find. When the control knob is in the off position the control cable may not be moving quite far enough to shut the regulator off. The control cable probably could use lubrication and if the bottle was replaced the cable at the bottle end may not have been reinstalled per spec. Check to be sure the the lever on the regulator is all the way closed.

I have been to Cuba twice in private aircraft both times with a group. Cubans are glad to see you but the last administration limited the rules so trips like I was on could no longer be done. A few people I know have gone to Mexico then on to Cuba. One of those folks got his passport stamped by the Cubans and customs caught him. Unless the rules change I do not think a trip you envision could be done. The only US tourists who are able to get into Cuba now are aboard cruise ships. Keep your overwater gear nearby because things will change in time.

I would love to dump the donuts and a gross weight increase would be icing on the cake. The difficulty with the weight increase is the increase in stall speed. The Bravo is already at the stall speed limit. Maybe the landing gear improvement kit would include a set of vortex generators.

Not a good idea. The higher you climb the less O2 in the air. Concentrators not designed to work at higher altitudes having less O2.

Tough question. First does your A&P want to do the job? He may have a day job that consumes a lot of time so he likes to do only small jobs. Do you have a hangar that has enough space for a job this size. Instead of asking a group about this you ought to talk to your mechanic he can better judge the situation. The install is going to consume a lot more than a week. You have to remove the old engine, maybe repair baffling or other things then install the new engine (33 hoses to install). BTW does your prop need an overhaul?

If your engine continues to run acceptably, I would order an engine from Lycoming and be prepared to wait. While waiting you need to get the hoses, engine mounts, etc. ordered so when the engine arrives you have everything. The overhaulers are having trouble getting parts and something like exhaust valves guides not being available stops the progress of an overhaul. You will be paying a premium by getting a reman but having the plane down for 4 to 6 months is a big cost also.

If Mooney is not making the interior parts you want you might be able to find the at a salvage yard and then reupholster as required. I would think the new parts would fit the older Bravos but it might take a few changes to the airframe to accommodate for new attach brackets. I like the new style interior in my 99 Bravo.

To save money on redesign of the airframe you could wear a spacesuit.

The MT equipped with nickel steel leading edge is 10 puunda lighter than than the McCauley on a Bravo.

I find the Intellivox to be useful for picking up ASOS or ATIS while working a busy approach controller. Also useful when making an approach to an uncontrolled field. You can listen to the traffic in the pattern (assuming the field is VFR) and make a report before you get too close. A couple of weeks ago I was number 5 in the pattern at LMO. Everyone in front of me in turn reported downwind, base leg and final. As we were turning base a 182 broke out of the haze on an instrument approach just outside of our position. The student apparently had not been monitoring the unicom so he was surprised to almost hit us. On straight-in approach you need to be informed.

I put a 450A in my Bravo years ago and have enjoyed it. It will BT to my phone or iPad so I have music. The audio quality is great and the intellivox is a useful feature. I tried the intellivox on the Garmin panel and found it very inferior at the time. Garmin may have improved it by now. You can probably find a used 450A for a reasonable price and the wiring is not that big a deal. Good luck!

I do not think you will get accurate azimuth from the compass in any location except in the original factory location.

Your being awfully optimistic. When the new gear gets done I think it will available only on new production airplanes. I think they might bolt the wing of a Mustang to new airplanes. Mustang grossed at 3600lbs. That much weight increase might be available on a new airplane. Don't look for kits to be added to older airplanes.

Xevision is an alternate part for installation of HIDs on a Bravo.. A factory production drawing exists that could be used for a basis of a 337. Do things in the proper order if you do this. Get the drawing write up a 337, go see if your local FSDO will approve.

I could help you but you will have to fly down to KCFO since I am annualing my airplane. I could do Wed. after 2:30 or Thursday. You can text me at 303 886 4575.

You might try a dynamic prop balance and see what happens. What occasioned the engine and prop. overhaul? If it were a sudden stoppage any number of problems should have been addressed including careful inspection of the counter weights and bushings. I would take all the paperwork (invoices, work orders, etc) and logbooks to an experienced mechanic and have them evaluated. Let say the plane slid into a frozen snowbank and the airframe was undamaged but the engine and prop needed major repair. A major overhaul can cure the problems if all the steps are followed. Sometimes the owner wants to do a cheap overhaul and sell the airplane. I am not saying this would be the cause of the vibration but you should check it out before you fly to far.

Does anyone know if Mooney is planning to participate in KOSH this year?

I have 6 cylinders I just removed from my Bravo. They have just under 2200hrs on them.I bought 6 new ones from lycoming and waited 8 months for them..the cylinders are in good shape. Lycoming told me they were designed to go 3500hrs. I travel to some out of the way places and hate having trouble on the road so i decided to go for the new cylinders. I will be at the hangar tomorrow and will photograph each cylinder. Show them to your mechanic and if he likes them maybe we can make a deal. Walt

I put a 4 blade MT on my Bravo and love it. If you do it put the nickel steel leading edges on it. The stainless leading edges get nicked and need work more often. What I like is smoothness and lower noise level. Also the nose is lighter when flaring.

I own a long body and often travel by myself or one passenger and carry a bag of clubs and a push cart and overnight bags. My rear seat lays down so the clubs can go thru the baggage door (only small golf bags can do this) and lay across the seat. You might get two bags lying on top of one another but three would be tough. I never have done this but you might look into Ship Sticks for part of your load. Three people is going to limit your fuel load which is not ideal. As mentioned a 210, 206 or a Cherokee 6 would be a better choice.

I been to Smiley Creek in the Bravo. You need to be very careful. I would not go into very many of the Idaho grass strips in a long body. Be sure to check on current conditions of the runway just before you go. When I was younger I flew to many of the back country airstrips but not in a Mooney.

I have lived in Denver for 50 years or so and have always owned an airplane. I have found a turbo to be worth the expense. If you are operating from SBS the runway is long enough for the Ovation but there is no extra. You might find someone on the field with a turbo Mooney who would give you a ride. Many years ago I owned a Baron which I flew up there on business on a warm summer day. I found the takeoff roll to be exceedingly long and soon sold the Baron and bought a T210. Turbos do not cost a lot more if properly operated. The Bravo is a costly airplane to operate but you might consider a M20K as an alternate.

From memory. To get winds aloft displayed you have to turn off nexrad from the display. You can then select the altitude of the winds you want.

I would love to dump the donuts on my Bravo. If you look at the pictures of the M22 that is for sale you see that Mooney modified the landing gear so the 3680lb. Mustang could stand on oleo struts. How did they do it? Mooney modified the wing to move a rib that is installed immediately outboard of the landing gear on all the metal Mooneys. By moving the rib they moved the gear further outboard so the land gear well has more room. When the M22 takes off the oleo a extend so you need more room in the well for the gear to retract. Bill Wheat suggested many times to Mooney Management that the M22 wing be used on new aircraft (it is a certified part) so that oleos could be used in the landing gear. Mooney may be working on this. You probably wondering how a 3680 gross weight airplane could keep from breaking from breaking the 60kt stall speed limit. If someone could talk the M22 owner into lowering the flaps and and taking a picture it would reveal a slick aerodynamic improvement to the flaps which provided enough additional lift to allow 59kt stall.