FoxMike

I had my altitude compensator get out of calibration between the altitudes of 7K to 16K. In my case the flow was lower than standard by 3000'. I took it out and sent it to C&L Aero in Redding. They checked it out and recalibrated it. Since it is hard to tell the calibration is slipping having an oximeter on board and in use is a really good practice. You might consider using an in line flow meter to make sure your system is calibrated properly.

I have owned a 99 Bravo since 2003 when it had 250Hrs. Problems have been Crankshaft AD, many cracks in exhaust system, replace donuts every 5-6 years. Had to tear engine apart to replace crank so I prematurely overhauled alternator, turbo and turbo controllers while the airplane was down. At 1800 hours I had the complete exhaust system overhauled. The plane has about 2200 hours and getting ready to buy new cylinders. No problems yet but I think it is time. The TKS system has been reasonably trouble free. Soon I will have to overhaul the pumps. Attitude Indicator and HSI were overhauled several years ago. No problems with the landing gear. Annuals should be time consuming if the airframe is properly lubricated. I like the airplane but it is nose heavy and it takes some practice to land well. I put an MT prop on it and it is much improved. One of the reasons I bought the long body was the improved comfort. I do lots of days with 5 hour legs and sometimes two 5 hour legs. Previous to the Bravo I owned a T210. It did not have the quality of the Mooney but had less systems so the overall maintenance was a little less. It had boots which were more maintenance intensive.

If you do order one be sure to get the nickel steel leading edge not stainless steel. Lead time for the order is about 4-5 months.

10 lbs. The reduced weight really helps in landing. I can hold the nose off down to stall speed. The LYC engine is really heavy

I have not done any testing not even note taking so take this as just a wag. When I am climbing at 80-85 IAS the climb improvement looks to be about 10%. As I accelerate to cruise climb the differential declines. Unless I need to I do not use best rate for very long as the oil temp gets up to 215df quickly. My airplane lives under Class B so I need to step climb when going VFR. Takeoff performance is better but I would not hazard a guess at how much. The prop they use on the Continentals is different from mine so your mileage may vary. This 4 blade prop has a lot of low speed thrust. I use to taxi at 1000rpm. With the MT I use 800rpm.

When I first bought my Bravo my cylinders temps were elevated but not as high as yours. I installed new baffle material in place of supplied factory junk. That helped quite a bit. A lot of work but worth it. You might turn up the oil pressure a little bit. If you are using Aero shell 15-50 in the summer the pressure will be low. I use 100W all summer.

If you are operating in the teens most of the time keep what you have. A NA engine just will not climb well enough above 13K. I owned a Baron many years ago that was was NA. Coming back to Denver from Cortez IFR, ATC ordered me up to 17K to go through the Powder approach gate. I was just past Gunnison and getting some rime. The Baron was booted and in that situation with just me in the airplane the best I could do was about 16.5K and it took a long time. I had a turbo Mooney sitting in the hangar at home and I wish I had it instead of the Baron. If you do not fly IFR maybe the lethargic climb is OK but I do not think an NA airplane works very well in the teens. I have a Bravo and put an MT on it a couple of years ago. Cruise is no better but takeoff and climb performance is noticeably better. The smoothness and quieter cabin are the best reasons to buy one.

A month or so ago I got my 340A back from Sandia after it failed in turbulence. I use it for a backup behind a KI256. I have put about 35 hours on the 340A since I got it back. I did a trip to Fairbanks from Denver to confirm its reliability.. I flew in a lot of turbulent weather and the 340A seemed to work. Until this last trip a I had reservations about the 340A which is the same as the KI 300. The remaining question is how well it will direct the autopilot. When the wings are level the 340A might show a few degrees of turn. I am not sure that calibration of roll is warranted. King will have to explain this to me before I buy the KI 300/310. I am sure they will get their act together by OSH but I am not which OSH.

Myn experience with TKS fluid getting into the tailcone is that the fluid washes all the lub off the rod ends and they wear out fast. I have replaced the rod ends once in 2000hrs. and I use very little TKS fluid. The fluid runs down the rudder and blows across all the fittings in the tail.

I currently own a 340A and have had 4 quartto's. The attitude part of the Quartto is not reliable. The last Quartto I had would handle the turbulence. Previous models not so much. I upgraded to the 340A and it failed as soon as I got into some turbulence. I now have a second one which I have not flown enough to judge. The 340A is a backup instrument. I overhauled my KI256 several years ago. I would not recommend using a 340A as a primary instrument. I think King will keep the KI300 off the market until the problems are resolved. I have little confidence in Sandia at this point. They have stood behind their product so far but sending another unreliable instrument to replace a failed one is not what one would consider good customer support. I do hope the owner gets it together and solves the problem as he is a nice guy and he seems to be trying.

Here is a tip to help keep the strips on your aircraft. Up until a few years ago the glue Mooney was using would not stick real well. I think a service bulletin advised to remove them and reglue with a replacement product. If you have not done this it would be a good idea to look into it. I have also found anyone helping push the airplane seems to place their hands on the stall triggers. Ask your helpers not to touch the triggers which can loosen them.

I am paying around $2500 for a Bravo stated value over 200K. I have 5600hrs and the plane is hangared in Colo. Over the 16 years I have owned it the rates have varied up and down from the current amount by 20%. My total Mooney time is over 3500. I would suggest another broker that will search the insurance market.

A few years ago a retired airline pilot flew a Lancair from Guam to Jackville, Fl. non stop . He was in the air 36 hours. After landing he checked the oil quantity and it was the same as when he left Guam.

Just a heads up on MT. They do small discounts at OSH. I ordered one at OSH several years ago. It was delivered just after Christmas. I do like the propeller. Be sure and get the nickel steel leading edges.

You might be able to find a used Miniflo with the correct software.

Tri Flow for the ball ends and add a drop of motor oil if you have TKS.

Pkofman, Read the warning label affixed to your wing and tail. If you put the wrong fluid onto the TKS panels and it gets through the holes to the inside you will ruin the panel. I use only soap and water or TKS fluid to clean the panels. Spirits, Go Jo, etc is OK for cleaning the belly.

Hangar space in Denver Metro is expensive. Nobody wants to keep an airplane outside in Denver (Wind, Hail). Those hangars you speak of at FTG are not out of the ground yet. They have been trying to get them built since last fall. If you try for a county hangar at either BJC or FTG the waiting lines are years long. You might find a private hangar for rent usually in a community hangar. I base at KFTG now called Colorado Air and Spaceport. In the future you will have to share the spaceport with rocket ships. This might be more than a minor inconvenience. I was basing at BJC when they built the Port-a Ports. They collect water so anything you keep in the hangar has to off the floor (cabinets, etc). Parts for the doors are a problem.

Having been a Bravo owner for more than 15 years let me offer a little advice. Since I fly the Rockies sometimes IFR, the airplane works for me. If you do not need to fly over 8K you are going to find the cost of ownership mostly maintenance to be excessive. The Bravo makes sense when flying in the teens but if that is not required for your flying I would keep looking for an Ovation. The Ovation, Acclaim and Bravo are comfortable airframes especially for long trips. They all drink more than the 4 cylinder models but you get slightly more speed. If you have no experience with turbocharged airplanes the Bravo can get really expensive. No matter what you buy be sure to find a competent instructor.

I upgraded my Quartto to a 340A a month or so ago. Like the features of the 340A but found during a trip to AZ. that the 340 failed in some moderate turbulence over the mountains. I t did it twice. I stopped in ABQ on the way home and got another. The second seems to work better but I only have a few hours on it and only a little time in the bumps. If you are using this as your only artificial horizon better be careful until Sandia finds the problem and gets all of them fixed. The failure I experienced twice was the AH rolled into a 30d bank and sat there for about 15 minutes. It did erect itself after the 15 minutes. It might be I got the unit that had a bad component but maybe not. This happen in VFR conditions but a failure in the clouds when its bumpy could be lethal.

Keep in mind that I 70 is going to be rebuilt from the mousetrap to I 225. Construction will continue till 2022. Travel east /west across Denver is going to be problematic for quite a while. BJC can be a tough place to find a hangar (I based there for 25 years). Also traffic on the Boulder turnpike can be tough. If you can figure a good answer to the I70 construction FTG could be a good answer. Generally, traffic in Denver is a bitch 20 hours a day.

I just got my Halos and am still in the trial stage. In the bag of foam tips are some black, domed ear plugs. I tried one on my right ear and could not get any audio. There are no straws inserted in the earplug so I attached them directly to the soft plastic tube. Has anyone figured out how to make the black tips work. these are a little different from earlier black tips that used to be sold on Halo's site. Let me now if you have figured these out.

I put VGs on a 78 T210 i owned years ago. I liked them in the low speed regime but they did cost 5Kts in cruise. I think on a Mooney it would give a very pleasant low speed performance but you would lose cruise. You might also find you lose value on your aircraft because most buyers salivate about the speed and are willing to live with resulting takeoff and landing performance.

I looked at a Bravo that was equipped with one when I was shopping for a Bravo. I asked several shops about them. None thought they were all that reliable and said repairs would be at KingAir pricing. You could find a replacement unit for your KI 525A as many pilots have traded for Aspens or Garmins. You might also get your unit overhauled. Also the KI 825 has an awful small screen.

Blower match is a big deal. A turbo used in an unpressurized should not have the capacity of a blower designed for a pressurized one. Turbos run efficiently in a narrow rpm range usually above 90% rpm. A big blower would be running at low rpm and cause lots of back pressure. I have no idea what was used on a Rocket but that TSIO 520 was used on lots of aircraft so different blowers are probably available.