HRM

...and a tongue in every cheek

Still looks pretty damn good upside down--pity inverted flight isn't allowed.

Need to get a borescope and see if it's down in there somewhere, waiting to cause trouble.

I'm shocked! I have always assumed that the A&P corps was above reproach and of stalwart honesty and work ethic. << cue crackle of lightning and distant rumble of thunder >>

#2 under "Fuel System": 2.Check power boost system for proper door operation & seal for leaks (M20E,F,J). That doesn't say to stick a borescope down in there and look around. Of course, a scope would also give you a good look at the inside of the rubber coupling, I think they disintegrate over time.

I noticed that getting the gear up was significantly easier with hubcaps.

interesting...could be a typo, but I doubt it. Probably the suction pressure that anything beyond starts to collapse tubing or something.

So done with certified A/C.

FWIW, my last flight for about an hour...

Yeah, you get a .001 speed increase on TO and landing.

This is something of an existential dilemma. Frankly, I would delete my account on Mooneyspace ( @bluehighwayflyer) and then go for it. A ferry permit is advised. Any help from the Navy aviators? Opinions? Suggestions?

Thanks, this is an important detail given those of us flying 'vintage' Mooneys. I frankly can count on one hand the number of times I have used 'ram air', more out of curiosity than necessity. Sounds like during annual would be a good time to have a look down in there.

You didn't get scared by @chrixxer's recent fun, did you?

Didn't you just have an incident with a piece of an O-ring somewhere it wasn't supposed to be? Also, could this piece of rubber have been seen through the ram air opening? Possibly with a borescope?

Looks like Klingon, possibly Romulan, to me--definitely not Vulcan.

Absolutely! Not all electrical tape is created equal--a lot of cheap crap out there, some labeled with 'reputable' names. The real McCoy 3M will say "made in the USA".

I thanked all the posts that describe what I do, works every time and I live in Tejas. Maxwell Link

Consider the Bushby MII tri-gear, more like a Mooney.

I had it done, May 2011, $2,473.13 by a crusty A&P working for McKee Avionics at KHYI. I was pleased with the price, the install and the operation of it--but then again, I am a crusty old pilot flying a 50 year old Mooney

There's no question that there is a cause for worry. Basically, Jerry kept Brittain going and it's loss shortly after his is just a bad omen. The system is relatively simple against today's technology and sustaining it is not that difficult--but also not easy under certified aircraft rules.

Getting my E out of the hangar is a piece of cake, getting it back in, however, is a different matter. My solution was a HF winch that I paid about .06 AMU for. The beauty of it is, other than the ridiculously low price, is how easy and perfect it is to use. I mounted the winch to a steel cross-bar at the back of the hangar with SS duct clamps. The cable clips onto my LASAR tail skid and all I need do is push the plane to where the tail is just across the threshold of the door. Then I have a seat on my shop stool and use the controller to pull the plane in. Auto centers and I can easily see when it is in. Easy-peasy. The deckless Craftsman lawn tractor I bought was more trouble than it was worth--up for sale.

I recall the span of years while Brittain tried to 'replace the mold' for the pneumatic step servo diaphragm and when they finally did they went out of business <sigh>.

...and it is not getting any better.

That ship has sailed.