Tom

My seatback reclined once in cruise flight and, of course, I grabbed the yoke while falling backwards. The "slipping off the cam" issue is a common problem that I had never heard of until it happened to me. I'm sort of suprised that there hasn't been an official "action" on this. It is a very legitimate safety issue. See the post below for further info: http://mooneyspace.com/topic/10062-seats-in-77j-replace/

I think that you meant to say that you made a down payment on the roads that you drive on. It will be the posterity that will pay the bulk of the price of the roads. Why don't you organize like-minded folk to go protest the building and repair of roads, street lights, sewers, potholes, runways, damns, bridges, and the like? Why do you continue to enjoy these things yet vote exclusively for people who promise to cut funding for these things so that the posterity will have to pay for them? Regarding a flat tax: Assuming that the economy wouldn't implode in a flat tax scenario, your disposable income would drop and mine would increase. It's nice of you to be cool with that.

A lie which is half a truth is ever the blackest of lies, that a lie which is all a lie may be met and fought with outright, but a lie which is part a truth is a harder matter to fight. -Alfred Tennyson ...we must admit that our opponents in this argument have a marked advantage over us. They need only a few words to set forth a half-truth; whereas, in order to show that it is a half-truth, we have to resort to long and arid dissertations. -Frederic Bastiat

Thanks for the replies. In the proposed panel a 3amu Quattro unit would be installed (bottom left) to meet the requirement of retaining an independent AI, Alt, and ASI with the single Aspen. Without getting into the tapes vs dials discussion, using a Quattro unit is the only way to make everything "fit" on the left panel. For Aspen products, I'm not able to justify getting anything more than the 1000PRO. A tablet can provide, at much lower cost and with a larger display, what the MFD provides. Sure, the tablet may not be hard-wired to the 1000PRO, but maybe with Connected Panel it could be. Interesting to me is the prospect of using the iLevel AW on the tablet. In the proposed panel, supposing it were legal to plumb a pitot to the iLevel device, this would give a third AHARS system on board that could have the capability of displaying genuine pitot-static dials on the tablet. Adds safety redundancy at very low cost. When not needing the iLevel data the tablet could be used for any of the other myriad things that a tablet can offer.

I'm looking to install a WAAS receiver soon along with both the Accuflite and Accutrak units. I have been trying to wait to do anything more in hopes that a 23 re-write would provide less expensive options, though spend-itis is setting in. To install the Accuflite I need to replace the DG (cost ~1amu for overhauled unit) and for the WAAs a Nav indicator (~2amu for a new unit). For GPSS, another 1amu. Thus, installing the new GPS and Accuflite will require ~4amu in parts (not including the Brittain components). That 10amu Aspen unit now looks like it only would cost 6amu. Daydreaming has resulted in the panel shown below. I'm looking for opinions on the panel layout. To my eye, it seems utilitarian but I'd like other opinions. A few goals in the setup below are 1) Unclutter the panel. I don't like seeing 25 dials any more. 2) condense everything to the left panel and center stack 3) allow space adjacent to the PFD for a tablet to run an app using ADHARS +/- pitot/static such as the iLevel AW. Obviously the tablet could be used to mapping, SV, W/B, etc. 4) Eliminate the need for tablets or other portables on the yokes or hanging from various locations. With this setup I could forego the 3amu expense of SV on the Aspen display and get the same on the tablet next to the PFD (on a much larger screen). The tablet costs a few hundred dollars vs the Aspen MFD 5+amu with its smaller display.

Actually the last one sold for $150. NOS.

Crazy question: Who here would drop some money on a Sam James type cowling/plenum setup right now just to purchase and keep in the back of the hangar in the event that Part 23 changes occur that will allow this? If the cowling design was molded to fit the Mooney, would you drop $2000 now on such a paperweight?

I would go with the system that works best. By "works best" I mean allows for higher aircraft speed while keeping the engine cool. By "system" I mean a combination of components working together. The best systems seem to routinely include a plenum, even if not using the same sheetmetal monstrosities of the past.

What is counter-intuitive on your list? For me, the most cryptic issue about cooling is all the issues and dynamics that occur downstream of the hot stuff. We seem to naturally focus discussions on the intake and high-pressure side...to include making sure that there are no baffling leaks...though much less discussion seems to occur on the nebulous issue of designing and optimizing hot air exit. I wouldn't say that even current production Mooney cooling drag has reached its optimization limit. Most certainly Mooney engineers worked hard on what is presently produced, but if you look at the RV fleet experience, you see what literally hundreds or even thousands of speed-thirsty owners can come up with in the plenum and cowling arena with years and years of tweaking. Sam James continues to optimize his designs. Feast your eyes on what you might be able to attach to your Mooney in the coming years: http://www.jamesaircraft.com/679Cowls.html http://www.jamesaircraft.com/Plenums.html

I own another plane with a kt 76 (non-A). I see plain 76's coming up from time to time, presumably as people are upgrading. If you're not ready to buy new, go to the regular sites (ebay, barnstormers, even craigslist) a few times a day and it shouldn't take long to find one for a few hundred. I saw a KT78 recently for $100 somewhere. The plain 76 was a slide-in replacement for the 78 so I assume a 78 could replace your 76...

Sorry Don, the problem is me, not you. I erroneously assumed that your laptop had a number pad (to the right of the QWERTY keyboard. The Alt-code uses the number pad. Some/many laptops without a number pad to the right of the keyboard can temporarilly convert some of the keys on your laptop into a number pad (e.g. 789uiojkl). See:

Laptop = while holding down the "Alt" button type "248" then release = ° y tambien "Alt" + "130" = é

I don't disagree, but this is very thin ice to negotiate. At the granular level, GA has long been integral to American economic growth, including small GA airports, though this difficult for the general public to appreciate. The commerical flying public that is (rightfully) getting PO'd at all the costs, fees, TSA, etc associated with flying. Now more than ever GA is a soft target, even if GA is a big part of our country's success.

This. 100%. This is privatization at work. Welcome to the future. Some will be able to afford it, most will not. Those who cannot afford it should be careful about what they wish for.

Hopefully the 23 re-write will be done by that time and you can buy a non-TSO'd equivalent for <1.5-2AMU.

The base price is typically $4,500-$4,600. PFS pricing is such that they always provide a discount if you take a delayed delivery. I don't see anything new on the link that you posted. If in the market, consider talking to a local distriubutor/installer to see if they can get a better rate.

Nowadays if either a Rockefeller Republican or a Goldwater Republican was to run for anything he or she wouldn't make it past the primary if s/he took any nuanced position on anything. Nuanced positions are a clearly not consistent with being a true neocon.

Do you see any irony here Dave? I own a Mooney, I fly it.

Disgruntled. Convinced that the enemy is the neighbor and the remedy can come through fighting the neighbor. Divide and conquer has been working since time immemorial.

I assumed an installation where the owner wanted capability above 18,000. You do make a valid point for those never planning on going over 18,000. Included in the changed post is the note that the GDL 88 is limited to flight below 18,000.

Hi Bill, How about a quote out here in the open? Assume removing all the avionics from the following panel except audio panel, then install KNS 770, KT 74, and ARX 100. Cash price, assume no rush job, owner keeps old avionics. What kind of price in your shop? Regards.

I probably wouldn't add the XM weather initially. I did place the XM receivers on the list to compare "total package" cost differences as everything Garmin is a bit more. Missing from the comparison are the data subscription costs. I've got an email in to King with that (and a few other) questions. If data subscription costs are 10-20% less than Garmin it is difficult for me to understand how the KSN 770 will be a "flop."

Is this a fairly apples-apples comparison regarding capabilities? KSN 770 $10,575 5.7" Diagonal display ARX 100 $ 1,695 ADS-B in KDR 610 $ 2,400 (readily available <$1,500 used) XM weather in KT 74 $ 2,600 Mode S ES transponder ---------------------------- $17,270 ($16,370 with used 610) GTN 650 $ 9,149 4.9" diagonal display GTN 750 $13,939 6.9" diagonal display GDL 88 $ 3,499 ADS-B receiver GDL 69 $ 3,669 XM weather in GTX 330ES $ 4,339 Mode S ES transponder GTX 327 $1,795 ----------------------------- 650 = $20,656 (with GTX 330ES, ok for flight above FL180+), $18,112 (with GTX 327, limited to <FL180) 750 = $25,446 (GTX 330), $22,922 (with GTX 327) *Edited to include GTX 327 possibility. GTX 327 does not transmit ES. GDL 88 is approved ADS-B "out" solution only up to 17,999 feet. With any brand, FL180+ requires ES. King KT74 already is ES thus is ADS-B compliant at all altitudes (when connected to an approved GPS source). Garmin FL180+ flight thus requires an ES transponder box (i.e., the GTX 330ES or even more expensive! GTX33 ES). *All the above based on my reading, research, and understanding. Please do correct or suggest anything in error.