Urs_Wildermuth

Dave, I have flown the AN2 in Bulgaria, actually I am checked out as PIC on them (they are multi crew planes and in BG are flown with a crew of two). I love to fly it. If I had the possibility, I would love to buy one of the ones of the former BG Aeroclub, but their fuel flow is simply too much in Europe (they will use up to 60 GPH), let alone the 30 USG oil tank. We did crop dusting and para dropping with them, had a ball flying at 15 ft over the fields (or our training ground, the rowing channel at Plovdiv) and landing on the small agricultural aerodromes or occasionally I do not find the controls heavier than comparable other airplanes. It is fairly easy to fly per se, if you know how to fly taildraggers. Rolling on the ground is a different story. The brake system is pneumatic and quite interesting to master. The control lever resembles a bicycle brake and depending on the position of the rudder pedal it will control one or both brakes. Taxiing is rather more taxing than actually flying it. Engine control is basically done by the person in the right hand seat and he has his hands full. There are separate cowl flaps for the actual engine and the oil cooler. Both temperatures need to be observed, CHT and Oil Temps and controled using the separate cowl flaps. The mixture is regulated with an Auto Mixture setting during short trips, for long haul it can be regulated manually. The engine is the main reason that two people are a very good idea when you go flying. Only the AN2 M is actually single pilot approved but in order to get that authorisation, you need a few hundred hours as PIC on the 2 crew version. The guy in the RH seat can be either a copilot or a flight engineer, in which case his function is purely to cater to the engine. We had aggro versions with chemical tanks in the cabin, we had several so called desant versions (para drop) and we had one beautifully kept pax version complete with 17 passenger seats and hatracks. Interestingly, the seats did not have seatbelts. I wonder what happened to that plane, I never saw it again. At the time, there were some 300 AN2 I know of active in Bulgaria (1995). Today, it is less than a dozen, thanks to EU air regulations invading this country. Not only the AN2s are mostly grounded or gone, also most of the AN12 freighters and IL18 passenger planes are today flying under a different flag. I hope to getting to fly it again some time. One of the survivors 2011 in Primorsko My C Model at Primorsko Airfield together with the AN2 owned by an outfit in Stara Zagora which does Paradrop flights there during summer. The panel of one of the ex Aeroclub airplanes. That is pretty much how I remember the AN2 cockpit as we had it.

You need a SEP with a lot of cargo capacity for the young ones? Well... They do exist, but they are a tad thirstier than your average Mooney. This one here will carry your youngsters with 500 lb baggage EACH, plus your wife who will maybe bring 1000? http://www.planecheck.com?ent=da&id=10447 Plenty of space for baggage and some folding seats too. And quite a ramp presence as well. can be had for about 20k $ last thing I heard. Or if you want a bit of a more comfortable example: Here is one from Poland: Should please the wife and the kids. Finally travel in a large cabin. And a real pilots plane too. I don't know how the Antonov 2 is usable in the US, there are quite a few in Europe. Mostly for nostalgia flights however, but they carry a lot of cargo too. I used to fly one (in Bulgaria a sister ship of the upper one here) and they are a delight to fly. Only trouble is: About 60 GPH in eco cruise, one fill up is around 300 USG of Avgas. But she'll seat about 6-7 people with room to spare and can take about 5000 lb of luggage. Make it a deal: They can bring that much if they foot the fuel bill Honestly, why can't families be brought up on bike tours? People who do camping holidays by bicycle or trecking on foot do learn to travel light. Because they carry the stuff themselfs. But there are always those who never learn.... Honestly, when will people learn that the kitchen sink can do pretty well on it's own for a week or two?

Good outcome for the pilot indeed. Not a good one for what must be one of the first new Acclaims to leave the factory? Will be interesting to see what caused it.

Hi Dev, are you getting an Aspen? Then you do have a VSI in it. No, it has not bothered me at all. Do you already have a S-Tec 30 installed? Or are you installing it only now? In which case, I'd check with S-Tec. They did have some very attractive packages where you can get the 55x for not much more than the 30. Also if you are getting the Aspen, I'd strongly recommend installing the Straubing Avionic Altitude arming and capturing feature. Doesn't take panel space but for a button but allows you to actually capture altitudes. It works with the .-30 as well I understand. I've been wondering about the speed. It may well have to do with the powerflow exhaust the previous owner had installed. Fact is, something has happened on the propeller side too. I'll do some more tests and report back, but it appears that my C now actually reaches book values Best reagrds Urs

Bonjour Guillaume, realistically, I could have expected about 2000 Euros for the GNS430 non WAAS, the market is flooded with them in Europe. The GTN costs around 10k I believe and the installation with paperwork would have been somewhere around 2-3k, so a total amount of around 12-13 k for the whole thing. The upgrade of the GNS430 to WAAS cost around 5k altogether plus about 1k for the EASA change. In both cases, the AFM Supplements and docs have had to be done... The other bit I was asked a lot seeing how much money went into this was why not sell the C model and buy something which has everything. Well, as the above certification was the goal, there are not many planes around in Europe which even approximately have the necessary equipment anywhere south of 250-300k Euros. I actually looked at some airplanes which had "most" of the required equipment, not one of them could have been imported and certified here without 30-40k cost on top of the buying price of around 90-150k Euros. Quite a few airplanes in Europe profit from Grandfather rights in terms of their IFR certification (or don't have one altogether and are only "equipped") and feature avionic museums which are worth absolutely nothing in todays requirement situation once they leave their homecountry. On top, they are hugely restricted when it comes to flying RNP Approaches and other such things. In the end, for me it was the only viable solution to upgrade my existing plane, which has a 250 hours since total overhaul engine and is a known quantity. Yes, I know, in the US things are vastly different and my behind is getting sore from the many times i kicked myself for not having taken the chance to move there when I had it odd 20 years ago. But one takes ones choices and has to live with the consequences. You guys in the US, enjoy it while it lasts. We are trying to make do somehow here. There is one advantage to having a certificate in the flight deck stating what exactly the plane is certified for. No ramp check in any European country, of which some have a hugely different understanding of things EASA nonwithstanding, can ignore this paper and therefore there is no discussion like "in my opinion the plane lacks a,b,c,d ... to do an RNP approach". According to the very professional and helpful folks of the Swiss FOCA who came to see the plane, that is the major reason they keep this up. And the actual certificate is not very expensive, maybe 200$ all in all, it is the EASA major change docs which are the killers.

After a few seasons of the horrible Swiss summers cancelled most of my travel plans, upgrading the aircraft to certified IFR status has been a major project for the last several years. Finally, this winter we managed to get it done. The panel of my 1965 M20C even before was quite well equipped. In most parts of the world, IFR would not have been a problem with this setup. Europe however and Switzerland in general wants a lot more. Primarily, a 2 axis AP is required for single pilot IFR. Additionally, a slaved gyro, which in most cases translates into a HSI is required as well. The KN64 DME I had is not certified for IFR use in Switzerland either. And the GNS430-Non WAAS presented a major problem as it restricts operation into a lot of smaller GA fields sporting new GPS LPV approaches. The end result of a 2 year research and implementation project now looks like this. In order to satisfy the requirement for a HSI, I decided to fit an ASPEN EFD1000 Pro, which is coupled to both the GNS430 as well as the KX155. When I inquired about the S-Tec System 30 AP which was my original choice, I was given an offer I could not refuse by S-Tec's rep at Friedrichshafen last year: Get a System55X for marginally more. Of course, this did not include stuff like Autotrim and the remote display needed for the implementation of the flight director on the Aspen, but it was still worth doing. We also upgraded the GNS430 to WAAS, another 5k $ done and installed the Avionic Straubing Altitude capturing device, which allows the Aspen to serve as altitude preselector for the S-Tec 55X. While all this was going on, I received news that due to a mandiatory Hartzell SB, my prop had to be done too, so we sent that out to MT Propellers in Straubing. After 2 months in the shop, the Mooney was rolled out in early January with a permit to fly for test flying the new equipment and proving the certification requirements are given. We subsequently received certification for VFR by day and night IFR Single Pilot LVO Approach and landing Cat I Navigation specifications for PBN Operations: RNAV 1 (P-RNAV) RNAV 5 (B-RNAV) RNP APCH LNAV/VNAV RNP APCH LP/LPV The aircraft is also capable of ADSB-Out via the GNS430W and the Trigg TT 31 Transponder. What we noticed already during the first test flights was a notable increase in speed as a consequence of the prop overhaul. The Aspen generated TAS went up to 150 kts with 75% and 146 kts with 65% power, a good 5-6 kts faster than before. The autopilot and the Aspen work very well together, equally GPSS via the GNS430W is a total delight to fly. In other words, a whole new world for me, finally the airplane is where I want it. It was a costly exercise well north of 60k $ to do all this, particularly the certification and documentation work is extreme here in Europe. All in all, the better part of 500 written pages had to be submitted to the authorities to get the certification passed, a huge task alone. Now it's time to enjoy the airplane and fly. We already did a few trips and hope to do more very soon. Approaching Lausanne (LSGL) Switzerland. Best regards Urs HB-DWC Mooney M20C 1965

I did look at the POH's available here, they don't have much better data than the one I do have. If anyone has one of the very late POH's on the C Model, I'd be really grateful.

A question if I may. I heard that the later model M20C POH have a much improved perfomance section over the 1966 Manual I have. We are currently preparing a performance course for our pilots and I would really have liked to see what the later manual pages look like. I am well aware that the figures themselfs will probably not match the 1966 model, but I would really be interested to see what Mooney has done with the later manuals. Has anyone here got a PDF version of the later year manuals, 1977 or 76, in particular the performance part they might be able to let me have a look at? Many thanks. Best regards Urs

Right, thanks guys. I did get an answer from Mooney´s Mike Miles a few minutes after writing my mail to them, top service. The ASI is wrong and the manual right, as expected. Looks like nobody noticed this in 50 years of operation. Well, time to get the paintbrush out for my instrument mechanic.

Folks, question to run by you experts here: My M20C, SN 3269, has got a bottom of the yellow arc marking on the airspeed indicator of 155 mph/135 kt. If we look at the manuals, we find a figure of 150 mph/130 kts. What could be the explanation for this? Are there different years of Mooneys with different Vno figures?

Well, my Mooney went for it's acceptance test flight today. A very happy and impressed crew came back to me after a thorough programme. All components work perfectly. Ready for the flight! A quick picture of the flight deck a few days ago in the hangar. Aspen PFD with Flight Director. What we added was: - S-Tec 55X Autopilot with Remote Display and Flight Director and Autotrim. - Aspen EFD 1000 Pro - Avionic Straubing Altitude Preselect. - Garmin 430 WAAS Upgrade (of existing 430) With this equipment, we can now fly full RNAV and LPV approaches. The test crew consisting of a very senior test pilot who knows this plane about 30 years longer than me and two of the avionic engineers who did the installation reported back very happy indeed. The testpilot, who knows the S-Tec 55 from his Cirrus (where it got replaced by an Avidyne AP) was very impressed with the performance of this installation. Really happy camper here. Can't wait to get going now on this new stuff and figure it all out finally.

I was at 17000 with my C model a few years back, worked fine even in high summer temps with just about 0° C OAT. No problems with the engine or myself DA was considerably higher that day, more like 20k.

Done plenty of T&Gs in my C model,never had a problem.

What none of them would want is any of us giving up flying over this! It's a horrible accident and that 2 of our midst are inside it is gut wrenching, but while our thoughts are with them and their family, we need to keep the faith in God, ourselfs and the wonderful airplanes we fly. We all know that there is a residual risk to everything we do. We all know that we can even be killed in bed if the roof beam collapses or by some other reason. We here have an accident involving two very experienced aviators and one of the best proven designs in GA, which does prove the point that we can only be "safe" by stopping to live and not doing the things we love to do. Sven has written a beautiful piece here, I fully agree with it and will keep it for reference.

I've nearly been thrown out of 2 GA forums after Mooney relaunched production by Cirrus fanboys who simply did not want anything other than their toy mentioned. People like that are toxic. I usually walk away the moment someone starts ranting these days, not worth it.

Somehow these 2 cells look like the perfect testbeds to go for a Diesel conversion. SMA or Thielert proof of concept to be later implemented into the current cells. Diesel is a huge issue due to the fuel price/availability particularly in Europe.

Ok, so they have 2 high end aircraft which they can produce right away. So where is the entry level model? Do they need to re-introduce the J for this? Maybe, but if we are talking efficiency, they better stay with one cell only and concentrate on offering that at a lower price. We might remember, the Ovation/Acclaim Cell was born in the Porsche Mooney, which had 217 hp. Well, and what has the O390 got? 210 hp. And there already is an STC to refit the O390 to the E, F and J model. Then avionics? How about an Aspen 2500 equipped aircraft with dual GTN's rather than the G1000 in the entry level? Possibly with an S-Tec 55 instead of GFC700? So you'd get a brand new plane with the long fusellage, an engine which by default can use Mogas (very important in Europe), UL91 and Avgas 100, 160 kts, 1000 NM minimum range and a payload comparable to the J. But it is bigger, nicer and newer. Price? Around 400k? Then regain some weight by optimizing interior and manufacturing, something also the Acclaim and Ovation could profit from? I'd say in the current market, all the new entry level plane has to be able to do is to be cheaper and faster and more economical as the SR20. And before you tell me that there is no market for the entry level airplane, look at how Cirrus do it. they have the SR20 which accounts for a very low percentage of their sales. Yet they keep it on. Why do you think they do that? Right, because they want people to walk onto the sales floor and be attracted by the low price of the SR20. How many of them THEN decide straight up to buy a SR22 is the different deal, but the all important marketing question is, HOW MANY first wanted an SR20 and would never have set a foot into Cirrus' sales room because they felt the SR22 is too expensive for them. That is what my thinking is regarding that. Mooney needs the entry model in it's catalogue, certified and ready to be delivered. If it only sells 2-3 a year but as a result, the Ovation and Acclaim sell a lot more, then it still has a business case.

I believe a new entry level model is the ONLY way for them to regain the marketplace. Not even if it is sold much, Cirrus shows with it's SR20, which sells much less than the SR22, that it simply is the way to get people shopping with you... Yet, I wonder how a Ovation cell with a smaller engine would behave if they can shave some weight off and optimize on other things. I agree, a successful re-entry has a lot to do with whether they can call upon the "common man" rather than just the financial elite. The M20C I fly was so successful because it was just that, so was the J. I don't say we need any of them back, but something NEW, competitive and attractive for the entry level Mooney owner. Such as possibly a diesel version or at least one with the O390, a good glass cockpit and the payload/range combination which makes it the ideal plane Mooneys have been prior to the top class in current production.

done. Keep up the great work!

Ugh. Does that mean it will also display the wind in mph? That IAS at the airspeed indicator is in the same unit as the POH and the main indicator is makes sense, actually the other way would be dangerous. However, TAS, GS (so why don't they insist you use mph on your GNS430 as well??) and certainly wind makes none at all! For me that would be a total show stopper to actually buying one and I am close to that decision. Actually, with your ASI being in KTS primary, so should the Aspen be. Period. Everything else is dangerous. Need to talk to my avionic shop about it. I wonder if they refuse the purchase if I make the condition that the unit is in kts. My airspeed indicator is both as well, but mph primary. Actually, I do wonder if the Swiss FOCA would accept a converted POH ammendment with all values converted to KT in addition to mph. I've done that a long time ago for the cruise tables and could do the other few pages indicated in about 2-3 hours flat. I have a feeling, if it's done properly it might get accepted. MPH should be finally eliminated from POH's as well as from airplanes. Like QFE it is something which can lead to pretty nasty errors. And after all it was only ever used to please the marketing folks to brag about higher airspeed.

Bob, I notice your Aspen is calibrated in mph. That makes sense for the IAS, but not for the TAS or GS. Do you know, if the Aspen can be calibrated to show MPH for IAS but kt for TAS and GS? Many thanks Urs

Hi, perfect. I'll write to them and see what happens. Have fun in Sweden. I will also be away until mid August (from the end of July). But still online here

Thanks for your replies. Looking out for your answers Don, high winds are not the issue where my plane is parked, they should do fine. Primarily we have had LOTS of rain recently. Silvertown, then we are practically neigbhours We should once meet somewhere with our Mooneys

The fuel caps are now being checked but they have been serviced several times and now I still get this. I mean, there was a LOT of water in that tank,not just your normal few drops, about half a gallon I'd say. So there are two possibilities: either they got in there due to faulty caps or they got in there on purpose. For the latter, I am looking to lock the caps, but can't find any lockable caps for our airplanes. The actual covers I was looking for in addition (as locking won't solve the o-ring problem if that is what it is) were these: http://www.staysealed.com/flushcartdisabled.html but they are not made anymore. If anyone has an unused set of them, I'd be very happy to buy them off you. ELT, what suction covers were those? Do you still have them? If so, never mind they did not work for you, I'd be willing to give them a go.

Hi all, question: Does anyone have a source for lockable fuel caps for the Mooney M20C? And does anyone know where to find the fuel tank suction covers, which are supposed to stop water to get into the tanks? My fuel caps have been leaking severely, to the point that I had almost 1 pint of water in my tank today... So I will need to replace them and while I am at it, I'd like to get lockable caps in order to make sure that nobody can open the tanks without authorisation. Any sources and ideas are welcome Best regards Urs LSZH