1964-M20E

Dream I believe the biggest obstacle to change is the FAA by far. Greed I think would drive new technologies and advancements in engines avionics etc. but the FAA stands in the way. Take the electronic fuel injection and ignition systems EFII it is available now for experimental 1 to 2 % more fuel efficient, easier starts, redundant. Where is the problem? Electronic ignitions that replace magnetos with built in alternator to power it if ship alternator fails. Available now and is less cost than traditional mag and is easy to install but not on our planes why? FAA, FAA, FAA. 3rd class medical you saw what was necessary to make a change in that an act of Congress was needed. All the FAA need to do was change the questionnaire when going to get your 3rd class medical and change a few other requirements to make it easier. Administrative change is all that would be needed it would be not an act of congress. Just like any small aircraft 12,500lbs and less in private use 20 years old or older at owner's option should have the option to be put in the experimental class. If you want to stay certified no problem stay there. I would put my F in the experimental class in a heart beat if it were possible and never look back. Really this is the change you are looking for then everything else you are talking about could and would happen. Let's push for the Factor manufactured experimental class that has been discussed here before. This could be for new planes as well as older certified planes. Keep pushing ideas I'm with you.

Someone has already done this albeit for experimental only http://www.flyefii.com/products/efii-systems/

I think there could be some more things that can be added to the list of owner performed maintenance. I like to put out there I can change the oil, change tires among other things but I can't undo 4 nuts and one 12V wire connection and change a starer???? Would I try to overhaul the prop if I was allowed too most likely no I wouldn't know what I was doing. However, changing a mag I might attempt that, I would change the boost pump, vacuum pump, governor, among many other things that I feel I am competent to do on my own. The caveat is I have done many of these items myself under the supervision of an A&P/IA along with every annual has been owner assisted. So you could say I have had some additional training and I am not an A&P. Finally, a limited maintainer certificate to do more than the current preventive maintenance on my own plane would be nice. I would not mind overhauling an engine myself with some guidance. I have overhauled different types of engines in the past.

sounds like it may be your governor. The prop defaulting to low pitch high RPM.

IF you just bring the J-bar to the gear down position and leave it un-latched it will hover right a the locking block. You then have to push it the remaining distance to lock it in. The force needed is not that great to get it to latch. Should you need to use your leg to assist you in getting it home in the block you probably have an issue somewhere. If you just need to lean into is some with your upper body you are probably good.. As an IA I am sure you have sufficiently lubricated all the moving parts of the gear system. Once on my former E model I started having trouble getting the bar into the gear down lock so after lubricating parts of the gear system that went away.

OK so it sounds like they may have changed where they are measuring from and no actual airframe differences. If you go inside the window to inside the window you can pick up about 2.5" over measuring to the inside of the tube cage.

MY stay in Idaho Falls got me acquainted with some of these new METAR terms. Freezing Fog is one thing I don't ever remember hearing.

I haven't finished watching it yet but very interesting.

2.5" is a lot to make up in interior panels but I guess it could be so. I think at many places the plastic panel rest on the steel cage or is real close. If you actually widened the outside of the cabin by 2.5" you would create more frontal plate area and theoretically make it slower but the Js are faster due to other aerodynamic improvements. The real measurement would be inside dimensions to the tube cage in the location stated above. I guess you could take the vertical tube at the rear of the door and on the pilot side move or bow them out to the outboard side 1.25" leaving everything else the same. You may not really affect the TAS of the plane that much. Looking at the plane form the front o r the back would be hard to tell the difference. Remember the article about the tail cone jig that was getting worn during production and caused a twist in the tail cone?? Only looking at the planes side by side could you tell there was an issue. The door would need to be reworked to allow for the different angle. This would give you more shoulder room but not any more room in the hip area. Doing more than that and the wing roots would need to be reworked as well as the inboard rib that makes up the inboard side of the fuel tank. JMHO

I've only had Lycoming IO360s but I'd inspect the engine as best you can without removing anything major. Analyze the data and even if you deiced you want to overhaul it I'd put the money on the side let it earn interest and run the engine. Any hour you get between now and actually overhauling it is free engine time.

It is just a non descriptive black momentary push button located on the main panel. It makes selecting the mode easier than using the knob on the STEC. You could locate it on the yoke if you have space. The wiring diagram for the STEC30 shows which lead to connect it to. I thought about doing it myself but when I had the IFD540 put in just had the avionics guy do it while he was there.

Santos Make sure that the mode selector knob on the lower left is completely pulled out. Don't rip it out but gently pull back on it. It is supposed to spring back but as it gets older that sometimes will stop happening. I had to have mine repaired and ultimately I had the avionics shop install an external mode select button to minimize the wear. When the button does not come out to it's normal position it will cause the STEC 30 to do weird things. I now use the knob only at run up when I am testing the AP to make sure the left right servos are functioning.

I have not done it on mine but yes they are a PIA to do. At least with the engine off the plane it should be easier to get to the firewall side. I would definitely bite the bullet since you are doing the engine.

I have the STEC 30 with altitude hold on mine as well. like someone else said it does 99% of what I need. Being able to set climbs and descents would be nice as well as flying approaches almost hands off. However, one issue I have now is flying enough approaches. My biggest issue would be panel space the STEC 30 uses the same space and is the turn coordinator. The 3100 controller head would not have an easy place to reside It could be done but other items would have to move. We all have a certain amount of discretionary income to spend on our beloved birds.

To the best of my knowledge the only time there is a distance associated with a cross country flight is when you are working towards another rating. Otherwise leave one airport and land at another any distance away and it is cross country. I have made cross country flights that were 2nm.

Yeah recently got checked out in a 172XP 195HP with CS prop. I was constantly adjusting the mixture when I was wanting to adjust the prop. It didn't take long to get used to the different layout. The instructor corrected me a few times and I told him that my Mooney it was just the opposite and that the Cessna had the layout wrong.

Well let's say you are replacing all three controls in an older Mooney. In the older models the mixture and prop are swapped from most other brands and newer M-20s. older M-20s T M P vs newer M-20s T P M Do you rearrange the controls to match the majority of other airplanes or do you leave it the same?

yeah we get a different perspective on clouds. People on the ground don realize clouds have 3 dimensions.

You can do better you can get paid to use things. Though that is rare unless you are already famous.

Good discussions for the IMC club and or VMC club. Lots of gray areas to keep you thinking.

From Aerospace web site: http://www.aerospacelogic.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=249 Aerospace Logic Digital (Digital Frequency Hz) PART NUMBER: FL202D List price: US$936.00 Online Price: US$879.00 You save: US$57.00 (6%) From CiES site: https://www.ciescorp.net/mooney.html Senders are priced at $395 ea. for Digital Output (Which includes Outbd senders if outfitted) So for me should I wish to replace my standard fuel gauges with an electronic version I would need 2 CiES senders sets with inboard and outboard $800 and the Aerospace Logic display unit for $900. So $1,700 plus installation which would be my time working with my A&P. All my other instruments have been replaced with Electronics International EI gauges and a Insight G-2 engine monitor. However, the fuel gauges are original and the left gauge lately has been acting up and it is associated with the inboard sensor. I have the bladders with inboard and outboard sending units. Am I looking at this correctly?

Tom Good story with good ending relatively speaking. Yes there are some good shops out there that will bend over backwards to help you and not over charge you.

Terry good story. I'm glad Andrew was able to assist you. Yes sometimes the threads here do degrade somewhat but they do offer some entertainment value.

That sucks about the engine. At least they are making it good except for not having your plane for a few weeks. Seems to me Lycoming should just send you a new factory overhauled engine you MX replace it and sent the old on back.

Well I waited for the first one to get married and move out before I bought a plane. Oh that was the reason I bought the plane she moved 660 diving miles away and 492NM flying. If you will only need the extra capacity a couple times a year find a Saratoga type 6 place that you can rent and fly it every few months in between the scheduled family trips. The majority of my trips are by myself or with one other adult.