jkgyr52

I owned a J model with leaking tanks on both sides. It was a labor intensive job but I stripped both tanks and resealed with good success. My A & P offered me a job resealing tanks afterwords. NO Thanks. Patching might work OK if you use the vacuum technique that Don Maxwell uses.

All, I spoke with the BK sales manager yesterday and here is what I learned: The AeroCruz 230 requires a new tray and connectors, it has to interface with a navigator w/ AHRS, or add a separate AHRS module, to fully function properly. It has not been demonstrated to work well with an analog six pack ("steam gauges") of instruments. It was designed to interface w/ digital newer generation instruments such as Garmin G500, Aspen products and similar products. I won't be doing this upgrade. Jeff

Has anyone installed a AeroCruze 230? I am considering going this route as the controller on my M20K BK KFC 150 has frequent issues needing repair. Jeff

I have had a trim wheel lock on a 1984 K model that had about 4500 hours on the airframe. Turns out the grease on the jackscrew was like paste. No mention in the logbooks about it ever being serviced. My AI had me clean it up and apply a turboprop type of grease which he said has the benefit of tolerating lower temperatures when I fly in the flight levels. Not sure which grease rating it was. Jeff

I have owned five K model airplanes with different avionics packages and have experienced the following: I utilized an Avidyne IFD540 (~ 500 hrs). Previously, I flew with King Silver Crown avionics (~ 1000 hrs) and a Garmin 430 (~200 hrs). Also, over the last 25 years I have flown a couple hundred hours with my pilot buddies in Mooney and Cessna aircraft with similar King products, older Garmin products and newer Garmin GTN's. For me one of the biggest difference's between the Avidyne/Garmin products is the ability to use buttons on the Avidyne for all functions in addition to the touch screen. The touchscreen in turbulence is much harder to operate and the workload is increased in single pilot IFR. According to Gary Reeves (PilotSafety.org), who teaches single pilot IFR using both systems, the Garmin navigators are good BASIC products, and the Avidyne IFD products are closer to a FMS in function and are much more capable in a variety of advanced features. Regarding customer and tech support my experience with Avidyne has been better than with Garmin. FWIW, Garmin designers are not a pilot based organization, whereas Avidyne is a company formed by pilots. After overseeing three panels upgraded in K models I learned that using any of the old wiring is problematic and it's wiser to spend the AMU's to remove all the old and unnecessary wiring and start fresh (and gain some useful weight). Despite Avidyne's claim that you can "slide in" their units into the Garmin 530/430 racks, to get the full functions from them it is really more than just "adding a couple of wires". My 1986 252 is in the process of having upgrades by replacing the Garmin 430 with an Avidyne 440, and adding the uAvionics AV-20-S (mostly for AOA) and LHS-200-C for more precise landings. I suspect despite the pro's and con's of Avidyne vs. Garmin, the decision is sort of similar to Apple vs. Samsung. The benefits of the modern avionics are overwhelming compared to the legacy units. Happy flying!

Repainted airplanes often gain weight. I was told by one paint shop that clear coat can add ~ 50# of weight.

FWIW - Have you tried using the Approved Flight Manual Supplements (AFMS) in the POH for operating the KFC 150 and 297B ? On page 5 of the Pilots Guide there is a statement that reads: "This Pilot's guide provides a general description of various operational characteristics of the KFC150, KAP150 and KAP100 Flight Control Systems. However, operation of a system should not be attempted without reviewing the specific information in the FAA approved Aircraft Flight Manual Supplement for your particular aircraft type." Perhaps this will help you figure out if operation is the problem of the computer is wonky. I have had two K models with the KFC 150/297B system and have had too many issues with porpoising, altitude hold and capture. The avionics technician has repaired bad connections on the board, capacitors and alt hold module. My current airplane just had the computer OH so if I have any more issues with it I am considering replacing it with another autopilot.

Yes he uses digital scales and follows the method outlined in the POH.

FWIW - I would be cautious about reported UL in any used airplane. My IA (A Mooney specialist), has a policy that any newly purchased aircraft be weighed on scales before purchase. He has rarely seen an aircraft that weighs less or equal to the logbooks W/B sheet. I have owned a half dozen Mooneys and they all weighed more than the paperwork and one was ~ 75 lbs. heavier than the W/B sheet. Jeff

There are tiny inexpensive USB-C to USB_A adapters available. For example: https://www.amazon.com/Syntech-Adapter-Thunderbolt-Compatible-MacBook/dp/B07CVX3516/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3KUDO9XPXI9YA&keywords=usb-c%2Badapters%2Bfor%2Bmacbook&qid=1680572971&sprefix=USB-C%2Badapters%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-4&th=1

FWIW, My 252 is SN-1053 and the POH checklist says "STARTING ENGINE - Alternator Field Switches - ON". The checklist says - "BEFORE TAXI" - then all the other needed switches are turned on. The next paragraph provides the procedure of checking the dual alternators. Apparently the only people who knew what the rationale was for the differing procedure(s) are long gone! We have lost much of the tribal knowledge regarding Mooney aircraft, and older aircraft in general. Jeff

One area not covered by the usual PPI is the function of the avionics in flight. I find it useful to test fly the airplane and verify the avionics is functioning properly.

I self installed a SpaceSaver interior in a M20K - it is a lot of person hours and if I had to do one again I would pay a pro with experience in this kit. The finished product was acceptable but not as precise as I had imagined. Lesson learned...

Interesting thread. I am facts guy - Cirrus claimed they wanted to build the safest GA airplane - they failed. Several different analyses over the years show that the Cirrus safety record is not significantly better than similar aircraft. If we accept the fact that ~ 80% of aircraft accidents are of human error (pilots, ATC, mechanics, etc), humans are the main problem, not the airplanes....

Twelve years ago I bought a 78 J model that had lived in a hangar for > 20 yrs @ Lake Havasu City (HII), in a hot dry desert environment. Light surface corrosion was on all tubes (including aft of the firewall) and the one below the window (aft) @ the right side passenger seat had to be cut out and a new tube was welded by a FAA certified welder. The log books never indicated it living in the corrosion zone. I surmised that when the monsoon rains in Arizona occurred, it was very hot and the metal building "sweated", thus making the hangar very humid. Perhaps it sat outside in the rain prior to living in Arizona. I have owned a E, G, J, and 4 K models over ~ 40 yrs and on every one I removed the entire interior (for refurbishing) and performed the 208BSB. Six of the airplanes had the old style insulation with evidence of moisture,. The E model was junked because too many tubes were ruined. In the early years no IA suggested removing interior as part of the PPI. Jeff