aviatoreb

Quote: sleepingsquirrel I reserve the right to eat crow, or change my mind, all statements above have an element of truth, but how much is a can of Mooney sub atomic dimpling wax worth?

So you're saying the flow separation is closer to the leading edge during cruise and moves back as you slow down?

Quote: WardHolbrook No more call please. We have our winner. I'd only add one more item to the list, but it will cost a bit more than the $1500 - go get a glider add-on. Those three items will increase your skill and ability (and safety) as a pilot.

Has anyone here actually installed vortex generators on their Mooney? I see here lots of speculation as to what they would do, and suggestions that it is not needed. But from my perspective, when landing, crisper handling and slower is better - yes Mooney can be benign, but an even safer margin is always better. It is definitely a more is better thing when it comes to landing safety characteristics. That would be worth $1500 to me. So - from anyone who actually did it - not speculation as to what we think it would do - do they perform as advertised on a Mooney? Slower speeds, crisper handling. And what is the actually cost to cruise speed. N252Q reports no noticed lost in cruise speed. Anyone else? Thanks.

Quote: mranson Mark Lowdermilk transitioned me from a C182 to a Mooney Rocket in less than 10 hrs. I have flown with a few instructors throughout the years and find his instruction techniques to be of the highest professional level and effectiveness. He is a DPE and corporate pilot with lots of time in commercial jets (ie 737). I highly recommend him for transitioning training in your Rocket. He lives in WV but frequently works in DC. Let me know if you are interested and I will forward you his email.

Quote: KSMooniac I have a 61cm Kestrel (amazing with the size/hobby/bike brand overlaps!)

Are there any rocket specific instructors in the Northeast, like New England area?

Quote: Immelman I am 6' 3" and, well, I forget my frame size but its in that neighborhood. Take the wheels off, maybe the seat post, get up on on the wing and just sort of slide it on in through the door being careful not to scratch anything. I've tried it with the handlebars forward and aft. As I recall the only time it was tricky or required a second try was when I was putting both my and my wife's bike in. I put the tires on top of the frame, padded of course, and tie everything down. Also, my road bike has a carbon frame (nice and light -- a Kestrel) so maneuvering it is very easy. Thanks Immelman, If you are 6'3'', I bet you are riding a 61cm. I am riding a 62cm. You might be riding a 59cm if you have short legs for your height. I am looking at an earlier 231 which does not have the fold down seats but it does have split seats. I am wondering if I can simply have my A&P remove the right rear seat this giving me easier access to putting in one bike when I go solo with bike, but then I would have the ability to still fly 3 people when that mission calls - and this fits W&B better anyway. Does that work - can you remove just one of the two rear seats to leave a flat half of the cargo bay?

Quote: Immelman I am 6' 3" and, well, I forget my frame size but its in that neighborhood. Take the wheels off, maybe the seat post, get up on on the wing and just sort of slide it on in through the door being careful not to scratch anything. I've tried it with the handlebars forward and aft. As I recall the only time it was tricky or required a second try was when I was putting both my and my wife's bike in. I put the tires on top of the frame, padded of course, and tie everything down. Also, my road bike has a carbon frame (nice and light -- a Kestrel) so maneuvering it is very easy. Thanks Immelman, If you are 6'3'', I bet you are riding a 61cm. I am riding a 62cm. You might be riding a 59cm if you have short legs for your height. I am looking at an earlier 231 which does not have the fold down seats but it does have split seats. I am wondering if I can simply have my A&P remove the right rear seat this giving me easier access to putting in one bike when I go solo with bike, but then I would have the ability to still fly 3 people when that mission calls - and this fits W&B better anyway. Does that work - can you remove just one of the two rear seats to leave a flat half of the cargo bay?

Quote: donshapansky >I run my Rocket 2 ways, into a headwind I run ROP (TIT 120 - 150 F below 1650 F) at 2450 and 30 inches for approx 20-21 gph with all head temps at 380 or less. With a tailwind I will run LOP with all cyls at or greater than 50 F LOP for 14 gph, all cyls are 360 F or less and the MP is 29 in. @ 2400 rpm. (62% power) At 8 - 9 K the ROP TAS is 195 kts and LOP is 183 kts +/->It takes a well maintained ignition system with GAMI's to do this but the engine will run smoothly LOP and more importantly the TIT is well under the 1650 F max ( a couple of days ago at 9500' at 18C LOP, the TIT was 1530 F). Thanks Don, that was very useful. Do you ever use your airplane for local missions? For a hundred dollar hamburger? Can you do that with this plane? Is there a 45% to 55% setting for loping around and if so what kind of gph and speed does that make? How about landing. Is this plane much different/harder from landing a stock 231?

There are a number of lovely rockets on the market now for seemingly excellent prices. What is the catch?! Can any Mooney Rocket owner please report if you may since I am inching closer to leaping - -Are they harder to fly than a 231? -Are they harder to get insurance for than a 231? Or much more costly maybe? -How is the safety record for rockets vs 231s? -Here is the biggy - I know they burn more full when you push them and reports are that they scream - and that is awesome for when I want to go somewhere and time counts. I hear 20+gph is the norm. That is half my mission space. The other half is just training and maybe heading for a $100 hamburger. How slow can you go? WHat is the lowest reasonable gph? I read on Mooneyland the review a closing comment that said that if you go 231 speeds then you burn 231 fuel. Does that mean you can slow down enough to get 13 or 14gph? -Does anyone know what is the overhaul cost of that particular big continental? Thanks! Erik

Hi All, Does anyone have a link to a good bitchin' betty avionics device that yells at me in English instead of blaring a horn or blinking a light?

Quote: Piloto The only practical solution for GA pistons is MOGAS. It is cheaper than diesel and widely available, more than any of the other fuels. For less than $10K a GA piston engine could be modified to run on it. After all before there was AVGAS (WWII) all the DC-3s, Amelia's Electra, Lindberg Spirit of St. Louis and others were running on MOGAS without any problems. José Hi Jose, What is it that they would propose to do when converting a higher compression GA engine to run on Mogas for a 10k conversion? What are they making for the conversion - is it electronics? Is this some kind of electronic timing system like in cars? I presume there are none yet available but if the need came, the know how is there? Erik

Quote: jerry-N5911Q ...yes, you can get your bicycles in there, if they will go through the door.

Hi Folks, Who travels with a bicycle? Can you really get a full sized bicycle into a Mooney? I am shopping airplanes... I presume a M20J folding seat style system, or mods to get you there, are required. So two bikes, two people would be a favorite mission if it can do it. I am guessing the bikes fit in the space, but what is it like monkey'ing bikes around the corner in the one door and over the front seats? It must be hard with one knee on the wing trying to place the bikes in around the corner and not scratch bike, plane pain or interior. If anyone actually does this, do you have pictures of what the bikes look like on the inside, or the process of getting them in? Also, does anyone know the measurement of the cargo area with rear seats folded down? Thanks!

Quote: Bennett For those who wanted to see interior shots: I am drooling - that is absolutely the nicest 201 on the planet.

Quote: Bennett New to the fotum, but not Mooneys. I recently purchased a 1983 Mooney M20J after previously owing a M20K (231 converted to a 261/262) for about 18 years -with various Pipers, Cessnas, and an LSA in between. Love the "new" airplane. I had her painted by ArtCraft in Santa Maria - great job, and uphostered by Tim Thallock (Aviation Design, Inc.) at Pine Mountain Lake - again a great job, but for some reason only the pilot's seat is articulating, and the co-pilot seat is far too low for any of my pilot friends, I am looking for one articulating front seat - uphostery doesn't matter so long as the seat mechanism is intact. I understand that these are very difficult to find, but I am prepared to pay a fair price for one. Suggestions (other than add a cushion) would be appreciated. Thank you. It is a beautiful 201 Bennet. Just gorgeous. But I am curious what motivated your decision to sell your 262 and get a 201?

Hi Folks, I am thinking seriously about getting into a turbo mooney as I think it best fits my mission - although I go around and around about which one. Price is an object, but I think I could figure it out if I weren't also hung up by the following two related things about getting into a turbo mooney now. -Is avgas about to go away? What will the high compression turbo mooneys do if avgas goes away? Low compression engines can often just switch to 94UL if nothing but a paper STC. But these high strung engines would need either an excellent fuel alternative, or perhaps some major electronic timing that has yet to be developed (such as the recent turbo SR22 has allowing it to run 94UL). -Mooney is currently down for the count. Only the janitor and the CEO still work at Mooney - more or less. Can we expect to keep a mooney flying for several years to come with the product line essentially currently orphaned? I love the 231s, 252s, Bravos, and Rockets - each have wonderful merits, but all that aside, the above has me paralyzed. I would love to hear your opinions folks.