Mooneymite

Parking outside is a part of a plane's "natural habitat". Even those of us lucky enough to own hangars park outside when we're on the road. Hangaring/not-hangaring is not an absolute. The real question is "HOW LONG" will the aircraft be outside? Will the tie-down situation be permanent into the foreseeable future, or is it just until a hangar can be found? Anyone who has shopped for aircraft knows that the difference between long-term hangared aircraft and not-hangared aircraft can be quite dramatic.

Nov 11-13, 2011 ATL area to HEG in the Jacksonville area. Twenty-some knots of direct tailwind on the way down.....We'll see what happens for the return on Sunday! Over 5 hours by car. Fltplan.com says under 1+30 in the Mooney and only about 14 gallons!

Quote: thinwing I dont think carb heat use increases an engines efficiency at all...you are correct that it causes a richer mixture with the hotter,less dense air supplied to carburator causing at least an in drop in manufold pressure.I really tested this with a full throttle takeoff with carb heat left on from a 4500 lake in B.C.That power loss meant that I could not get an amphib Husky on the step(carb lycoming 0360)at full throttle...soon as carb heat was removed ,it was another in and a half manu. pressure and up we went.I dont call that efficiency,just another trade off while deicing a ice choked carb...kpc

Quote: jetdriven The engine breathes filtered air. It is a 20k$ unit out there. Since you fly from a grass strip, the inside of your cowling is covered in dust, and your engine is eating it up. Lycoming says 1 TBSP of dirt can cause need for an overhaul. the engine is more efficient. A carbuteted engine using carb heat is running a less dense atmosphere. Run less MP, less FF, and a lower intake temp for the same crankshaft horsepower without carb heat. Powewr on descents are more efficient, IE less fuel burn per trip. Using a higher power setting in descent eliminates need for carb heat. If you get ice, you can detect it by a slow reduction in MP. The engine runs richer with carb heat on. This adds more lead and carbon fouling into the cyinder heads. Nobody believes this is good for an engine. Air cooled engines are designed to run a minimim of 250-300 CHT due to their tapered cylinder barrels. let downs at low power ruin cylinders.

Quote: jetdriven I just doubt the need for carb heat 30 miles out.

Quote: jetdriven I was more referring to Mooneymite. I use carb heat too, but only when there is a risk of carb ice.

Quote: Hank

Quote: jetdriven You run the carburetor hear from cruise all the way to landing? In clear air as well?

Obvously not all descents are equal depending on traffic, clearance, etc. On my O-360, normally aspirated "C" model, when I am allowed to descend as I like from cruise altitude (usually 8,000, or above): MAP: 19' RPM: 1900 IAS: increasing to maintain cruise TAS Carb heat: on. Mixture: as lean as it will go and still run. This combination normally yields about 500'/min average ROD. .

Quote: N4352H This is what sparked my quesion. I knew of the mast, but would devolop a diffrent opinion of the bladder system if it involved heated venting. Any other operational differences or maintenance of the bladder system?

Quote: Parker_Woodruff Bladders wear out, too. Get it resealed by someone who has a good process. Willmar, Don Maxwell, etc...

Okay, this thread has been way too peaceful with way too much agreement. I just have to ask: What MAP/RPM/mixture do you set on descent and what IAS do you use?

Quote: JimR Don't count on no more leaks for good. Plenty of bladders leak. Wasn't there an AD on them a couple of years ago ? The one time AD that you are referring to applied to Mooney bladder systems installed prior to February 1, 1998. It involved adding anti-ice masts in front of the fuel tank vents. It should have been a non issue for many years now. When properly installed, leaking bladders are rare, but are usually attributable to a loose clamp or a bad gasket on the fuel senders or fuel filler rings. Chasing bladder leaks requires time but no special skills, unlike tank re-sealing, which seems to be somewhat of an art best left to the masters. Of course, when bladders start to deteriate from age (after 20, or 30, or 40, or 50 years), they will need to be removed and sent out for overhaul, which can be done relatively inexpensively directly by one of several manufacturers throughout the country. Funny how most everyone that has then loves them. Jim

Quote: AustinPynes Love the thump. I have the plane home and have been loving flying it. I see though that I have AD 75-23-04 part 2 coming up soon. refers to SB M20-190 Looks like it could be an owner maintenance but probably not since that would be too easy. Part two is every 100 hours remove belly pan, remove bolt, grease, replace bolt replace pan.

Before you spend money on your problem, I'd check the boots on the servos....if one is leaking too much, the vacuum system can't compensate and the aircraft turns. Usually, the boots have been sealed with tape; either the tape has pulled away, or the boot has a crack in it. Re-taping is pretty easy if that's the issue. Don't forget to check the ones in the tailcone!