M20F-1968

I am dating myself but the PanAm 747 was my first flight ever in a commercial airliner when I was in high school. I traveled to Europe with my father to visit where he grew up. I can still remember waking up to that long long wing flying over Mt Blanc peeking through the clouds. John Breda

ABS plastic can be patched and sanded, but it does take time. Buy some ABS sheet. Cut it up and place it in a coffee can with some MEK. Leave it overnight and it will become a putty consistency of plastic which you can use to patch ABS plastic and sand when dry. John Breda

I did not read this entire thread, but it may be helpful to know that if the fuel selector is no working properly (internal O rings leaking) fuel can transfer from one tank to the tank on the other side. A hint is if the engine does not stop when the fuel selector is turned to off. John Breda

I have not read through this entire thread, but I did start from the beginning. In my mind at least, I would want to know what specifically were you asking to be verified. How I, and possibly others, would like to weigh in on your questions to Don and his reply. Was someone making a mountain over nothing, was Don answer within reason, etc... This will allow the Mooneyspace reader to give some credibility to the story.....

You should use the LASAR (OEM) style given the potential for access panel to leak water. You also should do the 201 windshield when you upgrade the instrument panel and design the avionics to be accessible as much as possible through the panel (instruments slide out the the panel toward you). John Breda

I did my IFR training, dual from 50 hours to 125 hour in a Grumman Tiger. It is a fun and responsive airplane to fly, but it is no Mooney. The Mooney is much better built, a more stable IFR platform, a safer airplane structurally, and flies more like you would expect an IFR plane to fly. Maintenance on the Mooney should not be that much more if at all. Yes you have a prop and landing gear to care for, but a manual gear Mooney is not a maintenance hog. Buy the E. More HP, injected engine. I would not want the Tiger. There are potential issues with the bonded skins as well. John Breda

They are available. About $50 each. Call Dan at Lasar for part numbers. John Breda

I tried using the Halo's last Fall and had a similar experience. I was able to transmit but with poor sound quality and ATC had a difficult time hearing me. Phil at Halo said that the mic circuit in my plane needs to be a "floating ground" which is independent of other ground circuits. I have not yet had a chance to test it but he described a procedure of testing where you check for a voltage drop with transmission. Give him a call, he will explain. Please let me know what you find out as I have not had time to pursue it. It is on my list of things to do, but not high on that list right now. John Breda

I am looking for a supplier for 2 1/2" high temp induction and turbo system hose material. I am presently using 5 year old hoses, that are straight despite the application requires a slight (? 20-30 degree bend). I would like to find an aviation supplier with a known product (never know what you get at a racing performance shop) that is flexible enough to use straight hose, or perhaps an angled hose or hump hose. Needs to withstand turbo temperatures. Also, many hoses are silicone, multilayered, but silicone is not the best around oil and gas. You knowledge and guidance are appreciated. Suppliers, web links, etc... are all welcomed. John Breda

My plane is my first and likely forever plane. I bought it as a project airplane. It is now one of a kind, represents what a vintage Mooney is and what a Vintage Mooney could have been if they kept making them. After dealing with some dishonest mechanics, I found good people and I made a conscious decision to finish with a nice airplane, which is why it ended up a Lindy winner last summer. The project part had a learning curve, it was difficult but rewarding in its own way. I mention the learning curve as there certainly was an aspect of education, and that is really the reason I bought instead of continuing as a club member. I wanted to know the airplane I fly, have something that was more capable than the Archer the club had, know how it was maintained rather than fly an unknown entity, know its systems and equipment, know how the plane responds and how I respond to it. My Mooney has taught me to fly in a way I would not have achieved had I continued to be a club member. It was an education in aviation and and an education in other ways as well. John Breda

I am at an airport which has routinely 20 knot, 90 degree cross winds. They are doable, but build up to it. Also, be mindful when you have not been flying for a while, as crosswind landing skills deteriorate with inactivity just like IFR skills. John Breda

You are asking a question that really has no answer. If new to the J, start no wind and little crosswind angles, and get a feel for the airplane, how it handles in different configuration, weight and speeds. Find your self a Mooney instructor (or even a Mooney safety pilot) and test out increasing crosswinds. It is as much, if not more about your knowledge and ability to instinctively handle your airplane, in various conditions, than it is about the amount of cross-wind component. Much different if gusty v. steady crosswind. I like crab to about 500 ft, then a stabilized approach hand flying with rudder correction until the flare so I know what the winds are like and how much of what correction I need. I do not like the crab n' kick method. I have been known to land with speed brakes (if you have them) so to be able to carry more power if needed. There are several ways to practice and several strategies. Learn what is instinctive for you, but more importantly learn how your airplane responds. Practice slow flight, at altitude in various configurations. Mooney's handle well in ground effect, which is good for landing, but something you need to watch out for on take-off when you leave ground effect (1 wingspan length). John Breda

Thanks for the info. I did eventually find a Lycoming manual and that is what they showed as well. Any reason why then prefer internal teeth lock washers as opposed to split. I was under the impression the split hold better. Or perhaps, the internal teeth hold better but are single use only. John Breda

I do know something about this one as well. When I did my rebuild, I thought the nose gear well cover Mooney made was poorly designed, poorly made and ugly. I set out to modernize it, if you will. I used the original to hand lay-up fiberglass with multiple sanding and modifications until it fit pretty well. That gave me my form, and then made my finished piece from that, using fire-retardant resin. I used the trim and flap indicator from the J (with DER approval) and modified the attachments to the clear sliders so the cable-ends (eyelets) are screwed into a nut-plate and will not come loose. I can make this part again, as i have the mold I made. FYI: This part took quite a long time to complete (It was a labor intensive part, and the plane was in TX and I was in Boston). Drop me a line and let me know your thought. I can get you a picture of the finished part, but what you see in the attached picture will give you a pretty good idea. (I do not know how to rotate the picture). John Breda

That should be Bendix Magneto Hardware..............

I am not near the plane, and even if I were, it is a bit difficult to use a thread gauge where the mags are mounted. What ate the AN numbers for the nuts which both the mags onto a Lycoming IO-360 ANA, and what locking nuts should be used? My mags are single mags, left and right. John Breda

Anyone with a lathe can make an aluminum (or other material) copy. John Breda

I have a chrome nose wheel covers produced by LASAR. You can see them in my profile pictures. I has have a pair of painted covers from the vintage days I would be willing to sell. John Breda

Something to consider about working with leather: I am presently working of a project to make a new Johnson Bar Boot. In the process I learned that goat hides more than sheep hides are more stretchy. They tend to stretch in one direction, usually across their width more than length. This is good when trying to wrap the yokes because the give in the leather will allow stretching it against irregular shapes. You really need to order some samples and know how the specific hides feel in terms of softness, stretchiness, suppleness, thickness, etc... When making your pattern, you can cut it so the leather will be a little bit tight. I have a couple of goat hides about 0.048" thick that stretch about 1" or more over a 10" range. John Breda

I sent you a PM. John Breda

I have the Rosen visors. At first I thought they were too bid, however I store them against the ceiling, length-wise (parallel to the long axis of the plane) and they are not in the way. I was going to cut them down but left them alone. John Breda

Does anyone have an electronic version of the Bendix parts and/or overhaul manual for Bendix BL-600614-2 and BL-600644-1 magnetos that could be sent to me? John Breda

Vance: Here are some pictures and information I can make out from the fuel selector I own but know nothing about. It looks very similar to an H&E. I cannot make out the manufacturer's name. Perhaps it starts with "CHR" The city of manufacture seems to be Solon, OH 44139 There is a part number CT - 2847 stamped on the label, but I may be missing part of it. also stamped is 003 which may be the last part of a serial number Manufacture date 3/92 It is build for a presumed low wing aircraft with a capacity of 27.4 gallons per side. (? Piper) Any ideas what aircraft this is from. Could it be an H&E retrofit candidate? John Breda

I am sure this selector is a copy of the H&E. I think only the handle size different. I will send a pic. John Breda