M20F-1968

I am looking to make a set of travel boards. I can make a set for my self by hand, or could have them commercially made if there is enough interest by other owners. Please PM me if interested in getting involved in this project, with an indication of which model Mooney you have, and which of the 3 travel boards you would like. I will in turn investigate options on having them made. Naturally, in everything involving fabrication, the more you make at a time, the less expensive each piece becomes. If I made them by hand, I would make them from wood and my expense is really my time. If I had them made, I most likely would make them from aluminum but could look into other substances as well. John Breda

The wing is the same up to the present day, except for fuel tank configurations and positions and wing tips. John Breda

Don't forget us in the northeast. Please give us some lead time to get days off. John Breda

The process can be predictable: 1. Find shop you can get the airplane to. 2. Get quote for work and quote for time. Three months from start to finish. 3. Order parts, 2 month lead time quoted. 4. Watch shop put airplane in back corner while they accept other smaller jobs to "increase cash flow." 5. Multiply wait time for parts X 2. 6. Multiply time to finish for shop X 3 7. Multiply cost X4. 8. Continue to argue with insurance Co. 9. Welcome to GA John Breda

Is the cable that SWTA had listed, Part No. 660190-005 a McFarland cable or a Mooney cable. I know it may be one in the same but one eliminates paperwork. Does Mooney still stock the older cables for the Vintage birds with the cutout for the throttle switch? Bill Wheat was having some of these cables made suggesting they might be hard to find new. John Breda

Just reading through this thread. For you guys with Vintage Birds: I would take a block of aluminum or brass (something easily machinable and not magnetic) and make a split block designed to mount onto the steel bar above the compass (In fact you could also machine it so the compass mounted to it as well) with bolts that pulled the 2 sides together. Each block would have a machined flat with a threaded hole to allow a bolt (probably mounted though the bottom to make the bolt head easily assessable) to mount the attachment points of the Rosen visors. The Rosen attach points will be near the center post rather than on the L and rgt corners of the windshield. Then trim the tinted lens so they fit and are the size you want. John Breda

This is sort of Mooney talk given our 35' low wing aircraft. Does anyone know what the FAA mandatory obstruction free area to either side of a GA airport runway is. The airport I am thinking of is both State and Federally funded. I am thinking about snow removal where the airport has 6 foot piles of snow immediately adjacent to the run way. I though that there needed to be a protected zone of some width (? 25 -50 ft) where the only thing in the airspace above the runway allowed were items needed for navigation and operations. I would like to hear your experiences with this one. John Breda

I have the Alpha Systems AOA mounted in a cut out in the edge of the Ovation glare panel. You can see it mounted in the pictures in my gallery. It is in my line of sight when landing and looking out the windshield. No matter whether you have a system like mine, or HUD, you still need to adjust your focus from infinity to inside the cockpit. John Breda

Mooney made a longer tow bar which was hinged in the middle. I think it came with the Ovation or newer planes. It also had a fuel sampler cup attached at the hinge point. I am looking to make a tow bar which is similar, and which has a fuel sampler attached to save climbing under the wing when it is wet and cold (or just wet). Does someone have one who would be willing to send me a picture of how it was designed? John Breda

I meant, not easily adjusted with limited choices of positioning. John Breda

I have a set of Ovation sun visors, but they seem way too small and are not well adjusted. I am looking for the feedback of an Ovation or newer owner who is using the Rosens just as they were manufactured. As I write this, I an realizing that the Rosens, with cutouts to operate the ceiling switches when they are sowed, and with a cut-out on the co-pilot's side to keep it away from the door opening, I still would have much more adjustability in positioning them and still would have a larger visor. Perhaps that is my answer. John Breda

Just submitted my donation for 2016. Thanks Craig. John Breda M20F-1968

Even though I am a lowly vintage Mooney owner, I am crossing the barriers into the Modern Mooney forum since I would like your opinions. I have an F model Mooney that has been completely rebuilt, and has an Ovation style interior. As such, it has the panel of light switches on the ceiling. I have the Ovation sun visors, but also have a set of Rosen visors as well. I am directing this question to those Ovation and newer owners that have Rosen visors. When they are up, they cover the light switches. The right hand side visor when up also extends into the space of the open door and it hit when entering and exiting the plane. I thought of trimming these areas back the switches are directly accessible and the right side visor does not extend into the doorway. For those of you who have used the Rosens in the Ovation type cockpit, would you leave them as they are, or make the modifications? John Breda

Sabermech, Now that you are in FAA testing phase for your STC, you undoubtedly will be doing cooling tests with them. Take advantage of this time to pretest the opening sizes since the FAA will certify your "best choice." Since you have round openings, get some plastic or nylon type material, put it on a metal lathe and made a set of varying size inserts. Who knows what you will find. Hope all is well. John Breda

There I go again - assuming that the obvious is understood. John Breda

Thanks for all your hard work. I have been at the three Mooney Summits. Now that my plane is up and running, hopefully I can come down by Mooney v. commercial tube. I look forward to seeing you all again in 2016. John Breda

The use of the tail weight alone is not recommended. I have a tail weight with an adjustable vertical arm with a hardwood block into which the tail hook fits tightly. I hold the engine with a 2000 lb engine hoist with a hook. For additional stability I use the tail weight and hardwood block and the airplane is very stable with the 4 points controlled. John Breda

Don't both looking for original ones, just make them directly. They were nothing more that a bent U shaped hollow tube (I am sure you could use solid as well) that fit into the 2 holes in the upper part of the seat back and held the headrest by a pocket in the rear of the head rest. John Breda

I have a 1968 F which has been completely rebuilt and which has a RayJay. I also have some parts: new exhaust and wastegate for the original RayJay system (as you are considering) which have been rebuilt from one grade heavier stainless than the original as well as a beefier wastegate. Aditionally, I have a good serviceable set of original RayJay exhaust pipes and other parts from the original RayJay system. You might consider having some of these parts as they are no longer available. You can reach me here, or e-mail me at john.breda@gmail.com, or call me at (617) 877-0025. You will find that the F with the RayJay system to offer a very nice combination of utility, climb, speed without much more in maintenance. John Breda

I dug around my extra parts after my rebuild and I have the part you are looking for. I have a good deal of stuff left over from my 13 year long project. I bought some stuff that I just did not end up using. Please e-mail me at john.breda@yahoo.com or call me at (617) 877-0025. Thanks, John Breda

I do not think making alterations to the mechanism is the answer. I am unfamiliar with the two pin system in your pictures. I have a 1968 F, but it now has 1998 Ovation hardware for the locking mechanisms in the doors. I did need to adjust it. Mine has only one tapered pin on the side of the door and a clothes-pin type grabber for the top of the door. Adjusting the mechanism took the better part of an afternoon, and I started with getting the outside handle to positively close with the door open first. This put me in the ballpark, then made further adjustments with the door closed. There are really only 2 turnbuckle type (actually a threaded rod with stop nuts) to adjust. It just takes time and fiddling. Adjusting it with the door open helps a lot as it will show you how the lock react to the various adjustments. Why do the older planes have 2 side pins in the passenger door? What is different from the newer design? John Breda

The wing on all the metal Mooneys are structurally the same. The difference is wing tips and tank configurations. You can buy the parts for the current production landing lings and put them in the wings. I would do both sides. I did this when I rebuilt my airplane. I then changed out the factory bulbs and put in HID lights on both sides for taxi and landing. If I turn on both taxi and landing lights both sides for a night landing the view is incredible, almost like a landing at dusk. John Breda

I have several covers. I have not tried them on for size but I am sure I will have some covers and sun screens left over. john.breda@gmail.com John Breda

I have a bunch of Klixon circuit breakers and Klixon toggle switch breakers. john.breda@gmail.com John Breda