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Hi, Friends! After a year of panel, interior, powertrain, and other updates, I have finally picked my 67 (68) M20F up from the final major planned maintenance - paint. Mural artist Matt Kress, in conjunction with Ace Aircraft Refinishing in Bartow KBOW, extended his artwork to an airplane for the first time. After a brief planning discussion, all artistic control was given to Matt... and one rule - I was NOT allowed to receive any visual updates (my idea). The 'unveiling' was this weekend and I could not be happier! Allow me to introduce "Anomaly."

Better than New: The Refurbishment of N205J Mooney N205J is a 1987 M20J model “205 Special Edition (SE)”. It differed from other M20J “201’s” at the time in that it incorporated a few changes: 1. Fully enclosed gear doors 2. Rounded window lines 3. 28 volt electrical system 4. Electric cowl flaps with infinite adjustment 5. Upturned wingtips with forward facing recognition lights and aft facing position lights 6. Gear extension speed increased from 132 to 140 knots The 205 SE came right as the general aviation market was in decline, so only seventy-seven 205 SE’s were built spanning two years. N205J was previously owned by a business associate of ours. N205J was hangar kept most of its life. It had original factory avionics, paint, and interior and was a low time aircraft with only 1885.5 hours. It had Precise Flight Speed Brakes installed. So why did we put so much money into a 1987 Mooney? I am one of the owners of SureFlight Aircraft Completions which specializes in paint, interiors, and avionics. We made it a “project plane”. We worked on it when we had any gaps in our schedule. Now that it is complete, we have a demonstration plane to show and fly customers that showcases SureFlight’s capabilities. It’s an awesome Mooney to fly! First stop was Henry Weber Mooney Authorized Service Center at neighboring KLNS to perform the pre-purchase inspection. The important thing for us was to have a good airframe and engine to start with. We took care of some maintenance on the airframe, overhauled the prop, bought a new governor, put new gear shock discs in, etc. We had them complete an annual at the time as well. We had the engine sent out to Columbia Aircraft Services for an Inspect and Replace as Needed (“IRAN”) which included new Camshaft, Lifters, Bearings and Rings. While it was there, we had the engine converted from the Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D to the IO-360-A3B6 specification to eliminate the D3000 dual magnetos in a single housing, driven by a single driveshaft. The engine now has two separate fully independent Bendix magnetos. We had the cylinders removed to be sent out for nickel plating. After the engine came back, Henry Weber reinstalled it with new Lord mounts and made sure that the engine and engine cowlings were properly aligned. We added GAMIjectors calibrated fuel injection nozzles and then went to work on the full refurbishment of N205J. Avionics: The aircraft was equipped with a factory original avionics suite from 1986, except the addition of an Apollo GPS. It all came out. All the wiring was removed and replaced. A plastic panel is created to make sure everything looks correct before fabricating the metal: Yokes are painted black and a metal panel is installed: And then filled with equipment: · Fully Electronic panel; Eliminated Vacuum System · Garmin G500 flight deck with Synthetic Vision · Garmin GAD 43e autopilot interface for G500 · Garmin GTN 750 GPS/Nav/Comm Navigator with Telligence Voice Control · Garmin GMA 35c Bluetooth enabled remote audio panel · Garmin GTX 345R ADS-B In/Out remote transponder · Garmin GNC 255 Nav/Comm · King KFC-150 autopilot (the only thing that remained from the old panel) · L3 Avionics ESI-500 Standby Instrument with: Altitude, Attitude, Slip/skid, Vertical speed, Aircraft track, Synthetic Vision option, Navigation option. Magnetic heading option. · JP Instruments EDM 930 Primary computer for RPM, Manifold Pressure, Oil, Fuel, Battery, Engine data. · AirGizmos iPad Mini 4 panel dock · Nimbus Aviation Electroluminescent Circuit Breaker overlay. · ACK E-04 GPS Emergency Locator Transmitter · Guardian Aero 451-101 Panel Mount CO Detector · MidContinent MD93 Digital Clock/USB Charger. Paint: We painted a new King Air 300 for the Mayo Clinic earlier in 2016. We loved their colors. We knew that these would be the colors we would eventually use on the Mooney. Stripping: Everything that is not stripped is covered in foil. Windows are removed to be replaced with Great Lakes Aero Windows SC (Solar Control) Grey installed with Extra thick .250” windshield. All flight controls and gear doors are removed to be painted separately, airframe is etched and alodined in preparation for epoxy primer. After primer, an Axalta White Pearl base color is applied. N205J is painted in all Pearlescent paint which requires a clearcoat after each color is applied. This is one of the reasons pearlescent paints cost more. Paint Scheme Layout: Axalta Cumulous Grey Pearl is applied to undercarriage, wheel wells, airframe, and then clearcoated. Axalta Sable Pearl accent stripes are applied and then clearcoated. Final Prep for the Axalta Dark Blue Pearl: After all the pearlescent colors are applied and clearcoated, exterior placarding is applied, and the entire aircraft is re-sanded for a final overall layer of clearcoat. This gives the airplane a wet, glossy look and deepens the color, smooths edge lines between accent stripes, seals the placards, and it also provides a more durable and cleanable finish because you do not cut into the color when polishing. Flight controls are hung and painted separately: Cowlings and access panels are installed with new stainless steel hardware. Flight controls are balanced and then reinstalled. Interior: Unfortunately, we forgot to get some good “before pics” of the interior. It had blue velour seats with aged and yellowing plastic panels. Old seat covers off. Repaint the seat frames. New covers sewn for the new foam buildups. Upholstered seats with custom Mooney Logo headrests. We repaired cracks in several of the plastics, and repainted with a textured paint to hide any old imperfections. We decided against covering the panels in ultra-leather to save weight. We fabricated a hatch behind the hole for the windshield bar that holds the compass for easy R&R of the glare shield. Painted a flat textured black. Looks like new. The interior goes back together with repainted plastics, new carpet, new door seals, and new upholstered seats. After it was all complete, we put the aircraft on scales. The new weight and balance was 17 lbs lighter than before. We also performed the gross weight increase to increase the gross weight from 2,740 to 2,900 giving the aircraft a new useful load of 988 lbs. Mooney N205J – Ready for Takeoff! Update 6/21/2018 Since Garmin came out with the G500 TXi we updated the Mooney by removing the Garmin G500 and JPI EDM 930 and replacing it with the G500 TXi with integrated Engine Information System (EIS). Here are photos of the conversion: EDIT for 2021: L-3 ESI 500 removed and replaced with Garmin GI 275 backup instrument and a Garmin GFC 500 Autopilot.

Hi, So I'm in the process of "restoring" some Cleveland wheel & brake parts. In the past (10 years ago) I remember purchasing the paint that Cleveland uses on their components. In their Component manual it mentions all sorts of good stuff, except no mention of the silver paint they use. High end Automotive paint is mentioned in the CMM. I thought I purchased it from aircraft spruce, however it's no longer listed. Any help would be great. TemPco sells a high temp "alumnium color" paint... Wondering how close that would be to the factory silver color? I'm not ruling out white yet either. Thoughts? Thanks!! -Matt

Howdy all, Sensenich overhauled the Hartzell prop on my Mooney in August 2015, and it only had about 50 hours on it before I started losing paint the first time. The airplane was down for repairs for a while though, so the paint had had over a year to cure. I let Sensenich know what had happened, and they picked it up and repainted it for me at no charge (I still had to pay the local mechanic to pull the prop and reinstall). However, less than 10 hours (30 days) after having it reinstalled, it happened again. Images from each time are attached. This last time, I ran through some light precip on the approach into AUS. If the precip is what caused this, avoiding precip indefinitely isn't really realistic (is it??). I wipe bugs from all leading edges (including the prop) after each flight, but I have only used water and a microfiber towel thus far since my paint job is somewhat fresh. Sensenich says they haven't had this issue before and that precip shouldn't cause it. They're going to take care of it again, but I'd really like for it to stop happening. Anyone else had this issue or have any ideas what would cause it? Thanks in advance.

Hello. I have an 84 201J with mostly original paint. Having limited funds, I have to choose my plane refurbishing projects wisely. My paint doesn’t hold a sheen very well. Is there an easily applied coating that I could use to hold me over till repaint? Thank you.

Hello All, It's time for my bird to get a deep refresh. My time frame is about a year out. Any recommendations/suggestions for a good reputable paint shop in the Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado area? The closer to the high plains area of west Texas the better. Thanks,

Here's mine- a bit retro...

More photos to come 1EF24C7E-E533-439E-B7DC-32E47CF4AF6A.MOV D2FB3912-B545-4D64-B9EA-2B435C794EEA.mov 8329F508-AB92-4E68-95A6-9730CA90AEB3.mp4 C5ABFBCF-6C61-4412-BFC8-43D756B2E7F0.mp4

DecisionsDecisions! The AC is currently being stripped down at Airtime in Bournemouth, England. I really need to make a decisions so Terry can order the METAlLIC paint. I’m 99% sure on the silver base cost (Either Diamond Silver, Gun Metal Grey or Titanium Silver) but I’m not sure about the second colour (if any) and line work/ graphics. Note I have vintage red interior which I would quite like to keep ... As much as I love the blue option I think it may clash. I’m drawn to the Burgundy on silver or grey on silver with the black eye liner or a simple silver all over with black tail, gear doors, bonnet & cowling. personally I’m not so keen on modern graphics & lines but it seems to be more popular (thinking about resell value) Thanks for your opinions!

Yesterday I had an IFR flight thru mist and very light rain for a couple minutes. After the flight I observed the blade paint was delaminating. It looks like the poor adhesion is only over the stainless insert. The prop is less than a year old and 45 hours since new. Any similar experiences from Mt Prop owners? My flightaware gives you an idea of how light the precipitation was. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N231PZ

I was able to pick up 133DB from Hawk today. I have to say that Joe had to be one if not the nicest guy I have ever dealt with. The job he did on my J is simply outstandIng, and he was tremendous through the whole process. I live in Naples so I am sure I was a pain in the butt some of the time (I could come up and see it every week or so), but Joe just took it all in stride. I have included 1 picture here, but I have the whole process linked to my account if you wish to see it? I can tell you this if you want your Mooney painted take it to Hawk!

I am getting ready to upgrade my panel, major changes, completely redo the interior as well as new paint. The plane has already been completely stripped of all old paint and the control surfaces reinstalled for ferry. Which order would you do the above? I am thinking, 1. Avionics, 2. Interior 3. Paint. Anyone know of any reason it would be advantageous to do it in a different order? Thanks, Frank

What techniques/rigs does everyone use to try and prevent hangar rash? I spray painted some lines from where my MLG was sitting in the hangar out the door. They weren't that straight so entry when putting the AC up might eventually cause some damage down the road. Anyone have chalks permanently in place in their hangar or a rope down? Maybe tennis balls hanging from the ceiling or mirrors at the sidewalls ?

I am a new member to this forum and a new owner of a Mooney M20J. There is an area on the wing where the radar is installed in the wing that is covered in a black paint or wing walk non-skid treatment. We are not using the radar and will eventually have it removed. The area can be seen in the edge of the attached picture. In the meantime however, has anyone painted over the area instead of refacing it with new sheet metal? If so how did it turn out? Otherwise, has anyone re-treated the area with the ant-slip or wing walk material? Thanks and I look forward to learning a tremendous amount form the forums.

Great news! I opened an aircraft repainting facility in Franklin, VA. Hangar is staffed with expert aircraft painters and we are Mooney savvy. norfolkaviation.com

Good morning everyone I would like to show everyone my new paint job and interior that was done by Aerosmith Aviation in Longview, Texas. I also had my annual done instead of a pre-buy by Don Maxwell aviation. First let me start by saying a few words about Don Maxwell and his wonderful wife, Jan. I can't thank them enough for their knowledge and kindness. He is thorough and does not miss a thing. I have always been an advocate for going to people that know their stuff rather thank paying someone who has to learn at my expense. They know Mooney's and what to look for. Not to mention it's my life and my family's that I trust in him. I went to their seminar in May and learned a ton of great information. So, if your wondering if you should go to the class, don't hesitate. They treated me like family and I will continue to go to Don and Jan while I own the airplane. As for Aerosmith Aviation, all i can say is they are incredible!! Dustin Morris is the guy. He has become a true friend throughout this project. For a company to take on a small project like mine was a honor. Especially seeing the type of aircraft they usually paint. They didn't miss a thing when it came to details. Eric, their main upholstery manager is the most creative and detailed oriented soul I have ever met. We sat and dreamed up all kinds of stuff. John, their paint manager took what I gave him and did even more than I can say. As for one of the owners, Wayne, I think the most impressive was when he said to me, "I appreciate us earning your business". By the way, it was Wayne that came up with my prop paint design. So, for all of you out there that may be thinking of doing business with either Don Maxwell or Aerosmith Aviation, I would say do it without hesitation. I hope you all enjoy the photos of my new 231 and I hope to see everyone n Kerrville in October. Chris Schrobilgen

I have long thought of putting some 'nose art' on my E. Although I won't be going this far... ...I was sort of thinking some script to put her name on there. Anyway, any comments? Have any of you guys done this? Are there regs? I thought about just getting a sign painter or auto custom guy to come out to the hangar. I think vinyl letters would just peel off in the prop wash.

Marking 1 year of Mooney ownership with a "owner assisted" annual at local field, and am pleased to be thinking about paint given the outcome (not many squawks). Thanks DMax for the prebuy/annual a year ago - testament to his work. Approx 200 hrs, interior & panel upgrades/restorations completed, and the plane dubbed "the ugly duck" may be read to become a swan about a year ahead of schedule. Questions & concerns as I get ready to embark on paint for the '78 J. I'm confident the answer to all of these are "it's your toy and your money - do what you want" - looking for insight/ideas from the experience of the group - thanks in advance. 1 - color/scheme - I loved the engine & straight airframe, hated the "beige & baby sh!t brown" paint scheme that is original '78 - I ditched the avocado refrigerator and shag carpet years ago - want to go more standard/current - any reason not to? 2 - 1-piece belly - it's worth something having just gone through annual, but how much if anything really? Are there good sources of salvage that are of value? If ever to do it, now is it. 3 - wing tips - I think they look cool, and would "upgrade" to LED lights & strobes as well. Doesn't look like a performance reason just aesthetics? 4 - "glass" - need new windscreen, meaningful crazing. side windows are in good shape. Thicker plastic worth it? The cost for material isn't that great - worth it to just to all windows "while she is stripped down?" I've seen some "repair" methods but in many ways feel like 37 years is good service? 5 - Types of paint, color schemes etc - I really know nothing about this. 6 - The big question - WHERE? Does Mooney experience/expertise matter? How far to travel before it just doesn't make sense, how to "vet" a shop etc.?? Recommendations? 7 - Change N number? Not that I have a problem I think the ..201.. is pretty classic/iconic. Why would/woldn't? Also - going bigger numbers makes sense or no? 8 - What are the things you did, heard others did, or wish you did when doing similar project? This really is a big opportunity to take the plane offline for 2-3 months and get it right, trying to minimize "wish I woulda..." lack of experience and penny wise pound foolish decisions. Thanks in advance for your feedback

Anyone know if there's anyway to find your Mooney's original paint scheme?

1963 M20C at the paint shop...plane gets painted, time to balance ailerons and rudder...all are too heavy on trailing edge. 1963 MM has no info on adding or subtracting weight. Email to Mooney Tech support engineers explaining issue...after a few conversations Mooney Engineers say " use detailed instructions from the M20J MM, the methods apply to all models". Problem solved...Almost...now The paint shop wants to know max weight for ailerons and rudder...(for paint thickness) M20J MM states no max Weight, just paint and balance. Anyone ever hear of a max weight for the ailerons or rudder? Thanks

Hello, I'm in the market for a mooney (most likely m20c) and want to basically find one with no damage history and a relatively new engine, but that's it. My plan is to then get it painted, have the interior redone, and have new avionics installed. Has anyone had experience with this? And what mods are important/beneficial for a model c? I know there is a cowl conversion to help with cooling and speed, but are there any other ones?

Contemplating painting my 1978 M20J (original paint). Looking for some recent experience and results. Please post with who you used, cost, results, pics, recommendations, contact info, location, or any other pertinent info, etc. Thanks!