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Hi folks. Looking for some advice and information from the a&p's and IA's out there, as well as any one else that may have experience with this item or personal knowledge about the repair. Each elevator on our mooneys (this question happens to involve a 67 M20F) has on the outboard side a counterweight shaped like a wide piece of pie, about 2.5 or 3.0 inches wide and about 3/4ths inch tall where it attaches to the elevator. Visually it appears to be pressed on to a cylinder shaped rod but I have no idea how it is actually mounted and secured. I believe (but do not know) that these are made mostly of lead with perhaps an alloy or two mixed in. Mine have developed a tiny horizontal crack about 1.5 inches long along the top edge of the weight that runs from the outboard side towards the fuselage. A couple of questions about that picture. (1) What would be the involved in removing and replacing those weights; (2) would any skins have to be disturbed to do so; (3) would the elevators have to be re-balanced after replacement presuming the replacement weights are the specific part number assigned to that part on that particular model a/craft; (4) what's your best guess on time to accomplish the removal and replacement for a reasonably competent a&p; and (5) would you consider the cracks to be an "airworthy" item that would ground the plane until repair. I won't ask about labor cost as that varies widely in different parts of the country. But if you would care to chime in on that topic that would be okay. Any knowledge or information you could share on what is to me this most perplexing subject would be most appreciated...... Mark Crouch [N9522M]

I got just an email for the most recent AD's. It is for Fuselage, Stabilizer Attach Fittings. This AD applies to the following Mooney International Corporation airplanes, certificated in any category: Models Serial Nos. (1) M20C 2313. (2) M20E 761. (3) M20M 27-0057. (4) M20R 29-0141 and 29-0513 through 29-0519. (5) M20TN 31-0101 through 31-0127.