How to put the plane on a diet?

[kmyfm20s]

I have an 82J with a useful load of 930 Lbs. I have been looking at ways to put it on a diet to get it up to 1000 Lbs. For starters I have a MX20 and a WSI unit that is virtually obsolete as a result of the various portable units and can be removed. I also know there are starters and alternators that save weight and I would have to think that the STO'd engine monitors that replace the primary guages would to. I wanted to hear if any of you have experienced any measurable amount of weight savings with any changes or alterations to your aircraft.

[Bob_Belville]

I reduced weight 11.3 pounds with new panel. 18 items out weighing 40.6, added 7 items weighing 29.3. I can give you details if you'd like but look at before and after in gallery. 

 

FWIW, my empty weight is 64 pounds heavier than it was from the factory completely explained by 4 mods:

 

O&N bladders 30

speed brakes 9

1 pc FG belly 10

other speed mods 16

[Jamie]

Given the weight distribution of the Modern American, is it possible -you- can lose some weight? I'm 6', was 220, headed for 185. That's 35 lbs right there.

[Bob_Belville]

Given the weight distribution of the Modern American, is it possible -you- can lose some weight? I'm 6', was 220, headed for 185. That's 35 lbs right there.

I've lost 20 pounds since I bought my Mooney 20 months ago. Being able to switch tanks is about the best incentive to lose I've had in years.

[Jamie]

lol. I know what you mean. I got serious about the weight loss when I bought the plane. New beginnings and all that. Also helps with being able to get it in/out of the hangar.

[Rwsavory]

My wife went on a diet about a year ago, which means I did too!  As a family we gained 50 lb of useful load. 15 of that was mine.  I don't miss it.  Airplane-wise, we got rid of an Argus moving map, which didn't work anyway.  I guess that was good for 5 lb or so.  

 

I'm not sure gauges are where you're going to find weight savings, unless you have an obvious door-stop like our Argus.  More likely up front with the starter and alternator. 

[smccray]

Given the weight distribution of the Modern American, is it possible -you- can lose some weight? I'm 6', was 220, headed for 185. That's 35 lbs right there.

 

Congrats!  I'm in the same boat.  I tell my wife I'm working on my useful load... she rolls her eyes.

 

I was at 210 and I started a diet right 2 weeks ago trying to get down to 180.  It's going  well so far.  I'm a fan of Tim Ferris' thoughts in the 4 hr body, primarily b/c he throws convention out the window.  The biggest thing that's had an affect so far- consume 30g of protein within 30 min. of waking up.  It's the primary contributor to 1/3 to 1/2 a pound per day.  We'll see if it continues.  His approach has the added benefit of allowing consumption of a glass of wine, which is nice .

[kerry]

Buy a Mooney.  Sounds like the best diet plan out there.

[Jamie]

Apologies to the original poster... But I am serious. It's the cheapest way to lose weight I can think of, and if you have it to lose it's win-win. After that, I suspect cost starts to increase fast. It's like speed mods; lotsa $$$ for little kts.

 

I'm probably weight neutral though. First thing I threw in the back was a rather large tool kit (sockets, drivers, wrenches, screw drivers), couple quarts of oil, etc. And I'm no where near done. It's not a proper survival kit, just something so I'm not totally empty handed until I can get the real stuff. And then there's the overnight bag which I will never again be without, the tow bar...

 

The tow bar.

 

I guess you could make a titanium tow bar. It's probably the only piece of equipment that isn't mandatory and doesn't require an STC. (I'm guessing... that's not legal advice). Might save a few pounds.

[Jamie]

Congrats!  I'm in the same boat.  I tell my wife I'm working on my useful load... she rolls her eyes.

 

I was at 210 and I started a diet right 2 weeks ago trying to get down to 180.  It's going  well so far.  I'm a fan of Tim Ferris' thoughts in the 4 hr body, primarily b/c he throws convention out the window.  The biggest thing that's had an affect so far- consume 30g of protein within 30 min. of waking up.  It's the primary contributor to 1/3 to 1/2 a pound per day.  We'll see if it continues.  His approach has the added benefit of allowing consumption of a glass of wine, which is nice .

 

So far, Intermittent Fasting and low carb seems to be working. If I could just quit cheating. I'm losing the weight, and on the days I stick to low carb, I feel good and can tell the weight is coming off. And then I'll need the IQ points and eat a candy bar to get through some weird coding problem and *boom* now I'm on the insulin roller coaster again. Arrrg.

[rocketman]

Ok. Now we are on subject near and dear to me. As a physician, I understand the importance of proper nutrition. This is what works for me. Not always successful, but I try every day. Have lost tons of weight doing the following. You don't need a book to learn these secrets, no marketing gimmicks, just hard work. Remember, loosing weight goes against the grain of survival. Weight loss is not easy and you have to give it lots of space and time for failures to work. But stick with it. It works!

 

 

 

The trick to loosing weight and increasing your planes useful load is:

 

1. Try to stay hungry to an extent. You loose weight when your hungry, not full. 

2. When you sit down for a meal, portion yourself, stand up and move around before you are done. Sitting the whole meal always makes you feel way to full when you leave the table.

3. For me a fat reduced or fat free meal means more than low carbs. Thats why they call fat...well, fat

4. Don't eat after 7 pm

5. Drink lots and lots of water

6. Don't watch the food channels

7. Eat high fiber, low fat foods. Salads with fat free dressing is great. Get used to it.

8. Eat to live, not live to eat

9. Don't make eating experiences the main focus of your evening. 

10. Exercise. Exercise. Exercise. I know if you read the books you only loose a few hundred calories during the time of  exercising. But the increased metabolism continues well after your time in the gym and the weight loss will be beyond your expectations.

11. DON'T EAT DESERTS -After a while you will not miss it. Promise!

 

I have completed 35 marathons including Boston this year (DNF) and exercise to me is the essence of weight loss. The endorphin rush of exercising is like a perfect landing on a moonlit evening. Whether you run, walk, swim, bike, treadmill, get your heart rate up and sustain it for 30 minutes or so. Go to bed hungry, and wake up even more hungrier, and appreciate an egg white muffin with no butter or oil. Don't stuff yourself, walk away from the table slightly hungry. Remember, the feeling of hunger should be a better feeling than being stuffed.

 

Just my opinion. Now lets go fly!

 

Ron

[rbridges]

If you find a way to gain 70 lbs of useful load, let me know.  Going with Bob's experience, I figured updating the panel would get me a few lbs, but after that, I don't know if there are a lot of options besides getting rid of the seats and using milk crates.  

[smccray]

If you find a way to gain 70 lbs of useful load, let me know.  Going with Bob's experience, I figured updating the panel would get me a few lbs, but after that, I don't know if there are a lot of options besides getting rid of the seats and using milk crates.  

I guess we got off on a bit of a tangent. Sorry about that.

I would think you could look at the changes to the J model and possibly go back to a 78 model configuration, but I'd be reluctant to do that. If you're really committed I'd look at removing some or all of the sound insulation and redoing the interior with lighter materials. I would be very reluctant to remove the insulation but I suppose it's an option.

[Marauder]

Ok. Now we are on subject near and dear to me. As a physician, I understand the importance of proper nutrition. This is what works for me. Not always successful, but I try every day. Have lost tons of weight doing the following. You don't need a book to learn these secrets, no marketing gimmicks, just hard work. Remember, loosing weight goes against the grain of survival. Weight loss is not easy and you have to give it lots of space and time for failures to work. But stick with it. It works! The trick to loosing weight and increasing your planes useful load is: 1. Try to stay hungry to an extent. You loose weight when your hungry, not full. 2. When you sit down for a meal, portion yourself, stand up and move around before you are done. Sitting the whole meal always makes you feel way to full when you leave the table. 3. For me a fat reduced or fat free meal means more than low carbs. Thats why they call fat...well, fat 4. Don't eat after 7 pm 5. Drink lots and lots of water 6. Don't watch the food channels 7. Eat high fiber, low fat foods. Salads with fat free dressing is great. Get used to it. 8. Eat to live, not live to eat 9. Don't make eating experiences the main focus of your evening. 10. Exercise. Exercise. Exercise. I know if you read the books you only loose a few hundred calories during the time of exercising. But the increased metabolism continues well after your time in the gym and the weight loss will be beyond your expectations. 11. DON'T EAT DESERTS -After a while you will not miss it. Promise! I have completed 35 marathons including Boston this year (DNF) and exercise to me is the essence of weight loss. The endorphin rush of exercising is like a perfect landing on a moonlit evening. Whether you run, walk, swim, bike, treadmill, get your heart rate up and sustain it for 30 minutes or so. Go to bed hungry, and wake up even more hungrier, and appreciate an egg white muffin with no butter or oil. Don't stuff yourself, walk away from the table slightly hungry. Remember, the feeling of hunger should be a better feeling than being stuffed. Just my opinion. Now lets go fly! Ron

I've lost in excess of 70 pounds twice in the 12 years. The first time was 82 pounds and it was through an unbelievable commitment to exercise. Guess what? You can't exercise 4 hours a night forever. The weight came back. The second attempt was in January 2012 where I lost 75 pounds. Guess what? This one is working. What did I do differently? Instead of trusting I was eating the right amount of things and burning the calories, I began using technology. I carry a FitBit with me to track my calorie burn for the day. I also track the exercising I do -- mostly cycling and weight lifting above my BMR. I also use myfitnesspal where I track what I eat. The FitBit and myfitnesspal tools work together and can be accessed through their apps or website. Once you get into the habit of understanding your calorie burn, keeping the engine fueled correctly becomes a lot easier.

[1964-M20E]

The trick to loosing weight and increasing your planes useful load is:

 

 

8. Eat to live, not live to eat

 

Just my opinion. Now lets go fly!

 

Ron

Well Ron in New Orleans this is a bit hard to do but like you indicated portion control is key.  Do more eat less.

 

The other thing is be a picky eater.  I’m a picky eater and when I’m at parties etc. people say how can you pass this up I just smile and say will power when in reality it just does not appeal to me.  I’ve always been thin so I guess it is not as big of an issue with me.

 

As for the original topic

1. Alternator and starter exchange for the lightweight versions I think would give you the most bang for the buck.
2. Clean inside the wings and fuselage sometimes a lot of dirt accumulates in there you would be surprised.  It also allows corrosion X get where it needs to be and work better and the IA is happy since it is easier to inspect
3. Eliminate unnecessary items in the baggage compartment.  Mine is like my truck the longer I have the plane the more stuff that accumulates in there.
4. Have the plane actually weighed you may be the victim of mathematical weight gain.  You could do this before and after your exercise to see what you actually have gained.

[N601RX]

Some of these would be expensive to do if only doing for weight loss, but if done at overhaul or when the part needed replacing would make a lot more sense.  Here some of the things that have been done to my plane.  It came up to around 36 lbs

 

Lightweight Starter  10

Lightweight Alternator 8.5

remove front wheel shock or give yourself credit for it if someone else has already removed it  2.1

If the plane originally came with Bendix mags and has been switched to Slicks    4.5

PSU governor  2

Lasar Oil Cooler relocation  1.6

Remove ADF  7

[rbridges]

Some of these would be expensive to do if only doing for weight loss, but if done at overhaul or when the part needed replacing would make a lot more sense.  Here some of the things that have been done to my plane.  It came up to around 36 lbs

 

Lightweight Starter  10

Lightweight Alternator 8.5

remove front wheel shock or give yourself credit for it if someone else has already removed it  2.1

If the plane originally came with Bendix mags and has been switched to Slicks    4.5

PSU governor  2

Lasar Oil Cooler relocation  1.6

Remove ADF  7

 

I didn't realize the starter and alternator could make such a difference.  that is worth doing when they need replacing.

[rbridges]

I guess we got off on a bit of a tangent. Sorry about that.

I would think you could look at the changes to the J model and possibly go back to a 78 model configuration, but I'd be reluctant to do that. If you're really committed I'd look at removing some or all of the sound insulation and redoing the interior with lighter materials. I would be very reluctant to remove the insulation but I suppose it's an option.

 

actually, losing weight is a valid point.  Even if you're 20 lbs overweight, and lose it, that's noticeable.  

[John Pleisse]

lol. I know what you mean. I got serious about the weight loss when I bought the plane. New beginnings and all that. Also helps with being able to get it in/out of the hangar.

 

When I bought my Mooney, I was 32, with a 32" waist. Tragically, my age and waistline have ascended linearly. Seriously though, MT prop, remove old crap behind the panel (I found 2 unused encoders), lightweight starter, abandoned junk on the avionics tray in the tail cone and avoid deal breakers like the Hartzell prop and fuel bladders. If your HSI craps, consider an Aspen. A lot of old junk will come out.. I netted 7 lbs+ converting.

[KSMooniac]

MT prop is good for ~ 12 pounds IIRC vs. a 2-blade McCaulley.  Much more vs. a 3-blade!  Aspen vs. conventional HSI as N4352H mentioned is another good one.  If you need an interior refresh, consider Ultraleather or even fabric vs. real leather.  Skip covering the side panels and paint them instead.  Skip the headrests.  Don't put in thicker side windows.  Lightweight starter and alternator as mentioned.  Modern avionics are much lighter than older ones too.  

 

If you have electric trim, you might consider removing it if you're really serious!  I don't have it and do fine without it, even though it is a bit of a nuisance.  Other things you could remove include the fixed step, rotating beacon if you have one, any old avionics like an ADF, DME, Loran, etc.  If you've had an avionics upgrade, you might check to see if all of the old/obsolete wiring was removed... I helped a friend pull about 6-7 pounds of wires and coax out of his E model when we changed his side windows.  

 

And finally, reducing body weight is probably the most helpful, healthy, and least expensive!  My weight has crept up over the last 18 months and I'm currently trying to nudge it back down in advance of my wedding in 4.5 weeks...

[201er]

How much weight and drag savings are the following?

 

DME

Marker Beacon Antenna

Step

Electric Trim

[Marauder]

Has anyone ever done a reweighing of their plane to see how much difference there is between the paper weight (pun intended) to the actual weight?

[MB65E]

Lost 26 lbs during our little rebuild project.

Starter and altenator r&r. Removed all the old radios and their unneeded antennas, installed a used 530,kx155 and some others. Removed the vaccume system and its components. Added used king hsi, and electric gyro.Added several circuit beakers. Re-wired many systems with current wiring, removed all unneeded wiring. (some shops will only service loop unneeded wires). On sheer loads, low profile washers and nuts can be used. Modern prop Govoner. An actual re-weigh of the aircraft is also a good thing.

You can do a lot if things are ripped apart for a year...Kinda fun.

-Matt

[mike_elliott]

Has anyone ever done a reweighing of their plane to see how much difference there is between the paper weight (pun intended) to the actual weight?

 

You might not want to do that

[Marauder]

How much weight and drag savings are the following?

 

DME

Marker Beacon Antenna

Step

Electric Trim

DME is a couple of pounds, 1 lb for beacon, 1.5? for step, not sure.