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Posted

Don't forget:

 

1. second pilot side door

2. manual gear

3. manual flaps

4. steam gauges

 

and you can make mine with a turbo diesel engine.

 

Well while we are wishing and dreaming.

 

However, the real bottom line is getting the new purchase price down significantly but now I know I’m really dreaming.

 

Good luck to Mooney International

 

:D

Posted

An "easier, cheaper-to-maintain" Mooney!

 

Instead of 12 screws to attach an access panel, how about two screws and a hinged panel?

Easy to open engine cowling?

Oil filters that are easy to get to and safety wire?

 

Minimize the specialized tools!  For example, the "gear rigging tool" could have been a hex head on the gear links.

 

Talk to mechanics who do routine maintenance tasks and find out how to cut their shop time.

 

A lot of the shop time required by our Mooneys is just to get access to the troubled part.

 

Learn from the experimental guys and avoid specialized, fabricated parts.

 

Make the people who design Mooneys do routine maintenance on them.  I think they'd have a lot better idea how to improve maintainability!

 

We own the most efficient machines in the air.....but not in the shop!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted

 

We own the most efficient machines in the air.....but not in the shop!

 

Keep in mind an efficient machine in the shop has lots of room to work, and is thus bigger in all dimensions and heavier.  And slower and less efficient than any Mooney.   :lol:   That is the price we pay, I'm afraid.  I love wrenching on mine, but I'm glad I only do mine and don't have to do it every day!

  • Like 1
Posted

I would hope for a more responsive company...Hell I would be happy with any type of response...

 

Dear Mooney: For about 4 weeks now I called, I left messages, and I sent emails.  No one responds. I really need some wing sight fuel gauges and want to confirm that you received my request.  If you guys are watching these threads (as I suspect you are) I would really appreciate a call back. Nick @ 954.448.5061

Posted

Everyone knows pretty much what a low engine time, low air frame time early 80's 201 is going for.  Mooney, please find a way to make a profit selling a new airplane with similiar performance for a profit. Lobby the hell out of whoever you need to and make it happen. I wanted to buy new, I did NOT want to drop a quarter million just to get the new car smell, though.

 

c'mon... surely, SURELY, someone can build a 150+kt airplane for what a single family home is going for, and make a profit, right? right??

 

We, as a people, have had flight for over 100 years. It should not be this hard.

 

</rant>

Posted

I would hope for a more responsive company...Hell I would be happy with any type of response...

Dear Mooney: For about 4 weeks now I called, I left messages, and I sent emails. No one responds. I really need some wing sight fuel gauges and want to confirm that you received my request. If you guys are watching these threads (as I suspect you are) I would really appreciate a call back. Nick @ 954.448.5061

Call laser I just bought 2 last week they have them in stock $50 bucks each for the dial

Posted

Dear Mooney,

I would like a turbo normalized 201 with 1100 Lbs of useful load.

Thank you!

Please add your wish!

Buy a 1977 J and fly it at the 2900lbs instead of the 2,740 weight and you will have a 1,130lbs useful load because there is no difference besides the newer ones have less power with 20 degrees of timing instead of 25.

Ok, ya ya ya I know I'm just stirring the pot cause I already caused hell with this a while ago.....

Actually I can see how the newer planes got so heavy, I just replaced floor, sidewall and baggage carpet with new top of the line stuff with thickn padding and I bet there is 25lbs difference between old and new. Staying away from the scale :)

Posted

When I look at other manufacturers I see different models with different options that vary enough to give you a price differential of hundreds of thousands of dollars case in point cessna

Cessna TTx loaded to the nuts 800 grand

Cessna 182 medium loaded 550,000

Cessna 172 medium loaded 400 grand

Cessna skycather- a Joke

 

Then mooney

Acclaim 800 grand

O3 probably 700 grand

02 ? what the hell is the diff between the 2?? dont know engine ?

 

my point is if mooney is serious about making a play to comeback there needs to be more than 3 identical or close enough to the average joe to call identical planes to sell.

I know the fuselage price diff from a long body to medium body is not much maybe 10 grand. so thats a non issue.

But I know there would be alot of interest in the medium body normally aspirated version . maybe aspen or g500 ....basic no huge frills.

 

aspen cost 10k

engine monitor EGR-30. 4K

autopilot 15k

gtn 650 10k

second com 2k

total instruments and switches maybe another 10k

total for panel 50K

new io-360? 50K

airframe materials and labor 150K (I would say realistic)

so thats cost 250K per new medium body, medium equiped airframe that Im sure mooney could sell all day long

So they sell them for 325-350...thats a handsome profit in my mind, and the parts business for the next 30-50 years on that new plane ?? another 50K?

 

I hope Jerry reads this...Super nice guy met him at osh....been to the factory for a tour a few years back. 

Im not a aeronautical engineer but I did stay at a holiday inn last night.

 

Just saying in doesnt have to be the fastest, but a new car smell feel touch for good economy, in a shitty economy goes a long way.

 

any body else have similar thoughts?

Posted

Keep in mind an efficient machine in the shop has lots of room to work, and is thus bigger in all dimensions and heavier.  And slower and less efficient than any Mooney.   :lol:   That is the price we pay, I'm afraid.  I love wrenching on mine, but I'm glad I only do mine and don't have to do it every day!

 

 

Oh, I understand that an efficient machine needs to be compact, but anyone who has worked on Mooney's knows there are lots of simple things Mooney could have done to make it more mechanic friendly.

 

Mooney could save owners a lot of money over the life of the plane by reducing shop hours for routine maintenance items, so it's on my wish list.

 

If you love wrenching on your Mooney, you may be masochistic!   :D

Posted

Bring back the medium body and price it right. After all it has been your all time best seller. I know I'm not saying anything new, I just want Mooney International to listen.

Thanks

Posted

I know this sounds cheesy but a job for my dad.

 

For 10 years now he has had a really rough time getting in contact with companies to even interview with the online systems for jobs these days.  All he knows is aviation and been doing so since he was 18.  Now he is past working as a pilot but would really like to have some kind of job as a employee in Mooney's factory.  I keep searching the jobs website on Mooney's web site still waiting for a post for jobs.

 

As far as aircraft, I love the Ovation 2 the way it is.  If they can take orders, I might know a few students looking to buy.  The Cirrus SR-22 Gen 5 is $780,000 with specs how they want it and in their price range.  I can't say my the Ovation needs any improvement because it is the best aircraft in my opinion.  It should sell at record numbers if the economy can recover enough.  If they can build them, I'm sure I can find homes for a few of them.

Posted

An STC to stick a RR Allison 250 turboprop to the long bodies... that's been my dream for so many years...  They started talks with RR just months before production stopped, so there's a hidden project somewhere in Kerrville.

Posted

Just the dials

 

You can buy the dials new from an MSC.  I replaced the ones on my salvage gauges and the manufacturer will sell only to Mooney.  Maxwell had some on the shelf and I was able to purchase from him directly.

Posted

An STC to stick a RR Allison 250 turboprop to the long bodies... that's been my dream for so many years...  They started talks with RR just months before production stopped, so there's a hidden project somewhere in Kerrville.

What I heard about that project was a bit discouraging IMO.  That idea was aimed for the export market where 100LL is rare or super-expensive, and the RR500 installation was going to be optimized for flight in the mid- to high-teens, and the plane would likely be slower than an Acclaim and burn more fuel as well.

Posted

Well, there in the mid teens is where the RR is happy and fuel efficient; yes, it'll be a little higher FF than an Acclaim, but it should be at least a 240 kt airplane in the mid teens whereas you have to climb into the 20's to achieve the A's top speed...  This has been proven on the Tradewinds Bonanza, and being heavier and draggier than an M20 still managed 4000 fpm climbs and 225 kts cruise in the mid teens @ 28 gph so, like everything aviation, there's a tradeoff that some will take and most won't, but I'm on the camp that will take the piece of mind of a turbine over a piston engine any day.  Also, as you correctly point out, it may be intended for Europe and other places where avgas is either prohibitely expensive or worse, unavailable, but still they'd have to manufacture and certify it here so anyone willing to pony up for the conversion (like me) is welcome to do so...  I think it's a fair scenario, Don't you?

 

What I heard about that project was a bit discouraging IMO.  That idea was aimed for the export market where 100LL is rare or super-expensive, and the RR500 installation was going to be optimized for flight in the mid- to high-teens, and the plane would likely be slower than an Acclaim and burn more fuel as well.

Posted

I'm sure they'd be happy to sell you one if it gets that far.   :D  I don't expect it to be anywhere near 240 KTAS in the teens, though, and especially at 28 GPH but I could be wrong.  They were talking more like 200 KTAS and 20 +/- GPH IIRC.  The tradewinds Bo suffers from very limited range, right?  I'd hate to see the range of a turbine Mooney be much lower than the 100LL variant.

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