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RC scale model Mooney 201


RocketAviator

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Thanks Carusoam & Rocket!

Although my build has slowed to a crawl I'll do my best to keep this forum populated. My passion for Mooney's began last summer while visiting a local airport where an old Mooney is displayed out front of the main building. Legend has it, that it was "Acquired" from a hanger left unattended. The story seems to change depending on who you ask. Anyway, my initial thought was similar to many others; how could someone reverse the empennage on an aircraft and it actually flies?!? This was also during a time when my passion was running pretty high for the Beechcraft V35. But the Mooney has taken front & center.  There have been many GA RC models manufactured, repeatedly, and in various sizes such as the Cessna 182. But it doesn't appear that the Mooney took hold, which is too sad. 

I periodically check various forums for RC builds for the Mooney and particularly, Mooney's for sale, and they're pretty sparse. However, I recently stumbled upon Christian's maiden flight N205ME plus his build of that aircraft. He did a great job building it and it was cool watching him maiden it. 

More later...

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2 hours ago, MoonsterV35 said:

There have been many GA RC models manufactured, repeatedly, and in various sizes such as the Cessna 182. But it doesn't appear that the Mooney took hold, which is too sad. 

I periodically check various forums for RC builds for the Mooney and particularly, Mooney's for sale, and they're pretty sparse. However, I recently stumbled upon Christian's maiden flight N205ME plus his build of that aircraft. He did a great job building it and it was cool watching him maiden it. 

Me, too. But I'm not up for scratch building one.  In keeping with Clint Eastwood's advice, I know my limits . . . .

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  • 1 month later...
On 5/16/2021 at 10:28 PM, RocketAviator said:

Great to hear another model is being built, I enjoyed building mine, it was a labor of love for sure....  I would love to see images of your progress and see images when you are complete.  Good luck...  

This isn't the best quality video but I'm please to be able to share my second flight on this partial scratch-build RC Mooney. 

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To get an official score…

Gonna need a centerline to compare the landing to….  :)

I assume the whole flight was operated ROP…

Extra points will be awarded if the whole tail assembly moves for trim…

Even model Mooneys are wicked fast..!

Was that a Cessna you flew past, at the far end of the runway?

Is that a composite prop on your Mooney?

 That flight was so good I watched it more than once… :D

Thanks for sharing the Mooney model flight.

Best regards,

-a-

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3 hours ago, carusoam said:

To get an official score…

Gonna need a centerline to compare the landing to….  :)

I assume the whole flight was operated ROP…

Extra points will be awarded if the whole tail assembly moves for trim…

Even model Mooneys are wicked fast..!

Was that a Cessna you flew past, at the far end of the runway?

Is that a composite prop on your Mooney?

 That flight was so good I watched it more than once… :D

Thanks for sharing the Mooney model flight.

Best regards,

-a-

LOL Carusoam! Thanks for your commentary. Perhaps on my next build (larger), I'll go for the jack-screw assembly on the tail section for trim. It was very tempting to try that. The aircraft at 1:40 min, is actually a commercial airliner taking off from SAN.

The prop is an APC injection molded product. Once I find the sweet spot on the radius and pitch, I might switch over to a woodend prop. I'm so fascinated with the Mooney, that I joined this forum to learn more about them.

I took a ground school class last summer to learn more about obtaining a PPL. That course has really helped me understand these models I fly and general aviation as a whole. 

Thanks again for checking out the vid and have a great week ahead!

MV35

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MV,

For additional interesting reading…

There are Pilot’s Operating Hand Books in the download section….  Menu system above…

Anything from the mid 70s on, is full of interesting flying procedures and interesting affects of temp and altitude…

 

Many MSers got here by starting with models… including control line airplanes…

A search of Cox, Kraft radios, or Mule galloping ghost might reveal a thread on MSer’s that started with models back in the 60s and 70s…

As you can see… some haven’t given up their model making back ground… 

 

Speaking of interesting reading…. The FAA prints/posts on line…. A great handbook of general aviation…. They have a few books that are interesting reading and don’t come across like they are written by big government…

 

Let us know if you have difficulty finding any of this stuff…

Best regards,

-a-

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Wow! What an interesting history. Thanks for sharing and especially, providing the various resources. I had no idea that there were so many hobbyist who are also owner/operators of a full scale Mooney.

I have an M20 flight checklist card which I use it to practice flight procedures on the Ovation when flying via X-Plane 11 flight sim. I also enjoy reading the airworthiness alerts on the aircraft to help learn more about the improvements or checklist items reviewed during the Annual.

I'm curious to know about landing a full scale M20: For instance, on my flight sim, when I'm on final approach, I typically manage my glide slope with throttle and stab trim. But I got the idea to really practice this procedure from a CFI who, while out with a student, the student loss elevator control on a Piper Cherokee 180 due to the cable breaking. The CFI had to use the elevator trim tab and throttle to land the plane. Since learning that story, I practice doing similar approaches and prior to the round-out, I ease back on the yoke to flare.

I know that pilots typically trim for landing approaches, but do M20 pilots rely quite a bit on the use of that magnificently-designed Mooney stab, more so than other planes? 

I'll keep you posted on my research of those FAA prints. 

Cheers,

-R-

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-R-,


The cool thing about Mooneys…  they all very much perform in a very similar fashion…

The older ones have their airspeed indicator calibrated in mph….  The newer ones in kias…

Generally speaking…

If you are familiar with the traffic pattern…

Down wind 90

Base leg 80

Final approach 70

 

Find the stall speed chart…

Keep all Bank angles to 30° or less…

For simplicity, use landing flaps… full down…  the flaps will generate a need for up trim… to stay level…

After that….
Trim for speed…

Power to maintain altitude…

Adjust Power to set descent rate at a constant air speed…

 

Magic potion…

Get your sim set up flying the downwind… gear down, flaps down, level at 90kias, 1k’ agl (above ground level)…

Whatever power setting that is in “MP (manifold pressure)… the plane won’t descend until you remove power…

Rule of thumb… remove 1” of MP for each 100fpm you want to descend…  300’pm is nice gentle descent…  pull out 3” to begin the descent…


Doing this in a sim is a blast… I use a keyboard and MSFS…. Many MSers use sims… search the threads….

 

Whatever you do… don’t use these numbers to try and fly a real plane…. There isn’t enough detail or experience conveyed… :)

I started with control line, moved to RC models, saw MSFS in college, took a discovery flight a decade later… two years later I was a pilot…  two years after that I was a Mooney owner…

Sim On!

We all started somewhere… in a similar way…

Best regards,

-a-

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15 minutes ago, carusoam said:

I started with control line, moved to RC models, saw MSFS in college, took a discovery flight a decade later… two years later I was a pilot…  two years after that I was a Mooney owner…

Sim On!

We all started somewhere… in a similar way…

Best regards,

-a-

You-Rock and you're an inspiration!

Thanks for sharing and yes, I'll use these settings while practicing on my sim. 

-R- :)

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I received a couple of Cox powered line controlled RC planes for Christmases back in the late 50’s early 60’s. My memories are of hard to start/keep running .049 engines and flying one or two 360’s before crashing. :wacko:

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8 hours ago, amillet said:

I received a couple of Cox powered line controlled RC planes for Christmases back in the late 50’s early 60’s. My memories are of hard to start/keep running .049 engines and flying one or two 360’s before crashing. :wacko:

I hated my 49's until I learned about the ultra modern battery operated starter  prop spinner. :)

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