Will I fit in a mooney?

[propsync]

I've been trying to find a mooney out at the airport for me to sit in and get a feel for it but no luck yet.  I have been window shopping for an F or J that is within my budget.

I was wondering how well I may or may not fit.  I am 6'1" and weight about 220.  However, I think I have broad shoulders.  I recently sat in a piper arrow and thought to myself that my left shoulder was pinned up against the wall and I didn't feel comfortable.

Any insights?

Thanks.

[jmills]

I'm 6'3" 245 lbs, and I fit reasonably ok my M20J. However, I will probably do two things in the next year or so. 1) have an interior shop install a movable right arm rest for the left seat and 2) remove some insulation width from the left side of the cockpit and pick up some room for my arms/shoulders.

Finally, I also resigned myself to the reality that I probably don't fit all that great in any GA aircraft, so with that as a caveat I went ahead with a Mooney.

[Parker_Woodruff]

Where do you live?...try to find one of us close to you and take a seat in one.

[skyking]

Hi Prop: I am 6ft 2In and 240 lbs and i have no problems with my A model.

You should be fine.

[Amelia]

I had three of the finest airplane partners ever... and they were all what we politely call 'plus-sized', all well over 6-feet tall, and not an anorexic in the bunch. One was, in his salad days, a varsity fullback at OSU. They'd all pile into the Mooney and head for Fla for their annual golf trip. (Never asked how they figured the W&B, but they musta known what they were doing.) But I did ask what brand of shoe-horn they used to get them all in. Apparently the trick was prearranging whose shoulders went where. "It's a Mooney! You're not IN it for very long," grinned one.

[Qwalton]

I'm 6ft 0in and 200 lbs and I fit just fine in my C model.  If you're anywhere in Southern California I'd love to take you for a ride!

[propsync]

Thank you everyone for your response.  I live in the suburbs of Cleveland and fly out of Lorain County Airport LPR.

Have any of you flown an arrow?  I'm trying to figure out if the shoulder room is wider than an arrow.

[flight2000]

This will blow your mind.  This past weekend I took my brother and Mom up for a spin in my E.  I'm 6'1"/185, he's 6'6"/245 and my mom is 5'10"/I'll leave this blank for my health... 

We had no issues and neither of us felt cramped up front.  We had plenty of room to swing the gear up and down between us as well.  Granted, my Mom was a little tight in the back and had to sit sideways because she was behind my brother, but it was only an hour flight around our area.   He did have to be at the last stop on the seat rails.

My family is a little smaller so an E fits for us perfectly.

Brian 

[flight2000]

Quote: propsync

Thank you everyone for your response.  I live in the suburbs of Cleveland and fly out of Lorain County Airport LPR.

Have any of you flown an arrow?  I'm trying to figure out if the shoulder room is wider than an arrow.

[DaV8or]

The only way to know for sure is to sit in one. Someone on the field, a dealership or maybe someone here can help. I am not yet a Mooney pilot (I'm working on that!), but I have sat left seat in a number of them now and have flown right seat in others. I also have nearly 200 hours in an Arrow IV. IMO, if you feel cramped in an Arrow, it will only be worse in the Mooney. Technically, I think the cabin width on both is maybe only an inch or so off, but the roof curves in tighter and there definately less footwell space. Also in the older F model, the panel is closer to you and all these things add up to create a more clausterphobic feeling. Also I find getting in and out of the Mooney a bit tougher. Having said all that, you will fit and it's ergonomically pretty decent. Only you can decide if you can adjust. The tighter cabin is one of the trade offs for all that awsome speed and thrifty fuel burn. Pretty much if you want a big cabin and anything close to the speed of a 201, you'll need to look at a Cirrus SR-20 and that plane comes with it's own limitations and price tag.

[Amelia]

One factor that hasn't been discussed is the way the seats are configured. They are quite close to the floor, and your legs go nearly straight out in front of you toward the rudder pedals, as if you were sitting on a low cushion or driving a sports car. If you like to sit higher off the floor, more like sitting in a chair, or driving an ordinary sedan, you'd perhaps be happier in a Cessna 182 or 210.

If your most frequent passenger is considerably shorter than you are, her/his seat may usually be pulled forward of yours, and you won't be rubbing shoulders. Another thing is if you have articulating seat backs, if one of you likes to lean further back than the other, you won't have the crunch factor. (My husband is six inches taller than I am, and since he doesn't fly, his seat is much further back, and usually tilted back more comfortably, so I hardly know he's there, shoulder-space wise.

[scottfromiowa]

Sigh...I honestly get a little tired of reading about "how tight" Mooney interiors are.  It is physically the same or really close to a Cherokee (for width of cabin)...the bottom line is you sit stretched out...like a sports car vs. high...like a Cessna.  It is easier to get in and out of a Buick than a Mooney...or a sportscar...but I PREFER the sitting position as it accomodates height well.  If you are in the 90th percentile for height and weight you will fit in a Mooney.  If you are 10 percentile for height (short) or size REALLY large frame you WILL have problems...like in the majority of single engine airplanes, but if you don't like a tighter cabin (talking aesthetics vs. actually fitting) you probably won't be happy in a Mooney.  Buy a V tail Beech for space and speed.  Buy a Mooney for speed and economy.  I really don't think there is much difference between an Arrow/Cherokee and a Mooney...regarding comfort/view in the cockpit.

[Barry]

6'5" @ 275# and my "C" model works for me ...

[Immelman]

It may be a squeeze getting in and out... but sit in one, give it an honest shot, and I bet you will be comfortable. They seem to suit my tall (6' 3") frame quite nicely though I'm more of a slender build.

 

[propsync]

There is a hangar party this weekend, hopefully I will run into someone who knows someone.

[MikeinFL]

Prop,

I will be flying up to Medina, OH, in a few weeks for a long weekend.   If you would like to drop by, i will be happy to let you sit in my M20F.

 

Mike

[rob]

I'm 6' and 230. I fit just fine in my C model. I prefer it to the Warrior that I used to fly, which is the same cabin as the Arrow.

[Jeff_S]

Just transitioned from the Warrior to a J, and recently took my father up for a short hop. I'm 6'2" and 190 lbs, he's shrunk down to 6'1" and probably about the same weight. In my Warrior we definitely brushed shoulders. In the Mooney we actually had more space. Some of this is no doubt because I had my seat considerably farther forward than his, due to the differences in how the seats are installed. In the Warrior, there wasn't as much difference between flying position and fully extended. But I also have more headroom in the Mooney, and never seem to bump my head on the ceiling.

In short, my dad liked the cabin of the Mooney much better, although it was comical to see him try to extricate himself with his two bad knees.

[jmills]

Quote: Jeff_S

But I also have more headroom in the Mooney, and never seem to bump my head on the ceiling.

[Hank]

     You'll fit just fine. Remember back seat leg room, though, when comparing Mooney models. Up to E is short body [like my C--my wife and I fly all the time, but she keeps her seat in the first notch, I keep mine in the 2nd], the F model starts the mid-body, and then there are the 6-cylinder long bodies. Not much difference if any in cabin width or height, just leg room.

     The seat sits about 2" higher off the floor than in my Jaguar convertible [there's just enough clearance to slide it]. There's room enough to slide a THIN paperback book under the seat, but it's not for storage. Never having sat in my own back seat, I can't address if there is back seat toe room under there or not.

     Headroom has never been an issue. I've had cars where a ballcap rubbed the roof, but I can put the edge of my hand on top of my headset and still wiggle it up and down. Be prepared, however, for the panel to be closer than what you've flown before. You'll get used to it, though, and figure out how to tune the radio without having to straighten out your elbow or stretch.

     The best advice is to sit in one. Since there's an event coming up at your airport, GO! Meet people, express an interest and you'll be able to sit in at least one to evaluate space.

     There's just no graceful way to get out. I find the easiest is for the right-seater to roll out onto their knees then stand up, and I scoot across and exit onto my left knee followed by right foot, then upright.

     Putting the seat close to the floor also puts the roof closer to the bottom, reducing cross-sectional area and drag, which increases speed and reduces fuel burn. THAT's what Mooneys were designed to do--go fast AND go thrifty.

     Happy hunting!

[Stefanovm]

I have a 65 E. I gave my brother, as well a several others (about 10), a ride last Sunday. My brother at 250+ lbs and 6'4" sat in the back. His daughter 5' 8" sat up front. Maybe, fortunately he was on the ride with only him and the daughter. He wanted his son, pretty small to ride too. His son had been earlier, did not like the midday Arizona turbulence, and declined.  My brother's wife, 200, 5' 11" rode later in back. Her daughter (same one and wanting to be a pilot) sat up front.

On the heaviest ride with 4, it was 180 lb, 5' 8" behind me at 180, 5' 10", 160 lb 5' 7" for passenger right rear, 6' 2" 230+ lb front right. Looks can be deceiving. It was no worse than the C182 that I used to own, except 4 gph less fuel and still 10 knots faster. Of course the C182 might have been able to carry more pounds and it had two doors for quicker entry and exit, but I still prefer the Mooney.

I have not tried personally, but more people in the back than 1 would probably not be as comforatable for them as in the C182. However, my brother had flown in the back of the C182 and said not true, just harder to crawl up rather than down for the C182. He has a bad leg and knee now and was only 220 back then, so it is not a real good comparison to now. Considering his mobility and saying it was just as easy and comforatable, maybe the room thing is just an optical illusion.