Those Remarkable Mooneys by Larry Ball

[DrBill]

My son got me this book for Fathers Day and I just finished it.   What an education about the Mooney Airplane company.  This is a great way to learn about the history of the company and the planes.  Highly recommended for those of us working as Ambassadors for the AOPA fly-ins. 

I'll bet Jolie, Mitch, Trey and  Lela  can quote the book from cover to cover !!

 

BILL

 

 

[Bob_Belville]

A copy of the book came with all the extras the PO threw in with my plane. A nice resource for sure though the fact that Ball is really a Beech guy shows here and there, e.g. the merits of Al Mooney's unconventional tail design.

[mooneygirl]

We are so lucky to have these resources. This was a big motivator in making the movie. Now with the museum in development, I feel pretty confident we can keep the history alive.  I don't believe there is another company currently in production in the US that can boast this many years!  Go Mooney. Hope to see a lot of our Mooney family at OSH14.

[DaV8or]

We are so lucky to have these resources. This was a big motivator in making the movie. Now with the museum in development, I feel pretty confident we can keep the history alive.  I don't believe there is another company currently in production in the US that can boast this many years!  Go Mooney. Hope to see a lot of our Mooney family at OSH14.

 

Ummm... Cessna, Piper, or Beechcraft??

[mooneygirl]

Dave,

Cessna, Piper and Beech are not manufacturing in the US.  I am pretty sure Beech is in Mexico. When I did a photo shoot with the sales folks on the new Bonanza last year they were talking about how the manufacturing is done in Mexico.   Again, I might be wrong, but I believe that most companies, except Mooney are manufacturing parts in other countries. They may be assembling in the US but not making the airplanes here.  Someone will tell me if I am wrong, I am sure.  No lack of opinions here.

[manoflamancha]

Great book and I bought a copy signed by the author. Very educational on Mooney history and aircraft. I have the other Mooney book

as well.

[Bob_Belville]

I also have "The Complete Guide to Single-Engine Mooneys" by Paul Garrison, TAB Press 1980

[carusoam]

Bob, your book needs to be updated....

I checked. But I don't see my favorite long bodies in there....

It's not so complete anymore!

TAB printed a few books on buying used aircraft. Their still on my shelf.

Best regards,

-a-

[Bob_Belville]

Bob, your book needs to be updated....

I checked. But I don't see my favorite long bodies in there....

It's not so complete anymore!

TAB printed a few books on buying used aircraft. Their still on my shelf.

Best regards,

-a-

Sure, in 1980 the 231 was new and hot. (In January of that year a 231 flew nonstop SFO-DCA in 8 hours and 4 minutes beating the previous record set by a Turbo Centurion by almost 4 hours. Fuel cost for the coast to coast trip @ $2/gal. was $206.)

 

But the book has a lot of great info and interesting stories about Al and other important people in the stroy of Mooney as well as the rolling saga of the companies.

 

Reading through it I was reminded that my M20E (known as Super 21, Chaparral, 201 Chaparral, Aerostar 201) originally had a TBO of 1200 hours for the IO360A1A. (Maybe because the recommended cruise setting was smack in the red zone?) The maximum speed was listed as 197 mph and 75% cruise was 187 mph @ 7500'.

 

There are pics of almost all of Al Mooney's designs: M1-M23.

[DaV8or]

Reading through it I was reminded that my M20E (known as Super 21, Chaparral, 201 Chaparral, Aerostar 201) originally had a TBO of 1200 hours for the IO360A1A. (Maybe because the recommended cruise setting was smack in the red zone?)

 

No. That is FAA SOP. TBOs are always started at a low TBO arbitrarily for a new engine type, picked by the FAA to start. The starting TBOs have been as low as 500 hours in the distant past. After enough tear downs show little wear, the number is raised until they get to a point where they see engines starting to fail.

[Andy95W]

Bob, your book needs to be updated....

I checked. But I don't see my favorite long bodies in there....

It's not so complete anymore!

TAB printed a few books on buying used aircraft. Their still on my shelf.

Best regards,

-a-

The "Long Bodies" are covered in great detail.

You are talking about the M20F - K, aren't you?

[carusoam]

Jim,

What was the difference related to valve diameter? 1800 vs. 2,000 hours.

My C had narrowly escaped that challenge.

Andy,

I went to check my reference last night....

Unfortunately it's not on the shelf I thought it was.....

The TAB book that I used had Js and Ks as the modern machinery and a brief reference to the 252...

I was trying to hassle Bob, because his book was printed in 1980. Pretty well before the L was produced as the first long body.

Best regards,

-a-

[Andy95W]

-a-

It was a joke. I own a 64 C model. Compared to that, everything else is a long body.

I have a friend who owns an Ovation 3. I give him grief about how weird his airplane looks and how strange his electrical gear system is.

[carusoam]

A,

I'm good with your humor!

My Mooney passion started with a 65C. Same mission, with growing family in the back.

And of course, more buy-in from my finance minister...

We had our hearts set on a 94 J while comparing to a Missile... Then the markets tumbled.

All are fast, N/A, four seat, factory built (X-Missile?), efficient speedsters...

Best regards,

-a-

[Bob_Belville]

I vaguely recall that back in the 70's, and I might remember it wrong, when the O360 had a longer TBO than the IO360. I don't recall whether that was 2000 vs. 1800 or 1800 vs. something lower.