Purchase a C, E or J?

[carl]

Yes, plus Poweflow tune exhaust. 

In 1997 a previous owner, Ron Westbrook of Chickamauga GA, whose wife was born in Sep 1943, changed to tail # to 943RW modified this E by the following STCs:

1)  Oil cooler relocated by Lake Aero Style STC SA2513NM (included 2nd landing light.)

2)  Fiberglass nose cowl by AeroResources Inc  STC SA7589SW

3) Mooney 201 M20J Spinner & spinner bulkhead assys from Aero Resources Inc STC SA7589SW

4) Speed brakes by Precise Flight Inc STC SA5708NM

5)  Standby Vacuum System III by Precise Flight Inc, STC SA2168NM

6)  Mooney Bladder Tank 6 bay system by O&N Aircraft Modifications Inc STC SA2350CE

7)  Dorsal Fin Fairing by Lake Aero Styling, STC SA4443NM

8)  Tail Root Fairing Horizontal by Lake Aero Styling, STC SA4443NM

9)  Wheel well liner covers by Lake Aero Styling, STC SA4443NM

10)  Wing Root Leading Edge Fairing by Lake Aero Styling, STC SA4443NM

11)  Relocated Cleveland wheel brake assys by Lake Aero Styling, STC SA4443NM

12)  Hinge cover on Aileron, Elevator, & Rudder assy by Lake Aero Styling , STC SA4443NM

13)  Aileron lower gap seals by Lake Aero Styling, STC SA4443NM

14)  Flap gap seals by Lake Aero Styling, STC SA4443NM

15) One piece fiberglass belly pan fairing with skid runners by Aero Mod Inc, STC SA4080NM

Westbrook owned the plane 5 years (May '95-May 2000) and flew it a total of 58 hours. I'd love to understand that story.

 

I think his intentions were to make it the nicest M20E flying, and fly it for the rest of his life.

I guess he lost his medical , then it was down hill from there . 

 

Ronald A. Westbrook, Lt. Col. USAF, (Ret.), 72, of the High Point Community of Chickamauga, Georgia, died on Wednesday, November 27, 2013. 

 

a compilation: "Mr. Westbrook was a lifelong resident of the North Georgia area where he was a 1959 graduate of Rossville High School, 1970 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, a member of the Oakwood Baptist Church, and a member of the Chattanooga Valley Lions Club having served as Past President.  He retired from the United States Air Force with 33 years of service having served during the Vietnam Era receiving numerous accommodations and medals.  He also retired from TVA in the early 1990’s as an Engineer with over 20 years of service.  He was Past Commander of the 241st EIS Squadron at Lovell Field and had managed the Barwick Airport in Lafayette where he was a Certified Pilot and Flight Instructor. 

Westbrook, a 72-year-old who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, knocked in the dark on a stranger's door last month. Police said a man inside that home, 34-year-old Joe Hendrix, got a .40-caliber handgun, went outside to investigate and shot Westbrook in a horrible mistake."

[Bob_Belville]

Carl, I had tried, not too hard, to find Mr. Westbrook back when I bought the plane in Feb. 2012. What a sad end for a decorated vet, sorry to hear it but thanks for the info. 

Westbrook sold the plane to a Delta Air captain whose wife also was a pilot. They owned it for 5-1/2 years and sold it to a retired air force pilot who owned it 6-1/2 years before selling it to me. I feel sure it has been well cared for for many years.

Edited September 13, 2015 by Bob_Belville

[ArtVandelay]

Sweet! But what's your empty weight now?

[carl]

and now it is in good hands too,  empty weight ?? oh no, not the fat girls again 

[DXB]

and now it is in good hands too,  empty weight ?? oh no, not the fat girls again 

Horror.  Every time a thread takes this turn, I hear the theme from JAWS in my head:

 

 

[Bob_Belville]

Sweet! But what's your empty weight now?

1675#, 900# useful. (Empty weight @ factory: 1611.)

• Bladders, Speed brakes. and one piece belly add about 50# to empty wt.
• Light weight starter, alternator lowered weight by 18#.
• Modern avionics are lighter than KNS80, ADF...the new panel gained me 17# useful. 

Edited September 14, 2015 by Bob_Belville

[Marauder]

1675#, 900# useful. (Empty weight @ factory: 1611.)

• Bladders, Speed brakes. and one piece belly add about 50# to empty wt.
• Light weight starter, alternator lowered weight by 18#.
• Modern avionics are lighter than KNS80, ADF...the new panel gained me 17# useful. 

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[Bob_Belville]

110 stones?

Looks like a job for you F guys with big back seats and useless load.

[DXB]

As predicted...There's blood in the water now...

[MyNameIsNobody]

We all love our Mooney's.  Some just feel the need to justify their decision...I mean love more than others.  I enjoy every mine is better "because" second of it.

 

I personally could not afford an F at the time of my purchase.  My penalty is going faster.  I try not to cry myself to sleep at night.

Edited September 14, 2015 by MyNameIsNobody

[Bob_Belville]

As predicted...There's blood in the water now...

You may have predicted it but I think Carl actually invited B26's eyeball pain.

[mooniac15u]

There seem to be a lot of F owners spending significant time and money making their F "as fast as a J" or "just like a J."  I have yet to hear from a J owner trying to make their J more like an F. 

[MyNameIsNobody]

I think I see a foot peeking out of a skin fold...

[Shadrach]

1675#, 900# useful. (Empty weight @ factory: 1611.)

• Bladders, Speed brakes. and one piece belly add about 50# to empty wt.
• Light weight starter, alternator lowered weight by 18#.
• Modern avionics are lighter than KNS80, ADF...the new panel gained me 17# useful

Your E wieghs almost exactly what my F weighs.  I have enough additional useful in my F to equal an average person or a third of one of Marauder's girls. Put another way, my payload equals your useful when I add enough fuel for a 2hr flight with reserves.  Put another way, I can carry 900lbs over 300NM with reserves. :-) You do have about 6kts on me! So you'd arrive almost 5 minute earlier.  So you've got that going for you...which is nice.

Actually your plane is in another class in terms of fit and finish. I hope one day to be able to do to mine what you've done to yours!

[Shadrach]

There seem to be a lot of F owners spending significant time and money making their F "as fast as a J" or "just like a J."  I have yet to hear from a J owner trying to make their J more like an F. 

There have been several inquiries about retrofitting the earlier manual systems to a later airframe. You must have just missed them...

It's not economical.

At the end of the day, it's easier to take an F and clean up the outside than it is to take a J and convert the gear, flaps, exchange the "Cessna like" stamped tail feathers and install that snazzy retractable step. 

[Shadrach]

 

 

 

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WTF CHRIS! Do you have a finger fetish too?!? She appears to have 6 phalanges per hand... All the better for gripping a turkey leg!

[Andy95W]

Damnit, Ross, you made me look!  Again!

[Marauder]

WTF CHRIS! Do you have a finger fetish too?!? She appears to have 6 phalanges per hand... All the better for gripping a turkey leg!

I'm wondering if she was a former spokesperson for one of those fast food places that specialized in fried chicken? "Finger liking good!"

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[MyNameIsNobody]

Nevermind, false alarm, not a foot, might be a tuft of Col. Sanders hair there peeking out....

[mooniac15u]

There have been several inquiries about retrofitting the earlier manual systems to a later airframe. You must have just missed them...

It's not economical.

At the end of the day, it's easier to take an F and clean up the outside than it is to take a J and convert the gear, flaps, exchange the "Cessna like" stamped tail feathers and install that snazzy retractable step. 

I've seen the comments. Pretty much just idle speculation. I don't recall any such posts by J owners. 

[ArtVandelay]

Has anyone ever bothered to have their plane weighed, and if you did, was it heavier or lighter than calculated ?

[mooniac15u]

Here's the discussion on converting from electric to manual gear. Pretty much a discussion of vintage models. 

 

 

[Shadrach]

I've seen the comments. Pretty much just idle speculation. I don't recall any such posts by J owners. 

Well then, I'll just concede to your authority on the matter. I will say the search function for posts on the old Vbulleton site leaves a lot to be desired. I'm pretty sure no one ever bought a J with the intent of giving it more parasitic drag, if that was your point, I think we can all conceded that brilliant observation. If you're sure that none of the older airframes have features that might be more appealing than some of the newer ones, I think you'd get some resistance. How much experience do you have in both? 

A lot of Beech owners prefer the V35 to the A36 (I know I would). I like my F, I like that it has simple systems and is light weight. I have flown two 201s. We're they faster? Sure, by a margin of makes almost no difference except for in a race. Both were heavier by 60lbs or more. From the inside they are the same airplane save for a taller panel and a raked windshield. The interior on any of these birds is as good as the last upgrade. Same with avionics. I think they're all great airplanes. However, I just happen to be in the camp that thinks the unique systems (e.g. Hydraulic flaps, manual gear, pneumatic step) of the early birds gives them something that is uniquely desirable. I certainly was not trying to disparage the J. Though I think that you were atempting to extoll it's superiority with your comment. Everyone loves their own plane, except my buddy with a Tri-Pacer, he really wants a Mooney!

Edited November 7, 2015 by Shadrach

[mooniac15u]

Well then, I'll just concede to your authority on the matter.

Passive-aggressive much?

[carl]

ha ha . classic . 

 

i think even people.who like their tripacer. no longer like them . 

i have a friend with one . he convereted.it.to.a.tail .dragger .