New Interior Panels from Mooney

[ZuluZulu]

Just now, PT20J said:

Try emailing tonya.weinhoffer@vantageassoc.com, although she didn’t return my last email. 

Skip

At least I’ll be failing in a different way! Progress! Thanks Skip.

[PilotX]

Heard back from Dan at Lasar regarding Bravo interior panels: “I submitted this to Mooney and they advised they could not make any of these parts as the tooling had been destroyed.”

[carusoam]

That would be a sad state of affairs...

There isn’t a soul in the plastics parts industry that would intentionally destroy a set of tools...

Of course...  when a company decides it no longer wants to produce something....   a new story arises... often written without the help of an engineer...

Bravos and Ovations are probably sharing the same tools...

expect that there is more detail to that story... Dan is one of the most reliable people in the aviation parts business...

 

It is hard to sell new machines without the ability to demonstrate support for the last batch of machines...

PP thoughts while shaking my head...

Best regards,

-a-

[zippymac]

for what its worth - having dome auto restorations I have used a plastic covering then a lament of fiber glass to make a mold on both sides of the part - then using carbon fiber and a vacuum pump to pull the resin through make a perfect replica out of carbon fiber.

I also got a 3d Printer as a means to making those small hard to find parts like knobs cargo door prop rods etc...

see image of a Mooney 20c prop rod - going to place a rib on the edges to add some extra strength for a friends 1965 Mooney 20c.

 

[zippymac]

[carusoam]

Great molding details Zippy!

I have watched a lot of Mike Patey making molds that way.

Lots of hours...  hand making the mold perfectly...

With great, precise, results, when making the part.

Don’t forget... pics would be great!

Best regards,

-a-

[LANCECASPER]

On 5/3/2021 at 9:20 PM, PilotX said:

Heard back from Dan at Lasar regarding Bravo interior panels: “I submitted this to Mooney and they advised they could not make any of these parts as the tooling had been destroyed.”

That's stupidity. The 2006-2016 Acclaims used the same interior panels as the 1994-2006 Bravos. (Mooney switched from Royalite to Ultraleather-covered fiberglass in 1994)

[Oldguy]

I know a while back, Plane Plastics (pre-Vantage) would take your part and make a mold from it to make a new part, if there was enough of it to do so. Not sure about now, but never hurts to ask.

[carusoam]

8 hours ago, Oldguy said:

I know a while back, Plane Plastics (pre-Vantage) would take your part and make a mold from it to make a new part, if there was enough of it to do so. Not sure about now, but never hurts to ask.

An MSer posted this method for making carbon fiber parts... earlier today... he was making the hinged arm to hold the baggage door open...

Making thermoform molds for plastic parts the same way, from other parts, has been done for decades.... I first saw it in the 90s...

It helps to Have some mold making experience... because our old parts are often really misshapen.... 

This should help set expectations when speaking with the vantage people...

Best regards,

-a-