Proof of Mooney efficiency

[par]

I've been lucky enough to be able to log 3-5 hours each week for the last couple of months. As a result, I've been able to dial in my engine monitor fairly well. So, it is only right to share a picture of my EDM-830 in cruise flight to prove how efficient the C really is. While I don't have a TAS indicator in the cockpit, we were booking along at 126kts GS with about a 10-15kt headwind. I had the engine leaned out to an average of 7.5gph at 9,500msl with everything running smooth and cool. And before anyone asks, the k-factor is spot on. My fill-ups are within half a gallon of what the EDM indicates after flying for 3 hours.

[carusoam]

Questions regarding the JPI, if you are ready...

1) what is causing the red X?

2) why are there graphics related to the non existent 5th and 6th cylinders?

3) did you go with a carb temp TC with that?

Interesting EGT distribution, hotter towards the even side of the engine...

Best regards,

-a-

[steingar]

Sounds about right.  I got about 8.5/hour at what I calculated to be 65% power (no engine monitor) at 9.5K feet coming back form Atlanta.

[kevinw]

Just now, carusoam said:

Questions regarding the JPI, if you are ready...

1) what is causing the red X?

2) why are there graphics related to the non existent 5th and 6th cylinders?

3) did you go with a carb temp TC with that?

Best regards,

-a-

The red X is required fuel; he doesn't have a destination programmed into his GPS. My 830 only shows 4 cylinders so it must me a setup issue.

[par]

1 minute ago, kevinw said:

The red X is required fuel; he doesn't have a destination programmed into his GPS. My 830 only shows 4 cylinders so it must me a setup issue.

Exactly right. I need to go back into the menu and set 4 cyl vs 6. For now, I just choose to ignore it.

I also do not have carb temp. It's an option I plan to add once my bank account recovers from the previous hit.

[Bob_Belville]

20 minutes ago, carusoam said:

Questions regarding the JPI, if you are ready...

1) what is causing the red X?

2) why are there graphics related to the non existent 5th and 6th cylinders?

3) did you go with a carb temp TC with that?

Interesting EGT distribution, hotter towards the even side of the engine...

Best regards,

-a-

It's the CHTs that are higher. EGTs are very close together. FWIW, On my M20E with IO360 the starboard cyls run ~30 F hotter than the port side. 

[par]

Just now, Bob_Belville said:

It's the CHTs that are higher. EGTs are very close together. FWIW, On my M20E with IO360 the starboard cyls run ~30 F hotter than the port side. 

2 and 4 will run hotter than 1 and 3 when I lean out the engine as shown in the picture. However, at full rich, only #3 is the warmer one with 1,2, & 4 in the low 300's and 3 sitting around 370ish. I have noticed that even a slight difference in the fuel flow as controlled by the mixture knob can create a relatively large difference in CHT's at peak conditions. I usually accept a small amount of engine roughness (almost undetectable) to keep the temps as cool as shown.

[Godfather]

3 hours ago, par said:

Exactly right. I need to go back into the menu and set 4 cyl vs 6. For now, I just choose to ignore it.

I also do not have carb temp. It's an option I plan to add once my bank account recovers from the previous hit.

So if I purchased the 730 for 4 cyl I can reprogram it for 6 cyl?  I guess what I'm asking is are all the head units the same and programmable by the end user (not including the primary units)?

[carusoam]

Oops, I mis-read the graph and color coded numbers.  Fun stuff to get used to...

Thanks Bob.  

Best regards,

-a-

[Raptor05121]

That looks really cool. Are those able to be had for under $5k?

[Yetti]

Hmmm 857 gallons of av gas to show that Mooneys are efficient....

[HRM]

8 hours ago, carusoam said:

Questions regarding the JPI, if you are ready...

The answer is that it is not one of these:

[Hank]

Harley, what's that covering your USB port? I have a pin a lot like that in my flying hat.

[carusoam]

Fancy color graphics, Harley!

For Alex, check on the used JPIs being sold by one of us.  A certain MSer makes a business out of reselling JPIs of all shapes and sizes.

Best regards,

-a-

[par]

12 hours ago, Godfather said:

So if I purchased the 730 for 4 cyl I can reprogram it for 6 cyl?  I guess what I'm asking is are all the head units the same and programmable by the end user (not including the primary units)?

I don't know much about the differences between the 830 and 730 but my guess is that you should be able to adjust that is in the programming. The OEM Mooney CHT probe does not connect directly to the 830 but there are several ways to piggyback off of it. 

[par]

9 hours ago, Raptor05121 said:

That looks really cool. Are those able to be had for under $5k?

If you are asking about the 830, then yes. I paid $2100 for the unit and all necessary probes/sensors. The installation cost was $600 @ $40/hr as performed by my trusty independent mechanic. I think the cost was worth the piece of mind.

[HRM]

9 hours ago, Hank said:

Harley, what's that covering your USB port? I have a pin a lot like that in my flying hat.

That's a SanDisk 'Cruzer Fit' flash drive with a Mooney tie-tack epoxied on it.

[Raptor05121]

6 hours ago, par said:

If you are asking about the 830, then yes. I paid $2100 for the unit and all necessary probes/sensors. The installation cost was $600 @ $40/hr as performed by my trusty independent mechanic. I think the cost was worth the piece of mind.

That is excellent!

[bonal]

Guarantee Pick a subject to post comment on and post a picture of some albeit very nice modern panel device and the thread will be about the friggin panel device. Back on topic Its really amazing how something running at less than 180hp can go 150 to 165MPH while burning less than 9 gallons per hour getting close to 20 miles per gallon at that speed. On our long flights we go right at 9 per hour including climbs to over 9500 feet when we fuel up 3 hours equals 27 gallons. pretty cool if you ask me Par.

[Mooneymite]

There have been a lot of threads about the efficiency/speed/economy of the Mooney based on a flight (or two), but I'm wondering if anyone has computed the efficiency of their Mooney over a long period using the odometer data from a navigator such as the GNS430/530.  Seems like someone who keeps careful logs of how much fuel has been loaded over the months (years?) versus the NM, average groundspeed, etc. from the navigation system could come up with some pretty impressive numbers.

Recognizing that our Mooneys generally return to their original roosting places, the wind would essentially zero out and the result would be the efficiency of the airplane combined with the cunning of the aircraft owner in choosing altitudes minimizing headwinds/maximizing tailwinds.  The wild cards would be fuel shrinkage from evaporation and fuel sampling/leakage, taxi time, ATC handling, etc., but it woudl give a pretty complete picture of "real world" MPG of typical operation.

Just a thought.

[bradp]

Or if someone has a JPI or EDM with a FF connected to a GPS and  reams of data pull the nmpg if it's in the downloaded data.  

[ryoder]

Mine became way more efficient in the real world once the tanks were resealed.  I used to lose maybe 3 gallons a week or more.

[Marauder]

There have been a lot of threads about the efficiency/speed/economy of the Mooney based on a flight (or two), but I'm wondering if anyone has computed the efficiency of their Mooney over a long period using the odometer data from a navigator such as the GNS430/530.  Seems like someone who keeps careful logs of how much fuel has been loaded over the months (years?) versus the NM, average groundspeed, etc. from the navigation system could come up with some pretty impressive numbers.

Recognizing that our Mooneys generally return to their original roosting places, the wind would essentially zero out and the result would be the efficiency of the airplane combined with the cunning of the aircraft owner in choosing altitudes minimizing headwinds/maximizing tailwinds.  The wild cards would be fuel shrinkage from evaporation and fuel sampling/leakage, taxi time, ATC handling, etc., but it woudl give a pretty complete picture of "real world" MPG of typical operation.

Just a thought.

I might be able to do that calculation. I keep fuel records for all fuel added. What I didn't have was a way to track the exact nautical miles flown. That changed with Garmin Pilot adding the logging feature. If I get some time to do the math, I will post what I have. I'm a ROP guy so it won't be pretty like those LOPers.