Average useful load of a Mooney

[201er]

Myths abound, let's try and put an actual real world number down. Vote in the poll so we could get one of our mathematicians to give us mean, median, mode, and analysis of the typical useful load for Mooney M20s. Then state your year, model, useful load, fuel capacity, and full fuel payload. Let's try to avoid discussion in this thread so we could just have an easy to browse set of data for reference and then discuss in a separate thread.

[201er]

1978 M20J, 980lbs, 98g, 392lbs with full fuel and over 12 hours endurance or 1400nm range.

596lbs of payload at 64g standard fuel capacity for comparison to other J's.

Edited December 18, 2016 by 201er

[Hank]

1970 M20-C, 970 lbs., 52 gals, 658 lbs with full fuel, 5:30 + reserves

[N201MKTurbo]

I've flown the tanks dry a couple of times, but that is too long to sit in an airplane. It takes all the fun out of it.

[bonal]

1964 D/C last weight and balance done in 2006 when O&N bladders installed with 54 gallon capacity gave me a useful load of 1035lbs no additional equipment installed since then. Full fuel leaves 705lbs

[ArtVandelay]

How many of you have had you plane weighed?

[bonal]

2006

[cnoe]

1978 M20J-201, UL 1,000.4#, FC 64 g., FFP 616#.


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[flight2000]

1967 M20E - 914 lbs useful - w/Full Fuel useful = 602 lbs (52 gallons)

Comparison from J/K/R models I looked at this summer (still have my notes):

1984 M20K 231 - 883 lbs useful; w/Full Fuel = 433 lbs (75 gallons)

1987 M20K 252TSE - 806 lbs useful; w/Full Fuel = 356 lbs (75 gallons)

1985 M20J - 876 lbs useful; w/Full Fuel = 492 lbs (64 gallons)

1998 M20R - 1037 lbs useful; w/Full Fuel = 503 lbs (89 gallons)

Cheers,

Brian

 

 

 

[gsengle]

1996 M20R, 930 useful (more like 980 without load of TKS fluid), 89 gal usable = 540lbs fuel, which leaves you with either 390 or 440 useful and 6+ hours of endurance at 175kts or 1100nm...


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[DonMuncy]

K model 957#

[kevinw]

'82 J model, UL 900, 64 gal tanks full fuel payload 516. TKS equipped that reduced UL about 45 lbs.

[Danb]

M20M -1040 130 gal    757 lbs fuel  283 useful load  1200 to 1400 NM depending 

                      100 gal    583 lbs fuel  457 useful load. 1000+

The range's are almost unlimited based on many variables, I've done Amarillo Tx to Wilmington, De 1250 NM nonstop on 98 gal. ( nice tailwind) Long range tanks installed in Mooney's offer unbelievable options. 

 

 

[Jeff_S]

I need to change my vote...should be 950 rather than 850.  Empty weight is 2427 and max gross is 3368. This is a 2007 Ovation3 with built in A/C.

The range far exceeds my bladder size so I've never tested it. And yes, I do carry Port-a-Johns but those are for emergency purposes only!

[jlunseth]

1981 231, useful load 980, capacity 75.6 ga., payload 540

Too many variables to state a range and the OP did not ask for one.  I have flown 750 nm in one hop several times, but GS can be anywhere from 120 kts if hugging the ground with a headwind, to 240 kts. in the flight levels with a winter tailwind.

 

 

Edited December 18, 2016 by jlunseth

[Bob_Belville]

1966 M20E with O&N bladders, one piece belly, etc. 

2575 gross, 1675 empty = 900 useful. ~ 600 w full fuel (54 gallons?)

The plane left the factory @ 1611 empty weight = 964 useful.

I plan to weigh the plane this month while doing the annual. I may or may not decide to update official W&B. 

For what it's worth, IF, I say IF, the gross weight were 2740 or 2900 (M20F, M20J sister 200 hp ships) the useful would be 1065 or 1225. That might explain why when I started flying Es in 1969 they had a reputation that if you could get it in the plane the Super 21 would carry it. 

[highlowfastslow]

'65 E, 879 useful, 52g, 567 payload.

Empty CG is 48.4 vs 49.0 limit.



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[Bob_Belville]

28 minutes ago, highlowfastslow said:

'65 E, 879 useful, 52g, 567 payload.

Empty CG is 48.4 vs 49.0 limit.



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I thought mine empty CG was pretty far aft @ 47"!

[PTK]

1983 M20J, 2740 gross, 1803.7 empty. 936.3 ul, 552.3 full fuel payload.

9 times out of 10 I fly with fuel to the tabs, 50 gallons or 300# for a 636.3# paying pax. That's a solid 5 hours with reserves.

With full fuel it's a solid 6 hours with reserves.

The flexibility of long range tanks is nice but not a must have. Having said that I think if my tanks ever need full strip and reseal I just may have lrt installed. I have speed brakes so it would only be 15gal/side. Still pretty significant.

[carusoam]

O1

MGTW 3368 (same as Jeff's above)

UL 1034 (All the O tools accept FIKI, O2, AC)

100+ gallons

You decide...  

- two people and go maximum distance, non-stop.

- Four people and go comfortably, quickly.

Best regards,

-a-

[M016576]

1982 M20J Missile STC.  1010.4lbs, 98g, 422lbs with full fuel.  626lbs with 64 Gallons.

in comparison to Mikes max range profile- I bump up the speed and achieve similar results.... but 5 hours faster.  7 hours = ~1200nm with a full tank + reserves (no wind, 9k).

[Hector]

1967 M20C, right at 1000 useful load, 52 gallon tanks, 680 with full fuel.


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[cbarry]

2001 Eagle 2;  970 lbs useful, 75 gals., 520 lbs. payload.

[Guest]

1964 brand P, 1500 pound useful, 780 fuel, 720 other.

my M18, tbd.

Clarence

[M016576]

2 hours ago, M20Doc said:

1964 brand P, 1500 pound useful, 780 fuel, 720 other.

my M18, tbd.

Clarence

No fair- that thing has 2 motors