Average useful load of a Mooney

[M20F-1968]

1968 F, 980 useful load fuel and people, 90 gallon tanks

John Breda

[DXB]

My '68C model left the factory with 1005 lb useful load (appears to have been weighed at the factory per docs - a small number of planes). The C models with bare bones factory avionics had 1050.  It now has a calculated useful load of 894lb, merely 565lb with 54.8 gallon bladders full.  

I plan to reweigh at some point - I think it should have more useful load.  It lost 30lb to the bladders and I think the Top Prop weighs a bit more.   It was also never reweighed after swap to a more spartan interior and strip/repaint.  It also has a clean install of modern avionics now,  though calculated gain only gave back 6 lbs after the new panel. 

At some point, I also hope to recover some useful load by replacing components as they fail with lighter ones: e.g. Skytec starter, PCU5000 governor, vac system removal and install of electronic backup AI, maybe step removal for reweigh purposes

[JCD]

1978 M20J 201

1016lb Useful load

(390.4lb) 64 gallons of fuel

625.6lb Payload

[pdxphil]

1968 M20F

Useful Load = 1,044

Fuel Capacity = 64 gal. usable

Full fuel payload = 660

[INA201]

1978J 

980 lbs 

bladders with 55 gallon fuel capacity

650 lbs full fuel capacity

[xcrmckenna]

1977 201j 994.4 useful load 64 gallons 610.4 payload.


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[Raptor05121]

Well that's one way to revive a thread from the dead

[gsxrpilot]

1987 M20K 252 TSE

Useful Load: 850ish and increasing

Fuel: stock tanks 75 gal

[Greg Ellis]

1963 C model

Useful Load: 1008 lbs.

Fuel: Stock tanks with 48 gals

Payload after full tanks: 720 lbs or so.

[ArtVandelay]

The best UL I've seen is the Eagle over the Selling Aircraft forum.

[Oscar Avalle]

M20C, with 64 gal of fuel. 500 lbs with full tanks. Range 6 hours with reserve. More than that... ? I don't know...I did it once going from key west to Guatemala City, but it was tough on my back part.


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[Raptor05121]

How'd you get 64 in a C? F wings?

The 48 gallon tanks are the thing I dislike the most about my 63

[Bob_Belville]

11 hours ago, Raptor05121 said:

How'd you get 64 in a C? F wings?

The 48 gallon tanks are the thing I dislike the most about my 63

bladders.

[Oscar Avalle]

How'd you get 64 in a C? F wings?

The 48 gallon tanks are the thing I dislike the most about my 63

I installed bladders.


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[65eTurbo]

65 E turbo.  900 useful. 90 gallons.  360 full fuel.  195ktas.  1755 nm absolute range.

BE 50 Excalibur.  2600 useful.  230 gallons.  1220 payload.  1150 nm absolute range at 200 ktas.  

[INA201]

1978J O&N bladders 985 useful not weighed just calculated over the years.  Might weigh it this year to see.

[GDGR]

'74 F Currently sitting at 1017 Useful. Annual next month, and doing some avionics removal / install. Planning on gaining 20-30 lbs UL

[Niko182]

1999 20S. 100 Gallon tanks with 75 Gal Tabs. 1140Lbs useful. 700 Lbs useful load with 75 gallons. I use 5.8lbs per gallon. Range about 1300NM flying conservatively. 800NM range with 75 gallons.

[Derek]

1995 J, 1015 lbs. useful load.  631 lbs payload with full (64gal).

Edited June 22, 2022 by Derek

[TNIndy]

1967 F, 927 lbs. Useful Load 64 Gal Tanks

[hubcap]

1982 M20K -

Useful Load 953lbs

Payload with full fuel (72gal useable) - 521lbs 

[BobbyH]

1966 M20E

Useful Load 943lbs

Payload with full fuel (52 gals)  - 631lbs  

[Ragsf15e]

On 2/21/2019 at 3:28 PM, Niko182 said:

1999 20S. 100 Gallon tanks with 75 Gal Tabs. 1140Lbs useful. 700 Lbs useful load with 75 gallons. I use 5.8lbs per gallon. Range about 1300NM flying conservatively. 800NM range with 75 gallons.

Well I use 5lbs/gallon, so I have 900lbs with full fuel .  I’m just messing with you, but why do you use 5.8?

For the record, I have a ‘68F and 1035 UL.  650 lbs left with 64 gallons.  Gotta get rid of my 3 blade and save a little more weight.

[MikeOH]

1970 M20F

Useful load 968

Need to figure out what makes mine weigh so much! All of you with >1000 lbs make me jealous

[Niko182]

2 hours ago, Ragsf15e said:

Well I use 5lbs/gallon, so I have 900lbs with full fuel .  I’m just messing with you, but why do you use 5.8?

For the record, I have a ‘68F and 1035 UL.  650 lbs left with 64 gallons.  Gotta get rid of my 3 blade and save a little more weight.

I use 5.8 because i read somewhere that fuel is a lot lighter at higher temps, which in sothern california, it usually is. I guess looking back at that its kind of dumb but oh well. Been slowly creeping the useful load up as ive owned the plane so i guess i dont need to worry about 5.8 compared to 6. I think next is going to be an MT prop.