Any M20A models besides mine

[mike20papa]

N8335E - Always in a  hangar -  the AD, Mooney Service Bulletin M20-170a, Part III covers the wing inspections.  The majority of this SB covers the wood tail - either inspection or replacement.

[MBDiagMan]

In Al Mooneys biography he wrote about being invited back to metallize the M20.  He was well established at Lockheed by then and declined the offer.  The fact that Ralph Harmon did it instead, may be part of the metal Mooney success.  I believe it was Harmon that had designed the V tail Doctor killer.  He was very intent on providing an over designed structure because he did not want to have another structural weakness connected to his name.  Al and Arts medium was wood.  Their expertise is probably why the wood Mooneys have surpassed the practical life expectancy.  Not to say that there haven't been any wood Mooney mishaps, but I don't think any of them are due to design or construction deficiency.

[jdawg]

14 hours ago, MBDiagMan said:

Jdawg,

has your wood wing bird always been hangared?  What sort of test and inspection is required in Canada for a wood wing plane?

I'm outta town right now but there is 2 AD's pertinent too the wood wing on annual, in Canada.  FVAA has been hangered for sure for the last 10 years and somewhere back in the 80's she was totalled stripped down and major work done to the spar. It was refabriced 2 years ago and the AME said the wood looked like new. She flies like new too, thanks too Russ looking after her so well. 2800TT and still going strong!

[outermarker]

My dad bought a 1957 Mooney M20, 150hp engine in 1961. Sold it a few years later where it sat in a hangar in Chicago for a few years. He bought it back in 1967 and built the metal tail section and rebuilt the wood wing with an IA. Mooney said they had an 8 year old wing that they would re-certify but dad reclined the offer. Dad and I designed the paint scheme, had a new interior and the latest radios installed by 1972. I soloed in that Mooney in 1976 and got my instrument rating a year or two later. Dad sold it around 1980 to a guy in Ind. and six months later Dad received a phone call from the new owner. High winds had collapsed the hangar and destroyed the airplane. I met my wife with that airplane. The biggest costs seemed to be the labor it took to inspect the center section every year. Fabric ailerons and flaps, wood wing and metal fuselage. Yes, I knew how lucky I was to be flying it. However, back in the mid-70's a lot of people felt I was flying old junk. The photo was taken in 1977.

[DXB]

24 minutes ago, outermarker said:

My dad bought a 1957 Mooney M20, 150hp engine in 1961. Sold it a few years later where it sat in a hangar in Chicago for a few years. He bought it back in 1967 and built the metal tail section and rebuilt the wood wing with an IA. Mooney said they had an 8 year old wing that they would re-certify but dad reclined the offer. Dad and I designed the paint scheme, had a new interior and the latest radios installed by 1972. I soloed in that Mooney in 1976 and got my instrument rating a year or two later. Dad sold it around 1980 to a guy in Ind. and six months later Dad received a phone call from the new owner. High winds had collapsed the hangar and destroyed the airplane. I met my wife with that airplane. The biggest costs seemed to be the labor it took to inspect the center section every year. Fabric ailerons and flaps, wood wing and metal fuselage. Yes, I knew how lucky I was to be flying it. However, back in the mid-70's a lot of people felt I was flying old junk. The photo was taken in 1977.

People may have thought the original M20 Mooneys to be antiquated even in the 70's. But this photo proves the old bird's style to have aged better than styles of clothing and cars of that day 

[outermarker]

AGREED !!! Leisure Suit, Silk Shirt, and a Lincoln that only got 9 mph/city and 11mph/hwy! But at 22…I was sitting tall in the seat!

[autoalain]

Hi,   have a  m20a   1959  in Montreal quebec, also have a spare plane for parts. I work at a musuem in montreal, i f

you are ever in area drop me a line,  c-flrv   also their is a nice write up in c.o.p.a.  about my plane on it's way to england,

my partner did not make it and nice story being found in greenland somewhere in the 70's

www.cahc-ccpa.com    look at the bleriot I built (with help)  1911  .  

[Greg Ellis]

On 4/7/2017 at 5:37 AM, Hank said:

Check out Dave's plane, N1960A. I think he built a website around it after changing the registration number. He is in the MAPA'S mailing list, but don't remember seeing him here.

Dave Morris' Mooney is N1960.  No alpha in the tail number.  He has a nice M20A but I don't think he lurks here.  www.n1960.com  He did quite a history on his airplane including meeting the original owner.  Bill Wheat was the first to sign the airplane's logbook on its maiden flight and Dave also had Bill sign the inside of the oil filler access door a few years ago.  Some interesting things about an old Mooney.

[Woodwing]

My first post. I have a 59 M20A. I love it. I'm looking for parts, any directions? 

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard Woodwing.

We have a couple of your type around here. 

Best regards,

-a-

[Fighterpilot1232]

On 4/7/2017 at 0:13 AM, jdawg said:

Any other old school M20A's around other than mine, Canada CYXJ

 

Class of '59. 'Jealous Mistress'

 

On 4/7/2017 at 3:29 PM, mike20papa said:

Flew mine just an hour ago during the lunch "hour" - local and into KCLL.  Based in Bryan Tx KCFD.  Serial #1513, N8335E   Agreed, they are great performing AC.

 

 

 

 

They're absolutely gorgeous.

[EricJ]

Had an airplane pushed front-first into my hangar last weekend for a while to sort out a motor issue and an old guy that has a hangar two down from mine came by to introduce himself.   Turns out he was changing the oil on his M20A that he's owned for 17 years.   He and his wife had just flown it all over the central US from AZ to Kansas, NE, Iowa, MN, I lost track of all the places he said, but he did also say it gave him no trouble and they'd flown it 3200 miles on that trip.    I'd never seen one before and it looked great.   The wood wing really is impressive, no rivets or seams anywhere, totally smooth.   There are upper gap seals on the flaps and ailerons that he said were there from the factory.  A removable plate on the bottom allows the aluminum tanks to be dropped for maintenance.  Very impressive and cool to see.   I definitely understand the draw to owning one.

 

[carusoam]

Wood is nature's version of composite materials...

Mooney was a leader in composite wing structures way before composites became cool.  

Go Mooney!

Best regards,

-a-

[Raptor05121]

I think flying a Mite or a wood wing Mooney is up on my bucket list