H Model Mooney

[MooneyMitch]

There was an H model being developed in the Mooney R&D area, at the same time the Mustang was being created and developed.

 

The H was the F/G fuselage with a 6 cylinder normally aspirated hung on the front.  It never flew and the project died when Mooney went bankrupt.

 

I gleaned/filmed this information from Ken Harmon during my visit to his Albuquerque home a few years ago.

 

Ken is the son of Ralph Harmon, who was the creator of the Beechcraft Bonanza, and the person responsible for converting the Mooney M20 from wood to metal.

 

Ken was the very young person in charge of the R&D department, working under his father during those very, very exciting times at the Kerrville factory!

 

Many times, all were working 7 days per week, 16 or more hours per day, as they passionately and enthusiastically created new Mooney things!

 

Mooney.....a great American story!!

[Raptor05121]

Wow, how awesome. Do you happen to know what engine they planned on using? So basically a naturally-aspirated K model?

[MooneyMitch]

I don't recall whether it was a Lycoming or Continental.

I'll have to view the footage to discover.

Those folks were the very heart of Mooney, enjoying all those exciting and creative times.

Times such as those experienced recently by the creative and passionate folks in Chino!

[MooneyMitch]

24 minutes ago, Raptor05121 said:

Wow, how awesome. Do you happen to know what engine they planned on using? So basically a naturally-aspirated K model?

I suppose the K succession seems correct.

[MooneyMitch]

One can't help but wonder if that H prototype could have become the J?  Hmmmm......

[rbridges]

pretty cool.  Sad to know that aviation has stumbled so much since that time.  Would be nice if more middle class people could enjoy it.

[MooneyMitch]

With regards to the J, during filming of Boots On The Ground, and in the video itself, Bill Wheat tells us that the only specific enhancement Roy Lopresti created on the J during development, was the future slanted winglets.  

All other mods/enhancements that were eventually added in order to produce the J, had at one time or another, been created and attached to the G/F fuselage for flight testing by engineers/factory  workers.

Roy was the leader in directing those previous performance enhancements into the final J product.

[jetdriven]

I'm not sure why all these J mods were already invented and nobody had bothered to improve the product in about a decade....  Beech did little things to the Bonanza almost every year of its production and by the time 1972 rolled around, the V35B was a highly refined aircraft. I dont feel this level of refinement in the Mooney

[kortopates]

3 hours ago, MooneyMitch said:

One can't help but wonder if that H prototype could have become the J?  Hmmmm......

Sounds more like an early prototype of the eventual R or S; since a J didn't include an engine upgrade. But I assume they were going to 6 cyl for more power, but they could have been merely considering changing engine vendors and thinking the same approx HP with the Continental IO-360. 

[MooneyMitch]

1 hour ago, kortopates said:

Sounds more like an early prototype of the eventual R or S; since a J didn't include an engine upgrade. But I assume they were going to 6 cyl for more power, but they could have been merely considering changing engine vendors and thinking the same approx HP with the Continental IO-360. 

Thank you for the input Paul.  Per Ken Harmon, it was the F/G fuselage length only, with the 6 mounted on it.  It was the predecessor to the eventual J, and prior to Roy Lopresti at Mooney, according to Ken.  This was the R&D department for sure, and they were having a great time creating all sorts of interesting things. 

At that period of Mooney, I believe there was no thought of the long bodies. 

I'll go back and watch my tapes of my interview with Ken.

 

 

[Ron McBride]

2 hours ago, kortopates said:

Sounds more like an early prototype of the eventual R or S; since a J didn't include an engine upgrade. But I assume they were going to 6 cyl for more power, but they could have been merely considering changing engine vendors and thinking the same approx HP with the Continental IO-360. 

An IO470 or an I0540 would put the H in the Comanche/Bonanza/210 class.   260 HP with some speed mods, 170 knts on 11 to 12 gallons an hour.

Ron

[Guest]

Around the same time Piper had Ed Swearingen put a pair of 540's rated at 290 HP in a twin Comanche, they decide it was a little  over kill.

Clarence

[KSMooniac]

Around the same time Piper had Ed Swearingen put a pair of 540's rated at 290 HP in a twin Comanche, they decide it was a little  over kill.
Clarence

That would've been something! Wow.


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[N201MKTurbo]

59 minutes ago, M20Doc said:

Around the same time Piper had Ed Swearingen put a pair of 540's rated at 290 HP in a twin Comanche, they decide it was a little  over kill.

Clarence

Fly it right through the red line in level flight! 

How about a couple of those IO 720s? The Comanche 800! Wahoo!

[Guest]

The video interview I saw said Swearingen flew it up to Kerrville and pounced on a Mooney, flew a few circles around it, then passed it with one shut down and feathered.

Clarence

[1964-M20E]

Predecessor to the Rocket??

 

 

[carusoam]

It is really interesting how the names are memorable and recognizable....

Harmon, Swearingen, Lopresti...

Best regards,

-a-

[kmyfm20s]

10 hours ago, M20Doc said:

The video interview I saw said Swearingen flew it up to Kerrville and pounced on a Mooney, flew a few circles around it, then passed it with one shut down and feathered.

Clarence

He still had to fly it back to Piperville and visit every airfield on the way for fuel, while the little slow Mooney made it there ahead of him because it went nonstop.