Is there a 200 kts Mooney?

[SantosDumont]

Moving to Vegas completely changed the economics and practicality of the M20F for me. Cruising at 150kts just feels too slow now when I can roll out of bed, drive 10 minutes to McCarran and let someone else drive me at 450kts.

I’ve also found that my tolerance to ride a sky jet ski across choppy air is about 2 hrs before I start telling myself that I’m never strapping myself in this thing again.

So I started looking into upgrade options like the Lancair Legacy, but then I realized that new Mooneys use the same engine.  Do the newer Mooneys with the TSIO-550 really cruise over 200kts, or are they realistically 175kt machines?

[N201MKTurbo]

I flew a Rocket to Denver a couple of weeks ago. It did 205 KTAS the whole way.

[Cruiser]

depends on how high you want to go AND how much fuel you want to burn

[gsxrpilot]

24 minutes ago, SantosDumont said:

Moving to Vegas completely changed the economics and practicality of the M20F for me. Cruising at 150kts just feels too slow now when I can roll out of bed, drive 10 minutes to McCarran and let someone else drive me at 450kts.

I’ve also found that my tolerance to ride a sky jet ski across choppy air is about 2 hrs before I start telling myself that I’m never strapping myself in this thing again.

So I started looking into upgrade options like the Lancair Legacy, but then I realized that new Mooneys use the same engine.  Do the newer Mooneys with the TSIO-550 really cruise over 200kts, or are they realistically 175kt machines?

200 kts won't change any of what you're complaining of. There is almost no scenario were GA is more economical or practical than the airlines. 

We love to fly GA because of many reasons, but if your reasons are economics and practicality, you should probably just fly the airlines.

[SantosDumont]

2 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

200 kts won't change any of what you're complaining of. There is almost no scenario were GA is more economical or practical than the airlines. 

We love to fly GA because of many reasons, but if your reasons are economics and practicality, you should probably just fly the airlines.

I think I’m at the point where if I could shave off 30 minutes, but the airframe cost 2-3x and it cost me 16 GAL instead of 8 GAL I would happily dump that 100LL into the money burning machine. 

[peevee]

Pretty much any of the turbos will get you real close or over 200 depending on which.

 

[MB65E]

Legacys are amazing! I had access to one for about 5 years. It was a twin turbo 550.

It trued at 275kts 13/14k ft, around 24gph. 315kts true at full tilt mid teens. I have had it to FL240, but the wing is pretty small and was not that much faster up high. Even with masks, that's pretty high for me Solo. 

You'd be excited to go to work again!!

The builder could build another one for you. He is finishing his current project. 

Personally, I'd build a NA airplane and get some more range out of it. NA will be lighter, and less Maintenance. 240kts is doable with one.

Block times were as fast as a CJ3 from LA to PHX. :-)

-Matt

[rbridges]

21 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

There is almost no scenario were GA is more economical or practical than the airlines. 

 

We use our plane quite a bit to hit places like Destin and Orlando.  We live 90 minutes from a major hub (Atlanta) and counting the 2 hours they recommend to arrive before your flight, having my own plane is much quicker.  Plus, you can often land much closer to most smaller cities.  

[Jerry 5TJ]

It's not just additional speed that increases the utility of a personal airplane.  More comfort, greater range, higher useful load and "all weather" capability all add measurably to the overall utility for travel. 

 

 

[SantosDumont]

40 minutes ago, MB65E said:

Legacys are amazing! I had access to one for about 5 years. It was a twin turbo 550.

It trued at 275kts 13/14k ft, around 24gph. 315kts true at full tilt mid teens. I have had it to FL240, but the wing is pretty small and was not that much faster up high. Even with masks, that's pretty high for me Solo. 

You'd be excited to go to work again!!

The builder could build another one for you. He is finishing his current project. 

Personally, I'd build a NA airplane and get some more range out of it. NA will be lighter, and less Maintenance. 240kts is doable with one.

Block times were as fast as a CJ3 from LA to PHX. :-)

-Matt

Wow... guess it's time to find a Legacy to take a ride in.

 

[SantosDumont]

16 minutes ago, Jerry 5TJ said:

It's not just additional speed that increases the utility of a personal airplane.  More comfort, greater range, higher useful load and "all weather" capability all add measurably to the overall utility for travel. 

 

 

After 200 hours in the F this year I've found that my 99% mission is fly myself from point A to point B when the weather is good.  %1 try to go somewhere with the family.  For the 1% mission I can rent a Cherokee 6 or a Bonanza.  For the 99% mission its all about squeezing out every last knot.

[Hank]

31 minutes ago, Jerry 5TJ said:

It's not just additional speed that increases the utility of a personal airplane.  More comfort, greater range, higher useful load and "all weather" capability all add measurably to the overall utility for travel. 

For the bulk of my flying, I can reach my destination via Mooney and rental car in about the same amount of time it takes me to reach my gate at ATL. For work travel, I generally leave home 4-1/2 hours before the flight, plus an hour time change (flight departs ATL 1005, leave home 0400), not my idea of a good time . . .

Fight awful traffic on the interstate, search for a parking place, wait for the shuttle bus, stand in huge, long lines for the indignities of TSA, ride the deepest escalators in the world, wait for the train, hike through mobs of people, then hope the flight is on time.

Sometimes going with the sheeple in the giant aluminum cattle trough is the way to go, like my upcoming trip to ELP with a coworker and our boss (two levels up, not my manager).

My preference is 16 miles where four other vehicles count as traffic, quick preflight, pull the plane out of the hangar and go. I can easily be at 7500 msl, power set and trimmed, in 15 minutes from when I turn the key and push. It generally shortens the trip from the landing airport to my actual destination, too. The biggest pain flying  yself is always, always being told to "remain clear of the bravo" as I go past ATL. Haven't learned the secret to passage, so I zoom in the 430W to 5 or 10nm range and keep my wingtip on the green line denoting Bravo airspace . . . 

[Stephen]

56 minutes ago, SantosDumont said:

Wow... guess it's time to find a Legacy to take a ride in.

 

https://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/19050289/2017-lancair-lx7

 

https://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/1354981/2006-lancair-legacy   (+TKS)

 

[Stephen]

Try looking at my weekly scenario. 

Airline prices at KUIN > KXNA ...note flight time of 7+ hrs. (this is about a cheap as I've seen these tickets as well...often cluster to $1K.) 

 

VS what I do weekly: 

 

My actual fuel burn is 17-18 Gal. Block time 2:40 I would guess.

I do this weekly to do IT work for a big company in Bentonville. It is why I bought the Mooney. Ironically, even making the 6 hr one-way drive 9which (note the blue stuff in above graphic) is faster than the airlines. Given the Midwest icing, probably be doing the drive more this winter :/  I think my block (leaving home in Hannibal to mooney in hangar in Rogers)  is about 2:40 ish +/-

"Go Mooney!" anyone???

 

 

 

 

[DonMuncy]

3 hours ago, rbridges said:

... having my own plane is much quicker.  Plus, you can often land much closer to most smaller cities.  

And I can carry my pocket knife. 

[peevee]

6 minutes ago, DonMuncy said:

And I can carry my pocket knife. 

Psh, I carry a suppressed 45*

never know when you might get lost innawoods and need to quietly dispatch dinner

 

*proper paperwork required.

[peevee]

1 hour ago, Stephen said:

https://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/19050289/2017-lancair-lx7

 

https://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/1354981/2006-lancair-legacy   (+TKS)

 

probably not TKS, most likely thermawing.

[rbridges]

7 minutes ago, peevee said:

Psh, I carry a suppressed 45*

never know when you might get lost innawoods and need to quietly dispatch dinner

 

*proper paperwork required.

Or protect yourself from some hillbilly that thinks you have a pretty mouth. 

[peevee]

1 minute ago, rbridges said:

Or protect yourself from some hillbilly that thinks you have a pretty mouth. 

Hold on man, let me screw this together real quick before you commence with the rapin'

[AaronDC8402]

The Lancair Legacy is a sweet plane. I could almost imagine having one at some point in the future. The biggest problem I have with the plane is that the seats look a little too much like the seats in a DA20. Any of you sat or flown in one to say that they're actually pretty comfortable as a cross country cruiser?

 

[Stephen]

1 hour ago, peevee said:

probably not TKS, most likely thermawing.

Yeah, but at least it is SumthinAwing....right now I got NuthinAwing.

[peevee]

13 minutes ago, Stephen said:

Yeah, but at least it is SumthinAwing....right now I got NuthinAwing.

Yeah no doubt, but thermawing seems to have issues.

[Stephen]

Yeah, I've heard they had flow-back/re-freeze issues. 

 

[buddy]

My O2 with the 310hp STC flat out at 5500 ft. Will do 200 kts but I normally cruise at   175 kts all day long using 2400 rpm.

[peevee]

45 minutes ago, Stephen said:

Yeah, I've heard they had flow-back/re-freeze issues. 

 

I have heard the same. Makes you wonder how much is real and how much is a tall tale.