J

[smccray]

None of them are perfect... it’s always an exercise in trade offs.  The nice thing about the mid and short body Mooneys is that they’re built around efficiency.  They squeeze out speed from the available HP.  They don’t have the excess HP to push you back in your seat, but that’s how they’re efficient.

I like my 205.  1000 lbs of useful load, and I have taken off from KAPA in Denver at 2900 gross.  Give the plane time to get up to speed and she flies away no problem.

Edited to add-  I don’t want to start a heated discussion here... and no problem with any airplane... but I prefer the aesthetics of the round windows of the later planes versus the square windows.

Edited December 15, 2017 by smccray

[CaptainAB]

On 12/13/2017 at 3:27 PM, autopatch said:

I would extremely happy if they would find a way to economically resume manufacturing the 78 J with whatever safety related service bulletins applied (ram air removed, fuel selector between the seats). I am perfectly happy with my steam gauges, HSI, dual 430s and ForeFlight for under $95k.

 

Somebody is doing a re-manufacturing program for the 152 and I would like to think there might be a market for remanufactured Moonies.

 

The new J is an SR20

[INA201]

1 hour ago, CaptainAB said:

The new J is an SR20

Sorry, gotta be a retract. I still stick with my above post however these guys seem to be adopting some Mooney principles like 200kts on 10gph. Still, the proof will be in the pudding.

https://www.pipistrel.ad/travel/panthera

[INA201]

11 hours ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

Yeah, that Pipistrel if it performs as advertised is absolutely “shit hot” as my dad used to say.  If I could afford it I would be a buyer. 

Pipistral has a history of meeting its goals and objectives over the years. They are very environmentally conscious and committed to having the engine certified for mogas which is a huge plus as well. If the Panthera can do 190 kts, retract, BRS, 10gph, mogas, ergonomic, etc, it will be as revolutionary as the J was in 1977. I think this one will be certified and make it to the marketplace. It also has a bit of the Mooney appearance when airborne. 

[LANCECASPER]

The later J's, maybe '97 and '98 Allegros had all of the improvements and the new style Mooney interior with the ultraleather covered fiberglass side panels. No more royalite!! The process that Aero Comfort uses to cover older Royalite is good. But the factory side and overhead panels made for a quieter interior and close to a lifetime solution to the interior.

This one is sold, but you get the idea: https://www.premieraircraftsales.com/index.php/mooney-aircraft-inventory/1998-mooney-m20j-allegro-mse-n9163q

Here's a J spreadsheet that shows improvements over the years

201hist.xls

[KSMooniac]

I agree that the Panthera is a modern version of the J and I'm very interested in it's development. I really wanted to see it at OSH but they didn't bring it, had no display info for it, and the sales people didn't know how it was going. I hope it succeeds, but I'm starting to be skeptical.

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[autopatch]

18 hours ago, CaptainAB said:

The new J is an SR20

I don't see why Mooney can't have an "entry level" model that competes with the SR20 and serves as an upgrade path to larger, faster, more expensive top of the line aircraft.

Not sure what needs to happen to leverage the company's existing intellectual, design and type certificate capital and get an basic Mooney out into the market generating some cash flow. I continue to go back to a factory (or subsidiary) re-manufactured Mooney ... scoop up all the derelicts at airports across the country, turn them around and get them back into the market.

[KSMooniac]

Refurbing derelict airplanes would be more viable than making a new J. The fact is that a new J would cost just marginally less to build than an Ovation...like maybe 20-40K difference. And anyone that can write a check for a new plane today will always opt for bigger/faster at these prices. That is why the Eagle failed, and why the SR22 vastly outsells the SR20.

And there is a minor problem that the J tools were scrapped years ago.

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[jrwilson]

45 minutes ago, KSMooniac said:

And there is a minor problem that the J tools were scrapped years ago.

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That sucks!  Why would they do that?  Don't they need them to make parts?

[KSMooniac]

I certainly wouldn't have made that decision!

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