MisfitSELF Posted April 16, 2018 Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 (edited) I'm paneling up my Mooney after a lengthy owner assisted overhaul and have a simple question. What order do I put my empennage fairings? You know the ones that wrap around the bottom of the tail. The right hand side curls around to the the left and overlaps a couple of inches. When I took them off, that one was underneath the one that goes on the left hand side. But as I put them back on, they fit ok that way but it just doesn't look right. It makes the left hand side edge stand out and it ruins the smooth look of the tail. Just doesn't seem right but that's how it was before. The parts and repair manual don't help either. Oh, I guess it might help: it's an 1984 M20J. Thanks Bruce Edited April 16, 2018 by MisfitSELF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted April 16, 2018 Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 Bruce, Got a pic to share? Best regards, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisfitSELF Posted April 16, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 Only in their current half installed state. Not sure if that will help. I've scanned the internet to see if I can find a close up to see how others are configured, but I've only seen one picture that was clear enough to determine which side was on top. And that picture matched the way they were when I took them off. I'll run out to my hangar when I get a chance and get a snap shot. How are your's configured? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisfitSELF Posted April 16, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 Here's a picture. As I look at it, I think the left hand panel (on the bottom side of of the photo and still hanging loose) is suppose to be over the RH Panel. That panel would not be able to make the "turn" if it was underneath the RH Panel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 16, 2018 Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 6 hours ago, MisfitSELF said: Here's a picture. As I look at it, I think the left hand panel (on the bottom side of of the photo and still hanging loose) is suppose to be over the RH Panel. That panel would not be able to make the "turn" if it was underneath the RH Panel. You have them in the correct order, you just need to install the last few screws. The should be 6-32X1/2” long. Clarence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisfitSELF Posted April 16, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 Thanks. I figured I'd have to install the last few screws... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted April 16, 2018 Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 Wow. If I understand the picture correctly, those are the sheet metal fairings that cover the tail hinge. On my lowly C, these two pieces tuck inside a piece on the bottom, maybe that extends back from the tail tie down? Need to check exactly, but I remember tucking them in, generally early in the screwing-on process [6 screws down the edge, gotta tuck in about Screw #3 to have enough flex left in the fairing]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaylw314 Posted April 16, 2018 Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 I have an '86 M20J, and yes, the fairing is sheet aluminum, but damned if I can remember the order. If nobody has a picture I can run by the hangar this weekend to take one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisfitSELF Posted April 16, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 Makes me wonder if a one piece "u shaped" fairing would be a better design. And yes, Jay, piece supply a picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradp Posted April 18, 2018 Report Share Posted April 18, 2018 The Early Js don’t overlap like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaylw314 Posted April 21, 2018 Report Share Posted April 21, 2018 On 4/15/2018 at 7:43 PM, MisfitSELF said: I'm paneling up my Mooney after a lengthy owner assisted overhaul and have a simple question. What order do I put my empennage fairings? You know the ones that wrap around the bottom of the tail. The right hand side curls around to the the left and overlaps a couple of inches. When I took them off, that one was underneath the one that goes on the left hand side. But as I put them back on, they fit ok that way but it just doesn't look right. It makes the left hand side edge stand out and it ruins the smooth look of the tail. Just doesn't seem right but that's how it was before. The parts and repair manual don't help either. Well, hmm..... So on my '86 M20J, the left panel indeed goes inside the right panel. I only have one screw in the forward hole holding them together. Strangely, though, the right panel has a what appears to be a nutplate on the middle screw hole, but it must be a very thin nutplate because there doesn't feel like there's anything behind it. Either that, or it's a mark from a nutplate somewhere else... Anyway, it doesn't give me much confidence this is the correct way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted April 21, 2018 Report Share Posted April 21, 2018 Huh. Wonder why they "improved" the design of this part? There's no possible confusion on my C. crazy sideways pictures . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaylw314 Posted April 21, 2018 Report Share Posted April 21, 2018 3 hours ago, bluehighwayflyer said: My ‘78 J is exactly like your C, Hank, except my tail tie down ring is the same design as the ‘86 J pictured above. We don’t have a separate tail skid. I agree. I like it’s simplicity. It looks to me like @jaylw314‘s bird might have also had some damage repair history in that area? Jim Might have been, but no mention of any in the logbooks. I could totally see that area getting messed up by mechanics trying to open it for inspections and occasionally getting it wrong, too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisfitSELF Posted April 21, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2018 (edited) Here’s a picture of mine after I installed all the fasteners. I have a screen that goes into that hole that appears to have a doubler. And now that I think about it, the back side of that RH panel with the double may have had a "nut plate" thus forcing you to put it in the order that mine was. I do like the cleaner "C" model picture above. I wonder way they went to the two piece? Edited April 21, 2018 by MisfitSELF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted April 22, 2018 Report Share Posted April 22, 2018 My 65C had some rubber spacers between the ship and the wrap around fairing... the rubber pieces looked like washers with the overall thickness that matched the beveled leading edge of the fairing... The spacers Probably Keep the paint from rubbing off between the two layers... Probably a detail that has a high probability of getting lost over the decades... Best regards, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted April 22, 2018 Report Share Posted April 22, 2018 I put teflon washers under the screw heads, so they don't dig into the metal. Tried putting a second one under the metal trim, but it's quite difficult to install them, then they roll around the hangar floor when taking the trim panels off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted April 22, 2018 Report Share Posted April 22, 2018 Funny you should say that, Hank! Mine looked like polyurethane spacers... rubbery washers that seemed to have permanently stuck to the ship’s paint... Wonder If this is a Mooney part that could be bought through Lasar.com... Really old and fuzzy memories, from the other side of a really deep sleep... Best regards, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtVandelay Posted April 22, 2018 Report Share Posted April 22, 2018 I wonder way they went to the two piece? When tied down, without that piece you could get mice making a home in the tail, interesting Js don’t have it, I wonder what the long bodies look like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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