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Help me pick a Mooney! (or talk me out of Mooneys if you can!)


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27 minutes ago, Andy95W said:

And along the same lines, check out the difference between overhauling one carburetor versus 2 fuel injection units;

-the difference in cylinder prices (both new and overhauled);

-the difference in price between a low pressure fuel pump (6psi) versus the 30psi pump for the IO- engine (the lower pressure electric pump for the carbureted engines is surprisingly bullet-proof, there are a lot of thread posts here on Mooneyspace about failing high pressure pumps)

Saving 10% on gas costs money.

Pairing the IO-360 and the Mooney airframe was genius, it ranks right up there with things like peanut butter and jelly or putting a small block V-8 into the Ford Mustang.  But there's a reason that the M20C was produced through 1977 and that the Mark 21/Ranger has the highest production numbers of any Mooney model.

Saving 10% on gas in rough numbers is 1 gallon per hour.  Assuming 2000 hours TBO and gas at $4 per gallon that works out to $8,000.  I can buy new cylinders for that.  You've also ignored the prop ECI needed for most M20Cs.  If you can get that done for $200 that's another $4,000 spent during an engine lifecycle (assuming 100 hours per year).  The bottom line is all planes have maintenance expenses.  Some are cheaper in one area and others are cheaper in different areas.  Mostly it matters how the plane is operated and where it's stored.  There's really no way to directly compare the two.  My J has been less expensive to operated on a per year basis than my old D for a similar number and type of flights.

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18 minutes ago, mooniac15u said:

Saving 10% on gas in rough numbers is 1 gallon per hour.  Assuming 2000 hours TBO and gas at $4 per gallon that works out to $8,000.  I can buy new cylinders for that.  You've also ignored the prop ECI needed for most M20Cs.  If you can get that done for $200 that's another $4,000 spent during an engine lifecycle (assuming 100 hours per year).  The bottom line is all planes have maintenance expenses.  Some are cheaper in one area and others are cheaper in different areas.  Mostly it matters how the plane is operated and where it's stored.  There's really no way to directly compare the two.  My J has been less expensive to operated on a per year basis than my old D for a similar number and type of flights.

All great points!  The M20J is one of the best airplanes of all time, and the natural extension of the M20E/F which, as I said, was genius in pairing the IO-360 with the Mooney airframe.  And I didn't ignore the ECI, this also applies to the M20E/F but of course not to the J.  I wasn't comparing the J to the C, but the O-360 to the IO-360 variants. 

My point was, and remains, that the fuel savings don't come free.

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1 hour ago, mooniac15u said:

Saving 10% on gas in rough numbers is 1 gallon per hour.  Assuming 2000 hours TBO and gas at $4 per gallon that works out to $8,000.  I can buy new cylinders for that.  You've also ignored the prop ECI needed for most M20Cs.  If you can get that done for $200 that's another $4,000 spent during an engine lifecycle (assuming 100 hours per year).  The bottom line is all planes have maintenance expenses.  Some are cheaper in one area and others are cheaper in different areas.  Mostly it matters how the plane is operated and where it's stored.  There's really no way to directly compare the two.  My J has been less expensive to operated on a per year basis than my old D for a similar number and type of flights.

My C runs 9 gph block time. Assuming you can run your J at 8.5 gph block time [not just in cruise], you will save ½ gph x 2000 hours x $4/gal = $4000, almost the parts charge for the fancy cylinders. My C does not have the B hub, so no inspections, there go more savings . . .

Buy the plane that fits your needs. The C fits mine pretty well. Takes two people traveling, takes four people places when we don't stay overnight, and had the highest listed cargo capacity of the singles I saw doing hurricane relief with Operation AirDrop. Ain't nothing wrong with 148 KTAS doing it, either.

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1 hour ago, Hank said:

My C runs 9 gph block time. Assuming you can run your J at 8.5 gph block time [not just in cruise], you will save ½ gph x 2000 hours x $4/gal = $4000, almost the parts charge for the fancy cylinders. My C does not have the B hub, so no inspections, there go more savings . . .

I save more than the 1/2 gph x 2000 because I travel more distance in that same time.

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I know this is a Mooney board and they are fine planes, but I wouldn’t limit myself only to a Mooney.  I narrowed my search down to either a Mooney or Beechcraft.  Then I found one I liked and bought it.  Being able to run Mogas has definatly been a plus for me.  I burn more fuel than a Mooney, but my cost is about the same, and I don’t have to worry about 100ll going away.

But if I had your mission I would seriously look at the RVs as well.  They are fast and very efficient, and being experimental will make upgrades much less expensive. 

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8 minutes ago, dmc said:

I know this is a Mooney board and they are fine planes, but I wouldn’t limit myself only to a Mooney.

Also take a look at the Grumman Traveller/Tiger.  Based on your profile they might work.

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As much as I love my Mooney, the real reason I'm flying gone is the short body Mooney is still the only airplane in which I can see over the nose without sitting on a pillow.  Yes, it is the biggest bang fro your buck in GA, but there are other go fast airframes that can be had for similar coin.  They just burn more gas.

I'd love to brag about the maintenance free simple systems in my Mooney, but it is the Johnson bar itself that is now keeping me out of the air.

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I spent nearly a year looking/not-looking to replace my beloved 231. I looked at other options, but nothing compared in performance, range, fuel economy, avionics, and care.. Mooney owners on all models and years, tended to splash out on their panels, compared to other brands, tended to keep them in hangars, and exhibit a remarkable degree of pride in their planes. And it seemed that there was a lot more overall value, compared with other planes. My old 231 flew my family back and forth across the continent, easily over weather and mountains, and around thunderstorms. My new normally aspirated love, a M20S Screaming Eagle, while lacking the turbo boost, is even faster, more comfortable, even more stable, lots more range, and better equipped. How much gas it uses depends on how hard I push it and whether I fly LOP. If I am content with J speed, I can throttle back to J fuel consumption. If I insist on Screaming Eagle speeds, it will cost me at the pump. I like that choice! I love hand-flying this bird, but wouldn’t be without a good autopilot if only for fatigue relief and the peace of mind knowing that my non-pilot spouse would have that additional safety margin available,, if I were to crump mid-flight. We rarely fill all the seats, but easily can. The long-body and good UL makes Angel Flight pax comfortable, critter flights easy. The other luxury my “new”  plane has is articulating front seats. Huge improvement for this short pilot.

Expensive toy? Ohhh, yeah. But I insist I am so worth it!!  I expect it will hold its value fairly well, And there’s this: My friend at the airport, who loves this airplane, assures my husband that there’s a reason they don’t put no luggage racks on no hearses. Enjoy it now, while you can, he urges. :D

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