New Plane - 1987 M20K

[RJBrown]

My 80 K had a black panel. My 90 J has a light colored panel. I prefer the light color. It is the modern look some pay extra for. For resale it seems to me to be Old look VS New look.  It is like the rounded windows. In and of themselves there is NO advantage to the rounded look. We are trained to prefer the new look.

[Skywarrior]

Can't help it - I just like it better.

Chuck M.

[Skywarrior]

Try again:

Chuck M.

[fantom]

Black panel - old, dark, bland....

Light panel - new, bright, modern....

Parker has to be kidding ;-)

[alex]

Gray!

[flyboy0681]

I'd like to accompany Gary when you are down here.

[231Pilot]

OK Parker, today is the 18th, how about a report on the aircraft when picked up yesterday?  Pictures too.  How does she fly?  Enquiring minds want to know.

(I'm so jealous...)

[fantom]

"I'd like to accompany Gary when you are down here."

Shotgun! ;-)))

[Parker_Woodruff]

Ok, So here's the rundown:

I picked up the airplane and flew it home late yesterday from Don Maxwell's shop.

Startup was not a problem.  The engine runs so smoothly with 6 cylinders and the prop seems very balanced (only 800+ SNEW).  After taxi out, I gave full power and departed from GGG.  The turbo really kicks in at about 26" of MP and holds nicely at its max RPM.  I've got some time in a Piper Seneca II with these TSIO-360 engines, and it's nice to be able to firewall the throttle and not worry about overboosting.

Climb was a consistent 1000'/min at full throttle even with some gear on board and 99 degrees F on the ground.  Fuel flow is just over 24 GPH in the climb.  In no time I was at 8500' crusing VFR to Dallas (RBD) where I'm spending the weekend with my family.

The first test is to see if the aircraft would run lean of peak.  So at 8500' I engaged the altitude hold on the KAP150 and brought the MP to about 25" and the RPM to 2500.  This is approx 65% power when ROP, per the book.  There's a JPI700 installed in the panel with a Hoskins digital fuel flow meter - I'm not sure how well I trust it as it has more of a bounce in the indication than my M20J had on the JPI700 with fuel flow.

I was able to get 5 cylinders to peak without any trouble, but the #2 cylinder peaked last and gave the engine a wobble once it got 2-8 deg LOP .  At this point, TIT was about 1530.   So it looks like some GAMIs are in order.  At this power setting, fuel flow was 8.8-8.9 GPH which is just under 60% power.  With the cowl flap fullyclosed and #6 right at peak EGT, most of the cyl temps were between 345 and 360 with #2 (back of the engine, pilot side) being the big outlier at 388 or so.  This had me a bit concerned a first, but Don said it's typically the hottest cyl and on a hot day like yesterday I would probably need to have the cowl flap open just a bump.

Again, it's going to take some more testing to get the fuel flow spread to a number I can bank on to send to GAMI.  I'm flying back to Florida at 4am on Monday morning and will have plenty of time to experiment.  It seems on first impression getting #2 at peak and all the rest LOP, there's about a 3.5 GPH spread between that and 100 dF ROP.

I am really impressed with the performance of this airplane.  The yoke is a bit heavier than the J model in both pitch and bank.  Unfortunately I never got a really good feel for the airplane yesterday as I landed in Dallas with winds gusting to 32 on a 20-30 degree crosswind.  Down low was absolutely brutal.

I plan on flying almost every day in FL for the next 2-2.5 weeks, so anyone who wants to fly with me after work can just shoot me an email.  I take the plane back to Don Maxwell on July 8 so he can install the O2 bottle that's on order and was out of stock.  I'm also going to have several GAMI tests to send to Oklahoma and hopefully have a bird that can cruise LOP at a really high power setting.

At the end of the day, the next best thing to air conditioning is a turbocharged engine to climb you up to comfortable altitude!

By my best estimates, that low power setting of 8.8 GPH fuel flow was giving me a TAS of 142-145.  Not bad with a 3 blade prop and under 60% power. (13.7*8.8=HP I do believe)

Parker

[Parker_Woodruff]

First time I saw the plane...

[Parker_Woodruff]

Let's try that again...

[N9453V]

Saw it in the hangar at Ambassador at RBD today, looks nice! Winds were still howling on depature and arrival in CLL.... but calmed down at 7000ft.

-Andrew

[Parker_Woodruff]

Andrew - I'm a big fan of Ambassador.  Hangar included for length of stay with fuel purchase ($5.25/gal) and it's only a 20 minute drive or so from my parents' house.

[PTK]

Congratulations Parker! Wish you lots of luck and happy flying with your beautiful Mooney!  

[Parker_Woodruff]

Thanks, PK.

So yesterday I managed to get a LOP climb at 30" MP at 2600 RPM through 4500'.  Above that it went rough.  Maybe I was just getting lucky, or maybe it was the altitude, I don't know.

It appears my GAMI spread at 65% is about 0.9-1.2 GPH

[N33GG]

I used to own a J, now own a C, but have always really dreamed of and wanted a 252.  Following this acquisition is making that itch flare up.  Thanks Parker... this may cost me some money!

All kidding aside, congrats again.  You scored an awesome aircraft!  Hope to cross paths with you and see it some day.

[Parker_Woodruff]

George,

It'll be sitting at Don Maxwell and another shop in Dallas for a few months.  I'm a TX resident/buyer though I'm working detached in FL right now.  FL law says they don't wanna see my plane for more than 20 days or I pay a 6% use tax.

I called the dept of revenue and tried to negotiate this but they didn't want to hear it.  I guess they'd rather have no "economic stimulus" from use of my airplane.

Just like the FBO here in Lakeland.  I offered to buy 35-40 gallons of 100LL (at ~$5.75/gal) if they'd waive the $15 overnight parking charge from my first day here.  Margin would have been greater than the $15 parking charge, that's for sure.  They didn't want none of it.   So I paid the ramp charge and don't expect to be back.

Parker

[KLRDMD]

I got to fly Parker's airplane before he did 

[flyboy0681]

It'll be sitting at Don Maxwell and another shop in Dallas for a few months.  I'm a TX resident/buyer though I'm working detached in FL right now.  FL law says they don't wanna see my plane for more than 20 days or I pay a 6% use tax.

Please stay for more than 20 days, we need the revenue.

I just filled up today for $4.55/gal. Cheapest gas in months.

[N33GG]

Parker:

I feel your pain.  Really makes me wonder what people are thinking.  Even some airports here in the great state of Texas are rediculous.

If you are stuck at Maxwell's, give me a call and I will come and pick you up for a break.  There are some great places to eat and hang out not far from Longview, and my home is just south of Tyler, or about 30 minutes away.  Don has my cell number.

George

[Parker_Woodruff]

Flyboy0681 - fantom and I are talking about flying Saturday morning.  Let me know if you want to go along for some approaches.

[flyboy0681]

Damn, I'm heading out of town. Maybe on your next trip down here.

[Parker_Woodruff]

Ok.  Where'd you get the $4.55 avgas?

[flyboy0681]

Clewiston, 2IS.

On Monday they just opened the runway again after being closed 4 months to be resurfaced and it was worth the wait. It's now smooth as silk.

[fantom]

Good ol' AirGlades airport.....

First, that price won't last long, second they have crazies jumping out of planes all the time, thrid....not sure that surface is totally cured.