M016576 Posted June 29, 2011 Report Posted June 29, 2011 Hi all- Two part question: 1) Anyone know where I can find some of those "new style" (84+?) wingtip fairings for a J? I don't think LASAR is making the mod anymore, although I haven't asked lately... 2) There was some talk a year or two ago of a group buy for LoPresti cowlings. Anyone still interested in this that's heading up to Oshkosh? Perhaps if there's enough interest, and the price is right, we could do a group buy. I'd ask myself, but I'm currently on an aircraft carrier at sea and won't make Oshkosh. 6000nm is a bit too far for the transit in the FA-18... not enough tanker support! -Job Quote
Steve Dawson Posted June 29, 2011 Report Posted June 29, 2011 I've been thinking of some speed mods also but has anyone actually have results with these units installed and how much did they help? Quote
Ned Gravel Posted June 29, 2011 Report Posted June 29, 2011 Steve: There has already been some discussion on this at http://mooneyspace.net/index.cfm?mainaction=posts&forumid=1&threadid=143, Norman and Gretchen Howell have a completely tricked out J model and you can see what it looks likes in their photogallery at http://mooneyspace.net/index.cfm?action=gallery&userGallery=412. Norman goes into some detail on what is involved and even gives some idea of the improvement in performance, although I think he is referring to another test aircraft. Quote
DaV8or Posted June 29, 2011 Report Posted June 29, 2011 "I've been thinking of some speed mods also but has anyone actually have results with these units installed and how much did they help?" The Consensus seems to be that the wing tips are pretty much just for looks although a tiny amount of speed might be gained if you can put your nav antennas inside them. They also extend your wing tips by about 6" on each side, so if you have a really narrow hangar like I do, something to think about. The Lo Presti cowl does work, but the degree of improvement depends on what your original cowl was. Stock vintage cowling: huge improvement. Stock 201 cowling: small improvement. My cowling, the SWTA 201 style cowl must be somewhere inbetween since it is a hybrid of the 201 and vintage cowls. In addition to the cowl itself, you also get a much improved ram air system, better gear doors and a slicker cowl to windshield transition. If you have a vintage Mooney, the best speed mod for the buck seems to be the 201 windshield. Of course the Lopresti mod requires the 201 windshield, so if you went this way, you would notice a big difference if you could get the windshield. Not sure if Lo Presti offers this mod. If you have a J or latter, the mods make tiny little improvements. Some, like the wing tips and wing root fairings, seem to be just for looks. I really like the Lo Presti cowl and the 231 wing tips. The wing tips are a moot point for me because my '66 F has the "bent" wing and they won't fit without rebuilding the end sections of my wings to a later spec. The Lo Presti cowl I can have, but I can't handle the $15,000+ price. If I had a ton of money laying around, I'd do it. Quote
M016576 Posted July 2, 2011 Author Report Posted July 2, 2011 Judging by the popularity of this thread, I guess this means that no one is really interested in the LoPresti cowling... Quote
M016576 Posted July 2, 2011 Author Report Posted July 2, 2011 Judging by the popularity of this thread, I guess this means that no one is really interested in the LoPresti cowling... Quote
DaV8or Posted July 2, 2011 Report Posted July 2, 2011 People are interested in the cowl, it's just that it has been discussed before and Lo Presti isn't interested in cutting any real deals on it. The price is what it is and for most of us, that's just too high right now. People's plane money seems to be going to glass panels and avionics right now. It is a great cowl and I'd like one, but for me it'll have to wait. Quote
tony Posted July 2, 2011 Report Posted July 2, 2011 I read the other thread a few times, as with most threads it went off topic. I've talked to Dave Lo Presti last week and the price is 12.5K. I didn’t ask if he had any in stack. If the price would come down a bit I certainly would be interested. I'd love to know the before (from someone who started with a C,E, or F) and after changes people experienced: speeds, oil temps, CHT's. He told me they have a fly in on Saturdays, maybe in the fall I'll go pay them a visit. It does look pretty, but I want more then pretty; I want performance too. . Quote
Shadrach Posted July 2, 2011 Report Posted July 2, 2011 I know of one guy that may even post here (Carter was his name I think), who started off with a painfully slow 138-140kt F I do not know why his machine was such a "dog" in stock form. He had the "Super 201 Cowl", a 201 windshield and maybe some other Mods installed at paint time. I believe he claimed that with the combo he picked up 18-20KTS for a cruise of around 158kts. I thought this seemed on the slow side by at least 5kts, maybe more... Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.