Space Saving Inventiveness in Short Bodied Cs and Es

[Shadrach]

On 7/16/2019 at 4:25 PM, 65eTurbo said:

I just brought this up in the context of interior volume and tailcone space.  I have a back seat mod that moves my seatback rearward 10 inches and changes the front seat arms to create "toe room".  I've had 4 adults in their comfortably.  However, whent the back seat is in the rear position and not removed, there is precious little volume for storage behind the seat.

The hat rack adds some volume at a very low weight limit, but anything up there makes me nervous because the vaunted crashworthiness of a mooney would be quickly overcome by a metal chock to the back of the head at 60 mph.

It seems that LASAR got some field approvals back in the day for ski tubes and extended rear baggage.  I had even been wondering if we could convert the tailcone access panel to a door with avionics access and a storage locker above. 

After looking at it a bit more, it seems like a great solution might  be to drop the bottom of the hat rack to the top of the retractable step mechanism, and put a flip down door in front of the hat rack.  That would provide extra volume, a divider for impacts, and be mechnically easy (given a friendly DER and FSDO).  

As for W&B, my plane is a little less tail heavy since I have a little turbo weight up front, but I'm envisioning things like sleeping bags and garment bags going back there.  Plus, our planes are fastest when flow at the aft CG limit because it minimizes trim drag. That's part of why a speed modded short body is faster than a J.

Seem like a good idea to anyone else?

I think you’ll find that J models have a more aft CG than the E models. I believe the modest speed advantages a modified E has over a J have to do with weight and in may cases more agressive ignition timing.

[65eTurbo]

Could be.  Differences are lighter empty weight, 5 degrees of ignition timing if you were smart enough to field overhaul, and less trim drag, assuming all the speed mods of a 201.  Aren't the Fs with all the mods the same as a 201?  That would argue weight and CG.  Agreed, speed increases are modest.  The lighter empty weight airplane is more pleasant to fly, IMO, but marginal benefit.  201 is a nice compromise.  M20 turbos 201 is my dream economy bird.

[Yetti]

So far I have used one of the spare spark plugs, several of the cotter pins to replace the oil hinge pin.  I borrowed a tourney wrench to put the plugs back in.

Tool kit from walmart.

2 sizes of spare tubes.

2 sizes of spare tires.  (the old ones off the plane)

Survival pack we won at the VFD auction.  

plastic ammo box with spark plug tools

Cheap shower curtain from wally world.   Lying on the ground

Quart of oil, in a tupperware container with several blue paper towels, and a funnel

screw driver tips

The best thing I have added is a teak 2 cup holder with a center section.  I lives in front of the pilot seat.   If I can have 19 cup holders in the car, why could Al not add a couple to his plane?

ty wraps

lots of pens in the front pockets of the seats.

POH and documents on the rear seat in a tupperware container.

Need to put the back pockets on the rear of the seats.

spare set of keys.

[Raptor05121]

I'd love to be able to install a hat rack. Would free up some room by putting my cover there.

[Hank]

On ‎7‎/‎22‎/‎2019 at 7:00 AM, Raptor05121 said:

I'd love to be able to install a hat rack. Would free up some room by putting my cover there.

I keep little stuff there--fuel cup, dipstick, spare headsets, tie down ropes, etc. The cover lives in a nice zippered bag, and I generally throw it over the stuff piled behind the seat . . . The tow bar is generally edged between the cover bag and the backseat, helping to hold everything in place.