1998 Mooney Encore - FIKI and Aspens

[Parker_Woodruff]

Can probably count on 1 or 2 hands how many FIKI Encores there are in the world.

https://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/191853297/1998-mooney-m20k-encore

[exM20K]

Same owner for 13 years is a good endorsement of the type. 
-dan

[Nick Pilotte]

That’s a nice looking plane and a good panel.  What’s the useful load on a FIKI Encore?

[Parker_Woodruff]

18 minutes ago, Nick Pilotte said:

That’s a nice looking plane and a good panel.  What’s the useful load on a FIKI Encore?

I talked to the owner and it is about 920 pounds with obvious places for improvement.

[StevenL757]

Nice looking airplane overall.  Cleaning up some of the clutter/crowding in the cockpit would help reduce some weight.  Can anyone tell if the vacuum system is still installed?  Not sure if I see the word “air” on that standby ADI...I can’t zoom the image very well on my device.

[Davidv]

Looks great, just curious why an overhaul at 650 hrs.  Was this something that affected other encores that I’m not aware of?

[kortopates]

6 hours ago, Davidv said:

Looks great, just curious why an overhaul at 650 hrs.  Was this something that affected other encores that I’m not aware of?

Nothing at all to do with Encores or any of the TSIO-360's! Purely pilot issue. We see this all the time. Mooney's are vulnerable since pilots buy Mooney's to fly fast. But new Turbo pilots with only NA engine experience often learn the hard way how not to lean their engines. Take a pilot that want to fly fast using the max cruise power setting from their POH and if they also follow the marketing department inspired POH performance tables that suggest operating at peak TIT at high power settings you have a recipe for very short cylinder life. Once there are a couple of cylinders involved, many shops will talk the owner into a complete new top even though unnecessary. There is actually no better example of this than your Bravo because the POH actually promotes cruise power settings as high as 93% power (34" 2400 rpm = 250 HP) with recommendation to run at 1650F TIT or peak TIT! That might give you great performance but its a recipe for an OH every 500 hrs too. 

But make sure there wasn't also a new or prop overhaul also done at the same time since if so, good chance it was actually a prop strike triggered OH

Purely for entertainment value, I'll add its possible to do it in 90 seconds. From the Stupid Pilot tricks department, one such example is a pilot that took off with the cowl plugs still in place. Recently checked out so was too busy flying the plane to notice CHTs going over 500F. Luckily it was a short 20 min flight and the plane was on the ground before cylinders actually melted off - but all were toast.

Edited March 8, 2020 by kortopates

[Parker_Woodruff]

14 hours ago, kortopates said:

Purely for entertainment value, I'll add its possible to do it in 90 seconds. From the Stupid Pilot tricks department, one such example is a pilot that took off with the cowl plugs still in place. Recently checked out so was too busy flying the plane to notice CHTs going over 500F. Luckily it was a short 20 min flight and the plane was on the ground before cylinders actually melted off - but all were toast.

That incident may be worth calling the insurance company about

[Brian E.]

Hot damn--a boy can dream!

[kortopates]

That incident may be worth calling the insurance company about

Hadn't even thought of that at the time - good to know! Thanks


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[LANCECASPER]

On 3/7/2020 at 4:38 PM, Davidv said:

Looks great, just curious why an overhaul at 650 hrs.  Was this something that affected other encores that I’m not aware of?

I had a '97 Encore (N40FM) with FIKI - great airplane. The only previous owner had done a top overhaul at around 700TT, but I don't think it was the airplane's fault. I bought it at 750 TT. The owner told me that the CHT's were always hot - he thought it was a defect with the cylinders. I still believe it was a defect in the baffles. The rear baffle seal was so limp that all of the air was going over the top rather than being forced down over the cylinders.

The first thing I did, actually at the pre-buy/annual was to replace baffle seals. with a GEE-BEE @GEE-BEE kit ( i bought the kit for the 252 and it had to be modified).My cylinder head temps were great for the time I had it.

[Gagarin]

On 3/7/2020 at 11:08 PM, kortopates said:

Nothing at all to do with Encores or any of the TSIO-360's! Purely pilot issue. We see this all the time. Mooney's are vulnerable since pilots buy Mooney's to fly fast. But new Turbo pilots with only NA engine experience often learn the hard way how not to lean their engines. Take a pilot that want to fly fast using the max cruise power setting from their POH and if they also follow the marketing department inspired POH performance tables that suggest operating at peak TIT at high power settings you have a recipe for very short cylinder life. Once there are a couple of cylinders involved, many shops will talk the owner into a complete new top even though unnecessary. There is actually no better example of this than your Bravo because the POH actually promotes cruise power settings as high as 93% power (34" 2400 rpm = 250 HP) with recommendation to run at 1650F TIT or peak TIT! That might give you great performance but its a recipe for an OH every 500 hrs too. 

But make sure there wasn't also a new or prop overhaul also done at the same time since if so, good chance it was actually a prop strike triggered OH

Purely for entertainment value, I'll add its possible to do it in 90 seconds. From the Stupid Pilot tricks department, one such example is a pilot that took off with the cowl plugs still in place. Recently checked out so was too busy flying the plane to notice CHTs going over 500F. Luckily it was a short 20 min flight and the plane was on the ground before cylinders actually melted off - but all were toast.

My M20J  beats all those turbos in the overhaul shop and save a lot $$$$$ for fuel.

[Tim Jodice]

2 hours ago, Gagarin said:

My M20J  beats all those turbos in the overhaul shop and save a lot $$$$$ for fuel.

I love my M20J but once you go turbo it is hard to go back. Not because you regularly blast up to 25K feet but to avoid/get through ice, better hot and high performance and to be able to run LOP while still making 65%+ power at almost any altitude. That said I agree with you about overhaul and engine maintenance and that is why I bought a M20J. In my case (and many others) living at sea level doing 100-150NM trips none of these benefits are very useful to me.

[gsxrpilot]

9 hours ago, Gagarin said:

My M20J  beats all those turbos in the overhaul shop and save a lot $$$$$ for fuel.

This just hasn't been my experience. Obviously when overhaul time comes around, there will be a slightly higher cost. Jewell shows my engine overhaul will be just $1750 more than a IO360.

But I've had almost five years, four annuals, and 600+ hours of trouble free operation. My annuals have not been any more expensive than they were with my M20C. Maybe I'm just lucky. 

[larryb]

I have replaced one cylinder in my encore due to burned exhaust valve discovered with an inspection camera. I also had the scavenger pump gears need replacement. But my J had a cylinder head separation on the takeoff roll. So neither engine is “bulletproof.”

[Jethro]

 $40k more than an ovation....ouch.  Reminds me of the anecdote - if you want economy, you have to pay for it.

[kortopates]

 $40k more than an ovation....ouch.  Reminds me of the anecdote - if you want economy, you have to pay for it.

wasn't aware of that, but acquisition cost don't even factor in to operating costs after a few years. Annual Operating cost are were the real money goes.


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