IFly2Eat Posted April 13, 2020 Report Posted April 13, 2020 I have decided after many years to purchase my first airplane. I was initially considering a V-tail Bonanza but now my interest has turned towards a Mooney. I have a considerable amount of time in a J model while I was working on my commercial certificate and really loved flying it. I have narrowed it down to 201 or 231 (a 252 bumps up against the budget.) The question comes down to... is the additional expense of a turbo charged engine really necessary flying mostly in Florida and the southeast? Does anyone have a good number on the difference in overhauling a TSIO-360 versus an IO-360. Thanks to all for your input. Quote
carusoam Posted April 13, 2020 Report Posted April 13, 2020 Welcome aboard Eater... Worth it is my favorite question... Only the asker knows what he can or wants to afford... And how much use they will be able to derive from it... TCs gain value as you climb through 10k’ Great for climbing over Florida’s Mountains... Class B airspace... and tall clouds.... Will you climb through 10k’ often enough for it to make sense? OH costs come up around 20 years on average... using 100 hrs each year of operations... How you use things determines some of the other expenses... Are you a conscientious user of equipment... lower power, LOP..? Or are you a full bore, flaming dragon, rider..? If your flying is limited by single hour flights... and hardly ever leaving Florida or the south East... many of us that are concerned by hardware costs... wouldn’t spend the extra change for extra cylinders or TCs.... How do you feel about entering Mooney ownership in the middle? The M20J is as centered as possible. Are you driven by performance... do you like engine ops..? Does an intercooler lowering your intake temperature interest you? If it does... figure out what version of the M20K fits your budget... Yes it is worth it, unless you don’t care... then it probably isn’t worth it... Back to only you can tell... I went NA, even though I really would like an Acclaim... PP thoughts only, not a plane sales guy... Best regards, -a- 1 Quote
Amelia Posted April 13, 2020 Report Posted April 13, 2020 I had a 231 for many years and liked it very much. Leapt tall mountains and tall clouds in a single bound, made crossing the Canadian Rockies a pure joy, in the low flight levels. Summer buildups here in the southeast were easy to circumnavigate, the built-in air conditioning worked well above 8000, and it got there in a hurry, with throttle to spare. So, yes, a 231 is a grand airplane! I now have a N/A Screaming Eagle, which is very powerful (and thirsty) and simple to fly. No cowl flaps, no babying the CHT, no watching for overboost on takeoff. Love it, and its speed, rarely miss leveling off at 16000. The book says it’ll get there, but it might take a while. The beautiful 201 I got some right-seat time in was a joy, too. So my advice, cheap at twice the price, is to go find the best Mooney you can afford, remembering that nice avionics are cheaper if they are already in the panel, that turbocharging is fine if you will be crossing the continent or wanting very good climb power for some reason, (unexpected ice in the tops, for example.) but rarely needed in Florida, where 8500’ is high. Happy shopping! I know of a 201 here with nearly new engine and prop, turned out to be more airplane than its owner really wanted. Very good to fly now, but could probably use some updated interior eventually, and snazzy avionics. Also needs adsb. 2 Quote
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