DavidB Posted October 3, 2020 Report Posted October 3, 2020 I’m looking for an Encore for my own personal use. I know they are a rare thing but just in case you find one tucked away in the back of a barn or are contemplating selling your own, please contact me. I know there is one for sale in South Africa but they haven’t responded to my query and the prospect of launching off in an unknown plane for a 10,000 mile flight back to the States is a little daunting. Thanks, David Quote
Mcstealth Posted October 3, 2020 Report Posted October 3, 2020 6 hours ago, DavidB said: I’m looking for an Encore for my own personal use. I know they are a rare thing but just in case you find one tucked away in the back of a barn or are contemplating selling your own, please contact me. I know there is one for sale in South Africa but they haven’t responded to my query and the prospect of launching off in an unknown plane for a 10,000 mile flight back to the States is a little daunting. Thanks, David Good luck, sincerely. Maybe consider finding a 252 that is the correct serial # that can upgrade to Encore specs. Might be faster in aqusition, but not less expensive. 1 Quote
carusoam Posted October 3, 2020 Report Posted October 3, 2020 David B, you are a man of fine taste! There is nothing more refined than the Encore... It is the ultimate M20K! Keep your eyes open during your search... 252s, 262s, and Rockets might be interesting as well.... all based on the mid-body M20K... PP thoughts only, not a plane sales guy... Best regards, -a- Quote
ArtVandelay Posted October 3, 2020 Report Posted October 3, 2020 David B, you are a man of fine taste! There is nothing more refined than the Encore... It is the ultimate M20K! Keep your eyes open during your search... 252s, 262s, and Rockets might be interesting as well.... all based on the mid-body M20K... PP thoughts only, not a plane sales guy... Best regards, -a-Do any of the above have UL comparable to an Encore?Tom Quote
Mcstealth Posted October 3, 2020 Report Posted October 3, 2020 41 minutes ago, ArtVandelay said: Do any of the above have UL comparable to an Encore? Tom No, the Encore will have the best UL, but rockets have spectacular performance, as do the others. Screaming Eagles should be on your list if UL is your 1st priority. If best in class turbo efficiency is the top of the list, then Encore is the goal. 2 Quote
DavidB Posted October 3, 2020 Author Report Posted October 3, 2020 I may be chasing rainbows or tilting at windmills but I’ve got to ask. You never know what might fall out of the trees. Certainly the 252’s are a good candidate but I’d really like an Encore. My brother took his 231 to TBO twice and has also suggested a 252 and there are a couple on the market. I’ll just try to be patient for now. Thanks for the feedback! Quote
carusoam Posted October 3, 2020 Report Posted October 3, 2020 Hmmm... I need to restate something for Tom... 52 minutes ago, carusoam said: David B, you are a man of fine taste! There is nothing more refined than the Encore... It is the ultimate M20K! But, when dueling with a family member about who has the best Mooney... Check the economics of the Bravo and Acclaim... Running to TBO is good... the number of cylinders you use to get there is optional... Older or younger brother? Best regards, -a- Quote
DavidB Posted October 3, 2020 Author Report Posted October 3, 2020 Older. He has about 6000 hours in Mooney’s. He has about the last Bravo DX that Mooney made before the GX came out. When he ordered it he had them put in long range tanks (136 gallons) and TKS. It’s a nice plane A 2004. He’s at TBO now. His opinion is that if he had to choose he’d take an Encore over the Bravo even with the long body. He is extremely conservative with engine management and doesn’t go through many cylinders. I wish I could get him on MS because he has a wealth of knowledge. 1 Quote
DavidB Posted October 3, 2020 Author Report Posted October 3, 2020 Here’s a quick pic regarding UL on the M20K. Quote
carusoam Posted October 3, 2020 Report Posted October 3, 2020 UL is always part of the decision process... Some improvements are just Easy... tossing old nav equipment for new... Keep your eyes on what is bubbling at the factory... they are discussing UL increases for some things... highly rumor at this point... Best regards, -a- Quote
xavierde Posted October 4, 2020 Report Posted October 4, 2020 3 hours ago, Mcstealth said: No, the Encore will have the best UL, but rockets have spectacular performance, as do the others. Screaming Eagles should be on your list if UL is your 1st priority. If best in class turbo efficiency is the top of the list, then Encore is the goal. As you mentioned above, 252s can get the "Encore conversion". That adds 230lbs of UL so about 1100lbs. 1 Quote
Bravoman Posted October 4, 2020 Report Posted October 4, 2020 16 hours ago, DavidB said: Older. He has about 6000 hours in Mooney’s. He has about the last Bravo DX that Mooney made before the GX came out. When he ordered it he had them put in long range tanks (136 gallons) and TKS. It’s a nice plane A 2004. He’s at TBO now. His opinion is that if he had to choose he’d take an Encore over the Bravo even with the long body. He is extremely conservative with engine management and doesn’t go through many cylinders. I wish I could get him on MS because he has a wealth of knowledge. Wow, I had no idea any of the extended range tank setups for the Bravo had that much capacity. I was aware of only the Monroy which extends capacity to 118 gallons, which is aftermarket and is what I have. The factory had something with more? Quote
LANCECASPER Posted October 4, 2020 Report Posted October 4, 2020 1 hour ago, Bravoman said: Wow, I had no idea any of the extended range tank setups for the Bravo had that much capacity. I was aware of only the Monroy which extends capacity to 118 gallons, which is aftermarket and is what I have. The factory had something with more? Good question - the placard below the fuel gauges on my M20M shows 120 gallons, but I do know it holds more, http://www.monroyaero.com/lrupgad.pdf We should page Jose Monroy and ask. @Gagarin 2 Quote
carusoam Posted October 4, 2020 Report Posted October 4, 2020 @Danb may have the answer to extended range tanks for the long body Mooneys... I could guess at 130gallon... From fuzzy old memory... When you read the famous Ad from José... it clearly states 130 gallons for the Long Bodies... Way to go Lance! (Lance keeps lots of amazing details!) Best regards, -a- Quote
ArtVandelay Posted October 4, 2020 Report Posted October 4, 2020 [mention=7739]Danb[/mention] may have the answer to extended range tanks for the long body Mooneys... I could guess at 130gallon... From fuzzy old memory... When you read the famous Ad from José... it clearly states 130 gallons for the Long Bodies... Way to go Lance! (Lance keeps lots of amazing details!) Best regards, -a-I assume 130 is without speed brakes, less with. 1 Quote
carusoam Posted October 4, 2020 Report Posted October 4, 2020 21 minutes ago, ArtVandelay said: I assume 130 is without speed brakes, less with. Speed brakes are located on the other side of the main spar, for Long bodies... the dry side... All Long Bodies got the speed brakes to avoid slips on final... to keep the full flaps from shadowing the tail plane... Plus, way Too many challenges to put an electric motor inside the fuel tank... compare to other Mooneys that have the extended tanks separate and further out on the wings... with an additional fuel cap to aid in filling... Long bodies behave as if they have one giant tank in each wing, occupying multiple bays... PP thoughts only, may be missing some accuracy... Best regards, -a- 2 Quote
Paul_Havelka Posted October 4, 2020 Report Posted October 4, 2020 I'd definitely look at the 252 that's eligible for the upgrades and gather your parts and like @gsxrpilot pilot is doing right now. Took his in for annual as a 252 and will be getting it back essentially an encore. This will be my goal when I am back in the market sometime next year. My even hold out for a rocket. 1 Quote
DavidB Posted October 4, 2020 Author Report Posted October 4, 2020 You've got it right. One great big wing tank. Speed brakes are located as usual. BTW - I'm still looking for an Encore! Cheers! Quote
DavidB Posted October 4, 2020 Author Report Posted October 4, 2020 10 minutes ago, Paul_Havelka said: I'd definitely look at the 252 that's eligible for the upgrades and gather your parts and like @gsxrpilot pilot is doing right now. Took his in for annual as a 252 and will be getting it back essentially an encore. This will be my goal when I am back in the market sometime next year. My even hold out for a rocket. Thanks for the tip. I'll go and see what gsxrpilot is up to. 1 Quote
Gagarin Posted October 4, 2020 Report Posted October 4, 2020 When you fill up all the long bodies with long range tanks to the top skin surface they will make 130+ gallons total. Some of the early long bodies have conduits at the filler hole that inhibit filling quickly to the top , thus limiting the amount of fuel you can put in. The table below shows the different fuel capacities. All of them are with speed brakes installed. 3 1 Quote
carusoam Posted October 4, 2020 Report Posted October 4, 2020 Gotcha covered José! It is great to have your support on MS! Best regards, -a- 2 Quote
Danb Posted October 4, 2020 Report Posted October 4, 2020 5 hours ago, carusoam said: @Danb may have the answer to extended range tanks for the long body Mooneys... I could guess at 130gallon... From fuzzy old memory... When you read the famous Ad from José... it clearly states 130 gallons for the Long Bodies... Way to go Lance! (Lance keeps lots of amazing details!) Best regards, -a- You got it Ant 130, I generally fill to 120 which with me wife and luggage puts me near gross.. 1 Quote
MIm20c Posted October 4, 2020 Report Posted October 4, 2020 To get a high UL you will need to find an upgraded 252 or upgrade it yourself. The late 90’s vintage planes have UL’s in the mid to upper 900’s. Quote
gsxrpilot Posted October 5, 2020 Report Posted October 5, 2020 5 hours ago, DavidB said: Thanks for the tip. I'll go and see what gsxrpilot is up to. Out camping in the Rocky Mountains this weekend, is what we've been up to As @Parker_Woodruff said, my 252 is at SWTA in Smithville, TX for an annual, engine overhaul, and Encore conversion. I'm looking forward to 220 HP and 1100 lbs UL when it's all finished. Hopefully before Christmas. Any 252 with a serial number of 25-1000 or later should be eligible for the Encore conversion. It's still not a factory Encore of which only 36 or so were produced. They all have the late 90's interiors which are really nice. But nothing Hector in at AeroComfort in San Antonio can't remedy. A nice factory Encore will likely cost you $225K or more. A nice 252 can be had for a bit less than that. The conversion costs between $15K and $50K depending on how involved you are. Show up with all the parts in your possession, during an annual and engine overhaul, and you'll be on the lower end of that. Drop the 252 off at a shop and say you'll be back for your Encore in a few weeks, and you'll be on the higher end. Finding the right 252 and converting it to an Encore can be a good investment. As you've discovered, they are rare and rarely come up for sale. Some say they are the best model Mooney ever produced. I know my 252 is quite a special traveling machine, with the only disadvantage being sub 900 lb useful load. The Encore conversion will solve that. She regularly does 190 knots true up in the flight levels sipping gas at less than 10 gph. 1 Quote
DavidB Posted October 5, 2020 Author Report Posted October 5, 2020 54 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said: Out camping in the Rocky Mountains this weekend, is what we've been up to As @Parker_Woodruff said, my 252 is at SWTA in Smithville, TX for an annual, engine overhaul, and Encore conversion. I'm looking forward to 220 HP and 1100 lbs UL when it's all finished. Hopefully before Christmas. Any 252 with a serial number of 25-1000 or later should be eligible for the Encore conversion. It's still not a factory Encore of which only 36 or so were produced. They all have the late 90's interiors which are really nice. But nothing Hector in at AeroComfort in San Antonio can't remedy. A nice factory Encore will likely cost you $225K or more. A nice 252 can be had for a bit less than that. The conversion costs between $15K and $50K depending on how involved you are. Show up with all the parts in your possession, during an annual and engine overhaul, and you'll be on the lower end of that. Drop the 252 off at a shop and say you'll be back for your Encore in a few weeks, and you'll be on the higher end. Finding the right 252 and converting it to an Encore can be a good investment. As you've discovered, they are rare and rarely come up for sale. Some say they are the best model Mooney ever produced. I know my 252 is quite a special traveling machine, with the only disadvantage being sub 900 lb useful load. The Encore conversion will solve that. She regularly does 190 knots true up in the flight levels sipping gas at less than 10 gph. We've just returned from a long weekend in Lexington Ky and exploring the Bourbon Trail. I'm not much of a boozer but it was still interesting and beautiful country. The 6 hour drive home had me again wishing I was flying. I've almost pulled the trigger on a 252 in the past and it's entirely possible that I may do so. There have been a couple of Encore's go by in the past year and I've actually gone to the FAA registration site and gone through all of the Encore serial numbers to try and ascertain their status. 5 or 6 are out of N. America, mostly Germany. The serial numbers are 25-2001 thru 25-2032 so 32 in total. Not a big field to chose from. Good to know that the 25-1000 numbers are the one's. But you never know what will fall out of the trees, so for now I'm content to wait a while. Not forever! Just a bit. Thanks for the info. Best, 1 Quote
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