Some cool Mooney Sales ads..

[hammdo]

I’m looking for the J’s. Most of what I’ve found has been ‘vintage’, m22s, or Executives. You’d think there would be a ton for the J.

-Don

 

[TheStig]

20 hours ago, hammdo said:

That is vey cool!

-Don

Well she don't look like that at the moment - I saw the predator this past Sunday. Wing is off being replaced with a standard wing, tail/empennage off too. Can't wait to see if flying again. 

[mike_elliott]

22 minutes ago, TheStig said:

Well she don't look like that at the moment - I saw the predator this past Sunday. Wing is off being replaced with a standard wing, tail/empennage off too. Can't wait to see if flying again. 

She had to be taken apart to transport her to Longview a couple months ago when Mooney sent it to Don. Im not sure she was flyable even with a ferry permit. I eyeballed her many times in the sales hangar, plotting the opportunity to take her for a lap around the patch

[hammdo]

Here is a more modern brochure...

https://premieraircraftsales.com/images/mooney_product_sales_brochure.pdf

pdf...

-Don

[hammdo]

Videos for the ‘modern’ day Mooney...:

-Don

[GeeBee]

I had forgotten that Mooney was the original marketeer for the MooTwo. I used to fly a J model. It is a remarkable airplane, although the fact that it lifted off was always a surprise! Plus when you looked at the airfoil on the horizontal stab, you thought, "that's some serious down force". 

 

 

[hammdo]

I was curious what a 1961 B would cost in today’s dollars (decked out was around $19k in 1961), I was very surprised:

 

[hammdo]

Kinda Mooney related but, neat history around GA’s role after WW2...

https://generalaviationnews.com/2020/09/28/ga-envisioned-a-plane-for-everyone-after-world-war-ii/

-Don

[hammdo]

Vintage photos:

M20F

 

M20C

 

Mustang

 

M20A

 

M20

 

M18

[hammdo]

M22 twin:

 

[aviatoreb]

2 hours ago, hammdo said:

M22 twin:

 

Right !  But I think that is essentially an m20 converted to twin.

[hammdo]

Yes, agree there! The archives where I found these called it an M22 twin...

-Don

[hammdo]

What would really be cool is a Mooney museum (@ Kerrville?) where one could browse original brochures, stories, movies, build process (like the wood version) etc. kinda like the Corvette museum. I’m sure the Mooney Summit could combine every now and then with a museum visit...

Day dreaming ;o)

-Don

[MooneyMitch]

1 hour ago, hammdo said:

What would really be cool is a Mooney museum (@ Kerrville?) where one could browse original brochures, stories, movies, build process (like the wood version) etc. kinda like the Corvette museum. I’m sure the Mooney Summit could combine every now and then with a museum visit...

Day dreaming ;o)

-Don

Don.

An on-site Mooney museum was planned back in 2014 by Dr. Jerry Chen.  In fact, the first Mooney out of the factory in 2014 was auctioned off with all proceeds dedicated to the proposed Kerrville Mooney Museum.  Concept drawings of the museum/educational center were created.

Unfortunately the museum project went away when Dr Chen left Mooney.

[hammdo]

Well crap, good idea. Didn’t know that... shame as there is a lot of history there...

-Don

[carusoam]

Yes the moniker of M22 has been used twice...  

Once for the one-off twin, the other time was for the Mooney Mustang...

Soooo much history, yet not toooo much...

Best regards,

-a-

[MooneyMitch]

3 minutes ago, carusoam said:

Yes the moniker of M22 has been used twice...  

Once for the one-off twin, the other time was for the Mooney Mustang...

Soooo much history, yet not toooo much...

Best regards,

-a-

Ah yes, the Mustang......that’s the fuselage that popped most of its rivets out when first pressurized in the test cell.

It’s creator, Ralph Harmon ( creator of the Bonanza and the metal winged M20) stood back watching and uttered words “I guess we should have rounded out the fuselage”.  

This information may be in the movie too.  Regardless, it was told to me by Mr Terrible himself, Bill Wheat, and confirmed by Ralph’ son, Ken Harmon.  

Some Kerrville Mooney history for y’all! 

[Blue on Top]

This truly is a GREAT thread!

1) If you're looking for these ads and others, there are currently 122 of them listed on eBay.  Some are the same, some are different and some are newer.

2) Phil Corman has collected a lot of the old ads.  He should publish a book ... if that's legal  

3) Eventually I will find the ad again, but there is one explaining the forward swept tail.  It's black and white with a lady sitting on the horizontal.

4) Libraries have all these ads in their magazine collections.  For me, personally, the Wichita State Library is great.  In addition, they have the collections of Ralph Harmon, the CEO and Chief Engineer of the metalized Mooney.

Regretfully but also extremely interesting is that Mooney isn't just one company.  It was a different company with different personnel every time it was "born again."  You can see the strong differences in the ads throughout the decades.  It is also during the Ralph Harmon (and son) years that Mooney took shots at the Beech "Bonanza ... which he also designed.

[MooneyMitch]

31 minutes ago, Blue on Top said:

It is also during the Ralph Harmon (and son) years that Mooney took shots at the Beech "Bonanza ... which he also designed

Son Ken Harmon was head of Mooney R&D during the Ralph Harmon era.

I did have the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ken at his home in Albuquerque in November 2014.  One of these days, I’ll work on producing the interviews and share.

I first learned of the H model during my interview with Ken.

[Patrick Lyons]

On 12/21/2020 at 7:35 PM, carusoam said:

Ask @Pmaxwell there was an announcement of one getting updated... 

Best regards,

-a-

I was not aware that more than One proto of the canopy top single seat Mooney was bult.

For those interested ONE was outside at Lakeland, Florida for several years. Is it possible someone purchased it ..or did some other museum acquire it.

Perhaps some one knows the details of the number of companies that built a specimen for the MILITARY.

i believe the winner of the contract  was a central/South American company...But.I am certain  the program did not succeed with  USA Military ..and No contract was awarded to any other nation.

if I can locate them I have a a dozen or more pics of the static display at Lakeland florida.

It did have some thicker wing skins than production Mooneys of that period. 

I was a cool looking bird

Pat Lyons

 

 

 

 

 

 

single seat light trainer  

[mike_elliott]

2 hours ago, Patrick Lyons said:

For those interested ONE was outside at Lakeland, Florida for several years. Is it possible someone purchased it ..or did some other museum acquire it

That is the one. Same one as the photo I shared, that Don has in 3 pieces at his shop right now.

[cliffy]

If Mooney had made  a twin  :-)

Closest thing you'll find to a Twin Mooney

[carusoam]

There were two military projects...

The one with the best exposure was the one that sat in Lakeland for many years on the SnF property...

Best regards,

-a-

[Blue on Top]

20 minutes ago, cliffy said:

If Mooney had made  a twin  :-)y

OR...a real twin Mooney.

[hammdo]

If only!