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Do I fit


hot2fly

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Short answer is yes, longer answer is it depends more on will you be comfortable than will you fit.  That has to do with preferred seating position and the size of the person in the co-pilot seat.  I'm 6'1" and 190 but have flown with people your size with no problems.  I find the biggest issue is bumping shoulders and if you stagger the seats it becomes a non-issue.

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If you prefer a reclined position with your legs more straight in front of you, versus an erect chair type position you will really like the Mooney. 
I have never been limited by positional comfort. 
bladder, and noise are usually the limiting factors for me. 
Conversely, two hours in a Cessna or a cirrus and I’m ready to jump out at altitude. 
To be fair, I don’t have a beef with either of those plane brands with regard to quality, but I find the erect chair position very uncomfortable. 
Where are you located?

I’m sure someone close would be willing to give you a tour. I’m in south florida on the west coast. 

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1 hour ago, hot2fly said:

I am looking at buying a Mooney, but have yet found one to sit in.  I am 6'2" and 250 Lbs.  Will I fit and be comfortable for a cross country flight?

A friend of mine is 6'5" and 330 lb and he was happy in his E model.

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Welcome aboard Hot2....

A couple of my friends asked the same question...

They may have worded it slightly different...

https://mooneyspace.com/search/?&q="I fit"&search_and_or=or&sortby=relevancy

 

You do know that Mooney has a larger cabin width than most single engine AC...

You may also know that Al Mooney was no small guy...

Hope you find it complimentary when somebody says your not the biggest person flying a Mooney... :)

Find  the thread where two brothers are asking the same question...  there is guidance for how to handle that as well...

 

The important part...

Do you like speed?

Do you like efficiency?

If you like either of these two...  you can fit...

:)
 

The tough news... if you don’t feel comfortable in a Mooney... The next step up costs a ton more...

Best regards,

-a-

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I just bought a 1983 231.  I had the same question.  Im 6.0' 240.  I have wide shoulders.  My wife is 145 lbs.  We flew it back from the East Coast to the West Coast.  Mainly flew 2-3 hour legs.  I was not uncomfortable at all.  Its kind of like sitting in a 280Z car.  The M20K is the same width as a C182.  You sit a little lower and have lots of head room.  After takeoff I slid the seat back a notch and basically stretched my legs out.  

231.jpg

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It’s short people that I think would have a problem. Many years ago I and everyone in my Squadron was measured, every conceivable measurement. The desire was to determine the average pilot for future cockpit designs.

Turns out that I am so 50% it’s uncanny, I am Joe Average, or was. Now I’m a fat version of Joe Average.

Anyway at 5’10” I need or am most comfortable pedal wise with the seat slid as far forward as it will go, 81 J model. Anyway it has me closer to the panel than I like, but the control yoke travel is about half what it is in most aircraft or it woud be an issue. I’ve gotten used to it.

‘Now my Father was a little guy, maybe 5’4”? So how did he fly his C model way back when? Were the older aircraft’s pedals closer?

Edited by A64Pilot
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2 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

Many years ago I and everyone in my Squadron was measured, every conceivable measurement.

I am surprised you did not get measured at Mother Rucker before flight training.  In the Navy, we all got our anthropomorphic measurements to ensure we fit all the aircraft.  I was DQed from flying A-7s and barely made A-4s, as my legs were too long. 

Funny story.  Before my class was separated into jets, props, and helos, we had one female student.  She said she would be in props, as the last female jet slot for the year was already taken 2-3 months earlier.  When we in the jet pipeline got back together a few weeks later, we were really surprised to see Cindy in our class.  When we asked if the other woman had flunked out, the answer was "not exactly".  She made it through T-2 training just fine, but when it came time to fly the A-4 in that tiny ejection seat...  Apparently, nobody ever thought to make anthropomorphic measurements for ass width.

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It wasn’t to see if we would fit, Army aircraft I guess will adjust for most and the others adapt, usually you see little guys in Chinooks, and the big burly ones in scouts all hunched over to fit.

Only aircraft I know of that had issues was the OV-1, apparently if you were tall, your knees wouldn’t clear the windshield bow on ejection, a friend successfully flew one IMC on takeoff after losing one engine at a gross weight and flight condition where single engine flight wasn’t possible and the EP was eject, he got it around and shot the ILS.

Some called him a hero as he knew he was over the “ville” but John said he was scared of having his legs torn off at the knee, village had nothing to do with it.

What I have always thought interesting was Army helicopters all had adjustable pedals, you didn’t slide the seat forward, you slid the pedals aft.

Thrush Crop Duster is the same way, seat doesn’t move, the pedals do. I find that more comfortable.

‘How did you end up in a Snake? Marine?

Edited by A64Pilot
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3 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

It’s short people that I think would have a problem. Many years ago I and everyone in my Squadron was measured, every conceivable measurement. The desire was to determine the average pilot for future cockpit designs.

Turns out that I am so 50% it’s uncanny, I am Joe Average, or was. Now I’m a fat version of Joe Average.

Anyway at 5’10” I need or am most comfortable pedal wise with the seat slid as far forward as it will go, 81 J model. Anyway it has me closer to the panel than I like, but the control yoke travel is about half what it is in most aircraft or it woud be an issue. I’ve gotten used to it.

‘Now my Father was a little guy, maybe 5’4”? So how did he fly his C model way back when? Were the older aircraft’s pedals closer?

I'm 5'4" and sit comfortably, albeit with the height cranked all the way up. During cruise I'm even able to move the seat back a few notches.

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Can you fit in a Corvette, or a Lamborghini, or a Ferrari, or an Austin Healey? If you can fit in those, you can fit in a Mooney. It might be a little more of a chore to get in and out of a low profile sports car, but once you're in, you don't hit your head on the roof and the ride is amazing.

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8 minutes ago, jlunseth said:

Can you fit in a Corvette, or a Lamborghini, or a Ferrari, or an Austin Healey? If you can fit in those, you can fit in a Mooney. It might be a little more of a chore to get in and out of a low profile sports car, but once you in, you don't hit your head on the roof and the ride is amazing.

Well dang, my Lambo and Ferrari are in the shop.  Austin Healey is being borrowed by my BIL.   :lol:

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Just now, rbridges said:

Well dang, my Lambo and Ferrari are in the shop.  Austin Healey is being borrowed by my BIL.   :lol:

Well, tell him I need it this weekend. Then when I am done with it I will give it back to you, I promise. When I am done with it....

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1 hour ago, A64Pilot said:

It wasn’t to see if we would fit, Army aircraft I guess will adjust for most and the others adapt, usually you see little guys in Chinooks, and the big burly ones in scouts all hunched over to fit.

Only aircraft I know of that had issues was the OV-1, apparently if you were tall, your knees wouldn’t clear the windshield bow on ejection, a friend successfully flew one IMC on takeoff after losing one engine at a gross weight and flight condition where single engine flight wasn’t possible and the EP was eject, he got it around and shot the ILS.

Some called him a hero as he knew he was over the “ville” but John said he was scared of having his legs torn off at the knee, village had nothing to do with it.

What I have always thought interesting was Army helicopters all had adjustable pedals, you didn’t slide the seat forward, you slid the pedals aft.

Thrush Crop Duster is the same way, seat doesn’t move, the pedals do. I find that more comfortable.

‘How did you end up in a Snake? Marine?

I seem to remember Huey seats moving?  And the Cobra seat moving up and down?  That was one aircraft I always felt as if I wore it, rather than got into it.  In the back seat, that is.

All three services, AF ROTC on scholarship, AD Navy, NE ARNG  M-Day, T32, and T10.

Edited by AH-1 Cobra Pilot
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5 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

Turns out that I am so 50% it’s uncanny, I am Joe Average, or was. Now I’m a fat version of Joe Average.

That cracked me up :D

For OP, my CFI is your size and fits my right seat with me fine.  As others have said, leg room is not an issue and may be too much for shorter guys.  I'm 5'7" and I feel like a couple inches shorter and I's want pedal extensions.  My wife is 5'5" and really struggles to reach them.

Inadequate interior room in Mooney's is a myth.  Difficulty getting in and out of them, however, is not.  Everybody's probably developed a different technique for ingress and egress that works for their body type, but it's certainly not as straightforward as a Skyhawk.

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I do like to stretch my legs out in the sports car fashion.  The Lambo and Ferrari are out side on my tax bracket but I do fit in a MGB or My Mercedes SL.  It sound like I can make it work as I don't mind bumping shoulder with my girl. LOL.   My first airplane is looking like it will be a Mooney, hopefully it will not drain my bank account. 0-:   

I was a fan of the Aero Commander 112TC or the 114. I worked for the dealer when they came out, but the performance doesn't look that great compared to other aircraft.

Friday night after work I will find out how well I fit.  I wanted to fly up and take a look at it but at 107 degrees in the desert the two hour drive is the better choice.

Thank you for your replies. 

Edited by hot2fly
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