What’s the biggest myth about Mooney’s?

[WaynePierce]

My answer wasn't listed... I find it harder to get out of than other planes.

[carusoam]

43 minutes ago, EricJ said:

I think another myth is that they're so hard to work on.    While there are tasks that are kinda difficult on Mooneys, that's true of many airplanes.   Many things are far easiers on Mooneys than other airplanes, too.

 

It turns out… Mooneys were way ahead of their time…

A 60s Chevy… the mechanic can stand next to the engine while he changes the plugs…. With all of the excess space available…

A Chevy today… has covers at the top and the bottom of the engine, similar to the dog house and cowling…. Everything is much tighter…

Chevy supplies all kinds of specialized tools to work on their cars…

Mooneys, every now and then use a cut off wrench or crows foot wrench…

 

Some myths will die easier than others…

Mooneys are no longer harder to work on… 

Best regards,

-a-

[EricJ]

34 minutes ago, WaynePierce said:

My answer wasn't listed... I find it harder to get out of than other planes.

When I told an old DPE friend that I'd bought a Mooney she said, "You have to do a little snake dance to get down into one, but they're pretty good airplanes." 

[hubcap]

I believe the "crammed interior" is the biggest myth.

Compared to landing a Cessna or Piper the Mooney is much less forgiving if you don't fly the numbers. If you fly the numbers, it lands very well. I try to cross the threshold at about 72 - 74 kts and then have patience.

Edited January 9, 2022 by hubcap

[toto]

The "small and crammed" interior myth is objectively untrue -- but a Mooney definitely has a unique seating position, and it's quite a bit different from a brand C or P cabin.  I can definitely understand a Skylane driver getting into a Mooney for the first time feeling awkward.

[201er]

3 hours ago, MooneyMitch said:

Biggest Mooney myth.......being sucked out of a Mooney when the door pops open in flight !!

Apparently that only happens in Taylorcraft.

[toto]

1 minute ago, 201er said:

Apparently that only happens in Taylorcraft.

Fortunately, it usually happens when you're wearing a sport parachute and holding a selfie stick.

[Hank]

6 hours ago, WaynePierce said:

My answer wasn't listed... I find it harder to get out of than other planes.

It's not so much difficult to get out of as it is impossible to get out of gracefully, especially from the right seat.

[A64Pilot]

20 hours ago, EricJ said:

A friend has a gorgeous Swift with a six-cylinder Continental IO-360.   It is slower, by quite a bit, than my J.  There's something about the Swift that is apparently pretty draggy, but I don't know what it is.   Awesome airplane otherwise.

My SWAG is the wing. A Mooney for a GA airplane actually has a very “good” wing

Edited January 10, 2022 by A64Pilot

[201er]

23 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

I don’t know what that is, but it doesn’t look like a Mooney,

[Oscar Avalle]

It's not so much difficult to get out of as it is impossible to get out of gracefully, especially from the right seat.

There is no way of getting out of a Mooney elegantly! Specially after a long flight! But while you are inside I find it very comfortable.

Also, on landing… if you manage a stabilized approach and you respect the speeds it is very easy to land, even I a strong gusty crosswind.

Oscar


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[201er]

43 minutes ago, Oscar Avalle said:

There is no way of getting out of a Mooney elegantly! Specially after a long flight!

You should see @carusoam getting out of a Mooney. He'll show you how it's done! Apparently it's a skill that needs to be relearned after a hiatus!

[PT20J]

The biggest myth is that Mooneys are cheap to buy and own. The owners that believe this have the airplanes no one wants to buy and a trail of mechanics that no longer want to work on their airplanes.

[carusoam]

6 hours ago, 201er said:

You should see @carusoam getting out of a Mooney. He'll show you how it's done! Apparently it's a skill that needs to be relearned after a hiatus!

Getting in, getting out… don’t slam the door when closing it, don’t lean on the door when exiting it… just like riding a bike…  

Amazing how some things are easy to forget…

We’re celebrating 10 year since those days went by…

 

Best regards,

-a-

[PT20J]

53 minutes ago, carusoam said:

Getting in, getting out… don’t slam the door when closing it, don’t lean on the door when exiting it… just like riding a bike…  

Amazing how some things are easy to forget…

We’re celebrating 10 year since those days went by…

 

Best regards,

-a-

Yeah, let's see you gracefully exit the back seats in one with retractable front shoulder harnesses 

[carusoam]

Oddly,

We used to discuss pushing the front passenger seat forwards to get to the pilot’s seat…

I used to do this dance when loading the kids…. Me, kids, then wife…

Similar to a well coordinated ballet… every step optimized… Solely because we could… 

Best regards,

-a-

[haymak3r]

On 1/7/2022 at 7:28 PM, corn_flake said:

I found the Mooney to be easier to land than Cessna as long as you fly by the number.  Point and shoot.  I even done one in complete darkness with no light.   Cessna tend to wonder all over the place. Establishing a stabilized approach in a Cessna in anything other than calm wind is not easy.  At least for me. 

 

I too have the same results. Landing my Mooney seems easier than the 172 I had been flying during my training. Was a great relief lol.

[PilotX]

I think one of the biggest myths is that there is a Mooney model, or any plane for that matter, that is better than a Bravo. Just saying. 

[Andy95W]

Before they renamed it the Bravo, it was the TLS.  It was the top of the line 30 years ago when I bought my first Mooney, and I still want one.

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by Andy95W

[0TreeLemur]

23 hours ago, carusoam said:

We’re celebrating 10 year since those days went by…

 

Best regards,

-a-

 

[0TreeLemur]

4 hours ago, Andy95W said:

Before they renamed it the Bravo, it was the TLS.  It was the top of the line 30 years ago when I bought my first Mooney, and I still want one.

 

@Andy95W will you post a higher resolution version of this?   I'd like to see the numbers.  Thx.

Fred

[Andy95W]

I wish I could, Fred.  I googled Mooney advertisements and found that and remembered seeing it in Flying magazine or something.  That picture was the highest resolution I could get off the interwebs.

[0TreeLemur]

8 minutes ago, Andy95W said:

I wish I could, Fred.  I googled Mooney advertisements and found that and remembered seeing it in Flying magazine or something.  That picture was the highest resolution I could get off the interwebs.

Aha!  You gave me an idea.  Found it.

Now, I want one too.

 

[Danb]

[steingar]

• Interior is small and crammed

It is if you're wide of girth.  Folks who fit fine in other aircraft have a tough time in Mooneys.  It's a fact.  Sucks for them, too.

• How fast they really go

Mooneys really do go fast.

• Tail is on backwards

Nope, everyone else's tail is on backwards.  Mooney got it right.

• Difficult to land

Took me an hour to land my Cherokee well.  Took ten to land my Mooney well.  Insurance asked for a one hour checkout n the Cherokee.  Asked for ten in the Mooney.

• Poor useful load

I can haul nearly a thousand pounds.  I haven't seen another aircraft that can haul what I can at the speed I can for the money.