New Pilot/Owner(Stuff)

[ASMech66]

Hey All,

Been in aviation since 1989 but just now getting around to getting my PPL and a plane. There are lots of Mfgs/Models out there and Mooney is the one for me. There are a number of Mooney's available on the market and I tend to wrap myself around the axel a bit on what to choose and why to choose it. Mooney's are slippery and like to fly and take a soft touch on the landings is pretty common between models.

Between the E, F, & J models (besides legroom) what in your informed opinions would sway your decision from one model to the other?

If you purchased an all original airworthy airplane that still needed attention for a good price, what would be on your wishlists for updates/upgrades?

 

Thank you in advance,

Tom

[201er]

 

 

[TheAv8r]

E/F/J really comes down to - how many people are you flying with and what's your budget?

J is the fastest of the 3 on the same engine, but it's also the most expensive of the 3. 

The E is faster than the F, but the F has a bigger baggage compartment and more legroom in the rear seats. So if you're planning to regularly fly with 3 people, you might consider the F or J. If you're probably only going to fly with 1 or 2 95% of the time, then that extra legroom is just slowing you down. 

The E is the nimblest and fastest of the short-bodies thanks to the 200hp IO-360. It's fast and efficient, I can do 142kts TAS at 65% power burning 7.8gph. I can speed it up to 155kts TAS at 11.5gph at 75% power. For my wife and I, it's the perfect XC machine for us. If I had a family of 4, it would be too small. A J would be great, but it would be about double the cost of what I bought my E for and only give me 5-7 knots more. 

[Echo]

Buy a J that is NOT all original, because "original" means it has avionics and an interior that are likely over 30 years old.  A J with split removeable back seats with updated avionics if money is no object.

If buying C-F get the best one you can afford.  "Best" means it has been flying and if it has 1000 hours the major better be about ten years ago.  Paint and Interior should be third and fourth behind Engine and avionics.

Good luck in your search for "the one".  WITH ALL THAT SAID I WOULDN'T BUY A MOONEY AS A FIRST PLANE.

[PeteMc]

36 minutes ago, Echo said:

WITH ALL THAT SAID I WOULDN'T BUY A MOONEY AS A FIRST PLANE.

I would agree if @ASMech66 is expecting to train in it to get his PPC.  Besides just trying to get the basics down in a High Performance plane, the Insurance would be obscene! 

But as a "first plane" to purchase...  My K was/is my first plane.  

[Utah20Gflyer]

Given how many airplanes have dual G5s or GI 275s or aspen displays and a WAAS gps now I would want any plane I bought to have those.  A good autopilot would be high in the list as well but that might reduce the number of potential aircraft too greatly.  
 

You want an aircraft that has been flying regularly and received regular maintenance.  Many consecutive bare bones annuals without any maintenance between them is a sign a plane hasn’t been getting proper attention.  Either the owner didn’t want to spend the money or they had low standards.  A 50 year old plane always has something that could use some attention.  10 years of this and you’ll spend 15-20k getting everything up to speed after you buy it. 
 

I wouldn’t pass up a good C model if you were considering an E and I wouldn’t pass up a good G model if I were considering an F.  Or in other words find the best plane you can find regardless of model and buy that. There really isn’t that much speed difference in the Mooneys until you get into the later Turbo models.  My G will normally do 145 knots, an F maybe 150 knot and a J 155 knots.  10 knots isn’t going to make much difference in real world flying.   If you really want to go fast get an Acclaim and forget about the vintage Mooneys.  

[icurnmedic]

My F is 148kts true, but the payload with full fuel is where it shines. 649 lbs.  interestingly enough though, when discussing with Lynn about his C model at the time, his payload was only 10 lbs less than mine with full fuel. 14 less gallons but also a 180 horse. That impressed me anyways. 

[Hank]

3 hours ago, icurnmedic said:

My F is 148kts true, but the payload with full fuel is where it shines. 649 lbs.  interestingly enough though, when discussing with Lynn about his C model at the time, his payload was only 10 lbs less than mine with full fuel. 14 less gallons but also a 180 horse. That impressed me anyways. 

My C has 970 useful, and with 1/2" gap for expansion it carries 300 lb fuel, or full fuel plus 670.

And above 7500 I get 145-148 KTAS, a little less when loaded heavy.

But being a short body, I usually run out of space before weight . . . .

Just get a Mooney that's in good mechanical shape, with as many of the avionics that you want already installed. That will be more important than which model it is, C through J.

[EricJ]

These are interesting comparisons, especially given the differing fuel loads.    My J currently has a UL of 1003 lbs, or 619 lbs with full fuel, or 679 with 54 gallons.   Seems pretty comparable.

[Hank]

1 hour ago, EricJ said:

These are interesting comparisons, especially given the differing fuel loads.    My J currently has a UL of 1003 lbs, or 619 lbs with full fuel, or 679 with 54 gallons.   Seems pretty comparable.

Our Mooneys are very versatile!