M20J Inner Gear Doors

[jetdriven]

Aluminum factory gear doors. They're fine unless torn up and patched and not straight from operating above gear speed. 

[carusoam]

Modern gear doors are three pieces.

1) the Main one similar thoughout the history of the M20 line.

2) a second part that covers more of the wheel on the same side as the main door. The lower gear door? 

3) a third part that closes from the other side. This one is closed while the gear is down. Doesn't appear in photos often... Inner gear door?

To see examples of these go here, but don't stay long....http://www.mooney.com/en/index.html

Best regards,

-a-

 

[INA201]

I've attached some quotes for the gear doors etc. Im not sure if the brake caliper rotation will help with speed with the appropriate gear doors installed on or not.  I need to check with LASAR on that.  I'm still digging around for the carbon/fiberglass doors as they appear to be more streamlined.  So far Im planning on brake rotation, gear doors, and wheel well liner.  I hope to get 5+ knots out of all this.

[Marauder]

Has anyone ever put inner gear doors on an F?

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[jetdriven]

You cannot do the brake cylinder rotation with the J lower gear doors on. It is required as part of the fiberglass gear door STC.  Also, IIRC you can put the lower gear doors on an Earlier model it if has electric gear with the 40:1 gear set.  The design of the doors wants to pull the gear down. It greatly adds effort to the johnsor bar to retract the gear but the 40:1 electric gear doesn't mind. 

[INA201]

Thanks jetdriven!, Can you and is it wise to do the caliper rotation with the installation of factory doors?

[KSMooniac]

I don't think you can do the caliper rotation with the factory lower/inner (metal) doors, and there would be no benefit.  The benefit is for the pre-J Mooneys with no inner doors, and is required for the conversion to the low profile inner doors.

[jetdriven]

You cannot do the caliper rotation with the metal factory lower gear doors.  They won't fit. Besides it only benefits the planes without lower gear doors. It puts the caliper in front of he wheel and if you look at one with the gear up, it's further out of the slipstream. 

[N601RX]

Here is what the fiberglass lower doors look like. They are lower profile and don't have the fairing mounted to the wing behind the doors. I found these a while back with a few dings. 

[INA201]

Are those the Modworks STC doors or are they available elsewhere? Fit on a M20J? Looks like a better option than having the fairing back there but I'm guessing that either works pretty well.

[testwest]

Those are the Modworks STC doors. We have a set on our 77 J. Dennis Bernhard at Lone Star Aero was planning to buy that STC off of Modworks...but I don't know if they consummated that deal. LASAR bought Lone Star's immense mid-body parts inventory, if there is any hope of resurrecting that STC it is in Lakeport!

[DonMuncy]

I may be jumping in when I shouldn't, but my 231 has the inner gear doors and the fairings behind the wheel opening.

[INA201]

The first video below represents a m20j without the extra gear door which is how mine is currently set up. The second is with the oem door installed.  Looks like a lot of drag without the extra door.  The second video even with the extra door doesn't appear to close correctly especially on the right gear.

 

[carusoam]

INA,

What you are calling OEM, is not Mooney parts.  Those are after market.

Best regards,

-a-

[Guest]

Both videos sure appear to be standard factory gear doors.  The first with the infers missing but the fairing installed, the second is a complete installation.

Clarence

[INA201]

Im calling Dan at Lasar this morning to order the doors and wheel well liners.  I plan on doing a four direction flight and track my ground speed before and after installation.  I was thinking 6000 feet at 23mp 2400 rpm.  What do you guys recommend for settings and altitude to get an accurate number?    I was going to record OAT, pressure, 10 minute tracks in each direction, and groundspeed unless I'm missing something.  Any predictions? Thanks

[bonal]

Interesting thread, I'm no test pilot but I would think that doing a test flight to check for speed improvement would best be done at your highest possible speed first to see overall improvement then a reduced power settings. Means lots more flying lots more fun.

[cnoe]

I agree. If you're looking to measure the difference between pre and post do it in dense air with the highest cruise power. Maybe 5,000' WOT @ 2,500 rpm leaned to ~100 ROP. That should have you around 75% power and 160 kts true if clean.

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[jetdriven]

The lasar doors are made from strand mat fiberglass and polyester resin. I had to reinforce the front half of them with carbon fiber to get them stiff enough not to pull open at speed.  

[carusoam]

Clarence, The round bulbous doors are from Mooney?

I went from C to R.  The C had one flat piece.  The R has three flat pieces.  One piece on one side of the wheel.  Two pieces on the other side of the wheel....

I was thinking that the rounded doors came from the Turbo bullet/262/PFM-Florida hurricane guy.

Please bring me up to speed on these.

Best regards,

-a-

[Hank]

I thought the bulbous doors and trailing bumps were from LoPresti, Knots2U or something like that. 

[cnoe]

Older J's have the bulbous aluminum (2nd) door and the separate composite "trailing bumps" but not the 3rd door. There's a beat up one on Ebay right now (seen in this pic).

A lot of them (including mine) have been repaired as they sit fairly low and can contact the ground with a flat tire, etc.

[aviatoreb]

9 hours ago, jetdriven said:

The lasar doors are made from strand mat fiberglass and polyester resin. I had to reinforce the front half of them with carbon fiber to get them stiff enough not to pull open at speed.  

How did you know that they were not stiff enough in flight?  Did you use a go camera?

[jetdriven]

The airplane was 6-8 mph slower at an air race in Jasper, TX and the finish line photo shows what looks like the gear door ls leading edge off the wing.  3 layers of carbon on the front 6" of the door make it much stiffer, and the front edge of the door could not be pried off the wing.  The speed returned as well.  They twist easily as made.  

http://futurshox.net/aerogallery.php#1834

search for n201eq.  On page 3 there's a finish photo of ghost run 2013 air race finish. 

[aviatoreb]

9 hours ago, jetdriven said:

The airplane was 6-8 mph slower at an air race in Jasper, TX and the finish line photo shows what looks like the gear door ls leading edge off the wing.  3 layers of carbon on the front 6" of the door make it much stiffer, and the front edge of the door could not be pried off the wing.  The speed returned as well.  They twist easily as made.  

http://futurshox.net/aerogallery.php#1834

search for n201eq.  On page 3 there's a finish photo of ghost run 2013 air race finish. 

Very cool.