Mooney Top Speeds

[Lax291]

Went for a quick flight this morning to check off VT from the states I've landed in. Was cruising WOT 2,400RPM heading North at about 135kts over the ground. 

The way home was a different story, 5,500 WOT 2,500 RPM and hit 176 knots!  This was an M20J, curious what everyone else's top speed over the ground has been. 

 

[exM20K]

Some pretty big numbers here…..

https://groundspeedrecords.com/top-3-models/?terms-filter=78&aircraft-manufacturer=Mooney
-dan

[Crawfish]

This was on a Dallas to Asheville leg @ 16,000’. I was trueing about 165-170 so roughly 60 knots on the tail. 

231 with no mods at the time. (Now it has Gamijectors, and GI 275 EIS.) 

I’ve been contemplating doing full write up about how awesome the 231 is even without intercooler and waste gate. 

Since these pictures I've discovered at least with the summer heat I can't run 65% LOP without cowl flaps in the trail position. (Thanks to the GIS 275 EIS I keep hottest CHT 380 now) So I lost 5ish IAS, is this a typical experience for everyone?

 

Edited May 27, 2024 by Crawfish
Trying to get the pictures to to work

[Hank]

The level cruise groundspeed envelope for my C, with similar power settings, is 68-186 knots.

Going over the mountains, GSP-TYS while avoiding icing on the way home to WV, was at 10,000 msl, 23°F OAT, WOT- and 2500. The winds had been brutal before that, 4000 and under was 105-110, but I had to climb for terrain . . . .

[Shadrach]

This is the fastest I’ve seen over the ground in my M20F. I was coming home from brunch in Latrobe, PA (DeNunzio’s is a great fly in restaurant). It does not qualify for the fastest Groundspeed records website because it’s a screen shot. If I had taken a picture of the screen with my iPhone, I’d have the record for the M20F.
I used to got to Lima, Ohio every year for Thanksgiving. 220kts+ across the ground was pretty common on the return flight home to MD.

[Yetti]

The rumor is the factory test pilots got over 300 mph

[M20F]

I don’t have a picture but 285’ish in my F.   120kt tail wind KTOR back to 06C at FL210.  I lost speed descending. 

[Pinecone]

Best GS I have had was 229, but by the time I got the phone out, it was only 227.

 

[Crawfish]

Great success I think I got the pictures to work!

[201er]

Actually I’m more impressed with the ground speed a Mooney can make into a headwind. Some airplanes would literally be flying backwards and many others couldn’t make half my forward speed.

Example: 50 knot headwind

Piper Cub - 15 knots ground speed

152 - 30 knots ground speed

172 - 45 knots ground speed

Cherokee - 60 knots ground speed

201 - 110 knot ground speed

Tailwinds are fun but not as impressive. I’ve seen around 200 knots. I usually slow down in a tailwind to save fuel.

[Brandt]

My best so far.

[skydvrboy]

On 5/25/2024 at 7:06 PM, Shadrach said:

This is the fastest I’ve seen over the ground in my M20F. I was coming home from brunch in Latrobe, PA (DeNunzio’s is a great fly in restaurant). It does not qualify for the fastest Groundspeed records website because it’s a screen shot. If I had taken a picture of the screen with my iPhone, I’d have the record for the M20F.
I used to got to Lima, Ohio every year for Thanksgiving. 220kts+ across the ground was pretty common on the return flight home to MD.

I don't understand why they have a problem with a screen shot, but clearly accept entries for planes in a dive.  The M20F record clearly shows that he's in a 1400 fpm descent.  Whoopie, you can go fast with a strong tail wind if you point the nose at the ground.  Like @201er I'm always more impressed by the speed in a headwind, especially when I'm flying with my buddies who are in slower planes.

[201Mooniac]

Sorry no picture but the best GS I got in my M20J was 241 KTs east of ABQ at 13K ft.

[Shadrach]

5 hours ago, skydvrboy said:

I don't understand why they have a problem with a screen shot, but clearly accept entries for planes in a dive.  The M20F record clearly shows that he's in a 1400 fpm descent.  Whoopie, you can go fast with a strong tail wind if you point the nose at the ground.  Like @201er I'm always more impressed by the speed in a headwind, especially when I'm flying with my buddies who are in slower planes.

Tend to agree from a performance perspective.  Richard Collins (Flying Magazine) once said (I’m paraphrasing) that any speed below 100kts was unacceptable in a GA plane used for cross country. There have been only a handful of occasions where I found myself hunting for an altitude that would allow me to maintain triple digit ground speeds, but when it has happened, I  alway remind myself how much worse it could be.