Mooney Cover

[GeorgePerry]

I've got several trips of extended length (3-4 weeks) in the near future and no chance of getting hanger space.  So I started searching for a cover.  I found these guys and was attracted by their reasonable prices.  After asking around I found out they have a good reputation and use marine grade fabrics with padded liners.  So I decided to order a cover for my bird...It came a few days ago and I test fit the cover on my plane for the first time.  Good fit, good quality and great price.  $200 delivered with embroidery.

http://www.airplane-covers.com/

http://www.airplane-covers.com/'>

[piperpainter]

Thanks for the info! i'll be needing a new cover after I get a paint job and it seems this is alot better price than other's i've seen. Thankfully I already have wing covers. Got those and Stab covers for $92.00 on ebay...what a steal!

[Nemesis]

George,

Thanks for the info and pictures. I am within 2 weeks or so of closing on my first airplane (I will make it official when it happens). I have hanger space arranged here in Colorado but I know that in Nov and Dec and Jan I will be visiting my mom and will also be in the CA desert. I was looking at Bruce's covers but the photos show the forward strap going over the open nose gear doors. That does not seem like a good idea.

In your photos it appears that the strap goes in front of the nose gear doors and around the front of the nose gear mechanism itself. Do you feel it is nice and secure in that fashion? No flapping in the breeze? etc.

[knute]

The best fitting (and best made) Sunbrella covers I've ever seen are the ones from www.planecover.com (Groundtech)-  they truly fit like a glove and shed water like a duck.  One of the concerns on a loose cover is that every time it flaps in the wind on your plexi or paint, it grinds in whatever dust or grit manages to get in there.  I have one on my Mooney, and love it.  Bruce's has a good reputation among some, but they're even pricier and the fit is not anywhere near what Planecover produces- the only advantage Bruce's has is that they do more marketing.   (I have no affiliation with Planecover other than being extremely happy with their cover!)  On  mine, the front straps involve one bungee that goes in front of the gear, and then a cinch strap that slides into the gap at the rear of the nosegear doors to go around the fuselage and not the doors; there is a usable slot because the hinge doesn't go all the way to the rear of the door.  If that doesn't make sense, their website has pictures- I don't have a picture handy of my plane with the cover on.

-Knute

(Hangars on the San Francisco peninsula are very hard to come by, and so my plane lives on a tiedown protected by a cover)

[wmrunyon]

I have a Bruce cover on my Mooney and have been very satisfied. The fit is extremely snug and the cover does not move around in a breeze. There are 5 straps: three straps to secure it up front and two in the back. One fore and two aft of the nose gear and two of these do slip in the crease where the gear doors meet the cowling. So they do not go over the doors.

The materials feel to be of high quality and the stitching very well reinforced. There is an inner lining that feels like a fleece or soft cloth material for added protection. The outer canvas repels water, even after a long rain.

Yep, they are a bit more expensive, but i went off the theory "you get what you pay for". I only use it on trips (hangared at home) and it looks great after 4 years.

[skyking]

i have a set of wing, cabin and tail covers that i got from arctic covers. $1500 for the entire set and i am very happy with them.

they protect against hail too.

 

russ

[mjc]

I also have a cover from Bruce. I also can't afford a hangar (knute already mentioned the high Bay Area rents), so my airplane started in an open tiedown and now lives under a shelter (still somewhat exposed). I bought the cover when I bought the plane over seven years ago, and is still in very good condition. It fits very well, using a strap under the belly and two button-snaps near the nosegear door (replace two screws with snap points). There's a handy velcro-closed slit that affords access to the door when the cover is on. I live ten minutes from Bruce's office, so when I found a loose thread a couple years ago, I drove it over there and they fixed it right up at no charge. (They also cleaned it and applied a water-resistant coating.) Otherwise, I wash it in my home washing machine every other year and put the water-resistant stuff on. Seven-plus years of service from a $300 cover and free reapirs for the life of the product makes me a very happy customer.