It’s all in the tail…Aero Cruze…

[Jakes Simmons]

     Wasn’t sure where to post this one. In the middle of more AeroCruze foibles. My ‘76 Ranger is in the shop right now and was just beginning to get the a/p installed when ANOTHER bump was hit. The pitch servo install instructions did not match up to how my particular M20C belly innards are arranged. After time consuming emails and calls were exchanged between BK and Duncan and my shop, that included photos, it seems my tail has similar internal structure to a J, although it is a short body fuselage. Threw everybody off. My question is, does anybody know when and if C models were built with J model fuselage or control surface internals? Apparently the STC manuals identified four different C configurations, this could be a fifth. 
     I just hope all these trip ups paves the way for future vintage Mooney owners who try the AeroCruze to have a smoother road. If it all works out, I’ll post the shop here. Their original goal was to knock out AeroCruze installs on vintage Mooneys, they’ve done a bunch of Piper and Cessna’s . They like the hardware better than Garmin. But companies involved sure make it hard to be successful.

[LANCECASPER]

5 minutes ago, Jakes Simmons said:

     Wasn’t sure where to post this one. In the middle of more AeroCruze foibles. My ‘76 Ranger is in the shop right now and was just beginning to get the a/p installed when ANOTHER bump was hit. The pitch servo install instructions did not match up to how my particular M20C belly innards are arranged. After time consuming emails and calls were exchanged between BK and Duncan and my shop, that included photos, it seems my tail has similar internal structure to a J, although it is a short body fuselage. Threw everybody off. My question is, does anybody know when and if C models were built with J model fuselage or control surface internals? Apparently the STC manuals identified four different C configurations, this could be a fifth. 
     I just hope all these trip ups paves the way for future vintage Mooney owners who try the AeroCruze to have a smoother road. If it all works out, I’ll post the shop here. Their original goal was to knock out AeroCruze installs on vintage Mooneys, they’ve done a bunch of Piper and Cessna’s . They like the hardware better than Garmin. But companies involved sure make it hard to be successful.

You have a 1976 C model so it's probably the same as an F of the same vintage. The early J ('77) was an F with a lot of speed mods. They might have installation instructions for an F.

[KSMooniac]

Ugh.  You'd likely have to review the IPC and compare the pictures and effectivities (model years/serial numbers) to see when the change occurred.  I suspect the last of the C models ('76-'78) would have a lot in common with the F and early J models.

Do they have the AeroCruze approved for the J?  I haven't been paying attention...hopefully so, and they'll have a drop-in solution for you.

Good luck

[EricJ]

TT put the pitch servo under the cargo floor for some reason, which is apparently where the construction differences arise.    Century put the pitch servo in the tail a little behind the avionics shelf, where there's an easy reach to one of the elevator pushrod swing couplers that's right there at the shelf.   There's a hole in the swing arm coupler that appears to have been made to couple a pushrod to a servo, and that's what Century used.   A small bracket holds the servo in place.   It's a very clean and simple installation, but I don't know if it is universal across the short and mid-bodies.

The TT installation under the floor uses a heftier bracket and piggybacks the pushrod connection onto the rod end of a nearby joint in the elevator pushrod.   It's also a reasonably clean installation, just not as simple as the Century and apparently subject to the differences in construction that affect the servo bracket.

53 minutes ago, KSMooniac said:

Ugh.  You'd likely have to review the IPC and compare the pictures and effectivities (model years/serial numbers) to see when the change occurred.  I suspect the last of the C models ('76-'78) would have a lot in common with the F and early J models.

Do they have the AeroCruze approved for the J?  I haven't been paying attention...hopefully so, and they'll have a drop-in solution for you.

Good luck

Yes, the AeroCruze is approved for the J but still subject to the bracket differences that are affecting installations.