Would new paint increase my cruise speed?

[mooneyflyfast]

My 81 J model has the original paint.  If I have it painted could I expect any noticeable increase in speed? Looking for first hand knowledge rather than theoretical discussion.  Did you notice any speed improvement after your Mooney was painted?

[KSMooniac]

Might be measurable with a real controlled flight test, but unlikely to be noticeable as a definite improvement. You can attack other drag producing details for better results like rigging, antennas, etc.

Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

[wombat]

13 minutes ago, mooneyflyfast said:

My 81 J model has the original paint.  If I have it painted could I expect any noticeable increase in speed? Looking for first hand knowledge rather than theoretical discussion.  Did you notice any speed improvement after your Mooney was painted?

Absolutely!   +10 knots minimum, even when sitting on the ground with the engine off. 

 

Seriously though...  no. 

 

[MooneyMitch]

Your plane will definitely look much faster!  No doubt about it !!!

[ArtVandelay]

Unlikely, unless the leading edges of your wing are in really bad shape.

[201er]

Mine picked up about 8 knots after new paint. However, it was a combination of new windows, body filler, badly damaged paint on leading edges before, and other pre-paint maintenance that happened in conjunction. The windshield cap strip was wavy and sticking up. Put on a new one when the windshield was replaced. Got the A pillar flush with the door.

Had the windows, gear doors, and a bunch of prep work done by Byron @jetdriven

So it’s not just the paint but all the things you get taken care of when doing paint. But in the end, I go a noticeable 5-8 knots. Since paint I typically cruise 155ktas while before it was about 148-150. I now have to reduce to 21 squared on downwind to get below gear speed while before it was 22.

Doesn’t just look faster 

 

Edited September 4, 2024 by 201er

[Danb]

Looks great 

[MooneyMitch]

Your Mooney may not go faster after the new paint, but I'll bet any towels of rags you lay on the top of the wing will slide off easier!

[Fritz1]

paint itself typically does not cause any measurable speed increase, however a lot of people add speed mods before doing paint, like e.g. flap gap seals, aileron gap seals, in the extreme a Lopresti cowl, scimitar propeller, doing all the above you may be able to squeeze another 6-8 knots out of a J at considerable expense, best bang for the buck are the flap gap seals producing 1-2 kt

[Andy95W]

A few years back, Bob Belville got his beautiful M20E painted and he said he lost a few knots.

[Hank]

My C has been a little slow lately, but nothing has changed. It was especially noticeable on descent--500 fpm used to push me right to 165 mph, but the last year or so it has been below 160 mph, sometimes just 155.

Well, I had the plane washed, waxed, polished and buffed . . . . Today, a simple 500 fpm descent from 3000 msl in bumpy air was 165-170 mph! (My yellow is 175-200 mph.) I even cruised at 23" / 2300 at 3000 msl at 150 mph.

Lately I've mostly just done the leading edges of both wings and tail, and the cowling back to the pillars by the windshield. 

Paint will add weight, may affect CG, and requires rebalancing control surfaces. A good clean, wax and polish doesn't. My Mooney is slippery again! Shoulda hear the air whistling by.  

My lesson:  clean the whole plane more often, not just the leading edges . . . . It's the best speed mod around.

[natdm]

Ignore everyone else. Painting things red makes them faster. Even @201er all but admitted it!! 

[MooneyMitch]

7 minutes ago, natdm said:

Ignore everyone else. Painting things red makes them faster. Even @201er all but admitted it!! 

That’s what the Highway Patrol said to me when he pulled me over last week…..”it seems red color on cars  make them go faster”. 

[Hank]

13 minutes ago, MooneyMitch said:

That’s what the Highway Patrol said to me when he pulled me over last week…..”it seems red color on cars  make them go faster”. 

That's why I've never owned one. Burgundy isn't red, right? I've had three of those . . . .

[Hank]

1 hour ago, Hank said:

Well, I had the plane washed, waxed, polished and buffed . . . . Today, a simple 500 fpm descent from 3000 msl in bumpy air was 165-170 mph!

It's the best speed mod around.

OMG!! I forgot to add any pictures!

[201er]

22 minutes ago, Hank said:

OMG!! I forgot to add any pictures!

Looks nice but I see what your problem is. You’ve got a giant bug smasher speed brake hanging off the front 

[Hank]

52 minutes ago, 201er said:

Looks nice but I see what your problem is. You’ve got a giant bug smasher speed brake hanging off the front 

My takeoff are much shorter than your videos that I've seen. Guess I need to upload one somewhere for comparison . . .

[ArtVandelay]

My takeoff are much shorter than your videos that I've seen. Guess I need to upload one somewhere for comparison . . .

You’re smaller and lighter, no surprise there.

[Pinecone]

According to Bob Kormer, former Mooney test pilot (and other things), polishing and waxing the leading edge, back to the main spar, top AND bottom will give you 2 knots.

[Mark89114]

I think it should be about 25 knots, 1 AMU per knot pickup?

I suspect any speed increases might be due to the fact that the airplane gets rerigged, maybe better, maybe worse?