Replacement Interior Plastics

[dcastor]

All,

I began the process of replacing the interior plastics of my M20M earlier this summer.  I pulled 4 panels and brought them to Vantage Plane Plastics.  They said they were willing to make molds of my panels to produce replacements, but on arrival to their factory, they said they already had molds for most of my parts.  When they sent me the replacements, they were close, but didn't fit.  I suspect the round window panels were for an M20J/K or something.

Now they seem unwilling to make additional molds for my airplane.    So, I intend to produce my own.  I will start small pieces vantage also doesn't produce and scale up.  Parts will be molded in a plastic that meets the requirements of FAR part 23.  Here is a mold for the first piece, it's a cover for the luggage door inside release.  Will post updates as I go, let me know if I can help you with similar pieces.

Dave Castor

 

[LANCECASPER]

It will be a much better result if you just send your plastic panels to Hector at Aero Comfort (Aerocomfort.com). Even if they are broken or cracked they will be repaired and then covered in Ultraleather. I did this to two different Bravos and the result was excellent. 
Here’s an example of the finished door panel after I re-installed it after Hector’s work. Before it was yellowed and cracked. My serial number was 27-0150, 20 airplanes older than your Bravo.

[Elijah]

On 9/6/2024 at 8:05 AM, dcastor said:

All,

I began the process of replacing the interior plastics of my M20M earlier this summer.  I pulled 4 panels and brought them to Vantage Plane Plastics.  They said they were willing to make molds of my panels to produce replacements, but on arrival to their factory, they said they already had molds for most of my parts.  When they sent me the replacements, they were close, but didn't fit.  I suspect the round window panels were for an M20J/K or something.

Now they seem unwilling to make additional molds for my airplane.    So, I intend to produce my own.  I will start small pieces vantage also doesn't produce and scale up.  Parts will be molded in a plastic that meets the requirements of FAR part 23.  Here is a mold for the first piece, it's a cover for the luggage door inside release.  Will post updates as I go, let me know if I can help you with similar pieces.

Dave Castor

 

Sounds good to me. It's a shame how expensive new plastics are for these planes, and apparently for that you don't get a very good fit either. The plastics in my J have seen better days but after hearing the wait time and cost for aero comfort, I repaired the cracks with fiberglass and called it good enough. I'm sure these were originally shaped from molds like you're doing, how many different molds were there??? I mean how much variation was there between airplanes? 

Edited September 10 by Elijah

[Pinecone]

There are a lot of local shops that do good work for a lot less than Aero Comfort.   Yes, I know Aero Comfort does great work.  But I tend more to CB status, so saving 10AMU or more is a good thing

 

[dcastor]

On 9/10/2024 at 7:35 PM, Elijah said:

Sounds good to me. It's a shame how expensive new plastics are for these planes, and apparently for that you don't get a very good fit either. The plastics in my J have seen better days but after hearing the wait time and cost for aero comfort, I repaired the cracks with fiberglass and called it good enough. I'm sure these were originally shaped from molds like you're doing, how many different molds were there??? I mean how much variation was there between airplanes? 

I know the Bravo and Ovation were significantly different.  The Bravo is more like the M20J, but there are some minor differences…the armrest is larger to accommodate an O2 gauge mounted inside.

Early M20Js have a different ceiling panel based on redesign of the air vents. 
 

…and then there is the round windows vs square.

[LANCECASPER]

On 10/12/2024 at 6:46 PM, dcastor said:

I know the Bravo and Ovation were significantly different.  The Bravo is more like the M20J, but there are some minor differences…the armrest is larger to accommodate an O2 gauge mounted inside.

Early M20Js have a different ceiling panel based on redesign of the air vents. 
 

…and then there is the round windows vs square.

The M20M (named TLS and then TLS Bravo and then Bravo) had an older style interior from 1989 starting serial numbers 27-0001 to 27-0180, 182 & 183  ending in 1994. Royalite was used for the interior panels, which eventually yellows and becomes brittle. David, your M20M (N511HG) is serial number 170 so you had this early  interior. (Over the years I owned serial numbers, 007, 0150 and 0209, so the early two numbers I owned had it also.)

Then the new fiberglass interior covered with Ultraleather was introduced with the Ovation in 1994, so all Ovations had it. Around that point all Bravos got the identical interior to the Ovation, starting with M20M serial numbers 0181, 0184-350. In 1996 the mid-body (J) got the new style interior and when they re-introduced the K in 1997-98, it got the new style interior. All Eagles had that interior and all Acclaims have had that style interior. So all long body Mooneys from some point during the 1994 model year have had the new interior and all mid body Mooneys from 1996 on have it.. 

That style interior is worth its weight in gold. It is quieter, less vibration related noises, much more durable - just a much higher quality, higher-end product. There is no comparison. It does add a little weight, but I would gladly take a very small weight penalty for this interior and all of the benefits. When a Mooney with this interior is salvaged, the interior panels and headliner are usually the first things that sell off of the airplane.  I have heard that there is a waiting list a BAS sales for this interior. When @M20F-1968 (John Breda) made an M20F better than new, he took an Ovation salvage interior and modified it to fit his F model.

The closest thing to the new style interior is having Aero Comfort repair the Royalite pieces and cover them with Ultraleather. Years later they still look like new. It’s one of the few things that adds value very close to dollar for dollar on what you spend. Having been around this for over 30 years now I’ve never seen any other interiors hold up as well.

[Pinecone]

On 10/12/2024 at 8:22 PM, LANCECASPER said:

The closest thing to the new style interior is having Aero Comfort repair the Royalite pieces and cover them with Ultraleather. Years later they still look like new. It’s one of the few things that adds value very close t dollar for dollar on what you spend. Having been around this for over 30 years now I’ve never seen any other interiors hold up as well.

While Aero Comfort is the gold standard in Mooney interiors, there are a lot of shops that do good work and the same methods.

I had my interior done locally, but had the plastic panels repaired and painted.  I wanted a more mid level interior.  Still looks nice.