Power Settings for Instrument Approaches

[Jeff_S]

Hello all.  I've found some great material in the forum about power settings for climb, cruise, etc. This is helpful to me as I begin my transition from the Warrior to a c/s prop. I've got an M20J for my X-Plane simulator so I'm using that a lot to get into the flow of things...GUMPS is a lot more important when your gear isn't permanently welded!

I'd like to practice some IAPs in the simulator. I have futzed around with settings at 22"/2200 RPM but am just experimenting blindly. That does seem to get me at about 90 KIAS which is what I'm used to in the Warrior, but that may not be optimal for an M20J. What do folks generally do there?

I recognize none of this replaces getting in and flying a Mooney for real...I'm working on that! But just training to get my brain in a place to handle more tasks so that the transition will be smoother.

Thanks.

[Cruiser]

Get the gear down and half flaps, trim nose up for the gear/flap drag and set the power for 15" that should get you close to 500 fpm on the VSI and 80 kts.

[Parker_Woodruff]

Gear Down, 17" MP, 2400 RPM is what I use for following the glideslope on an ILS approach at 95-100 KIAS depending on the day.

[alun]

for level in the hold/approach i fly 20/20 which gives 106kts trim for +.5deg.  then on gs intercept i throw out the gear and half flaps and you shouldn't have to change anything except a bit of down trim for a 3 degree approach at around 90kts.  short final is a quick gear - prop - flap final adjust.

[Jeff_S]

Thanks everyone. Seems like there is more than one way to skin the cat, but I can experiment with all these and see what works best for me. Coming from a fixed-pitch Warrior background, the fewer settings to change the  better at least initially.

[231Pilot]

15" @ 2500 RPM brings me down the glideslope to FAF then its gear down and adjust pitch and power to bring her in, all is dependent on winds to some extent.

[RJBrown]

You find the power setting that gives you the proper approach speed in level flight. Just before the glideslope centers you drop the gear and the flaps. The additional drag gives you the decent rate needed without a change in speed.  15" and forward on the prop works for me. Useing the gear drop to begin the decent either on the glideslope or abeam the numbers on downwind helps to create a habit that insures the gear is down. Once stabilized on final I repeat the GUMPS just to be safe, touching each control as I say the words.