How high?

[AmigOne]

Have you flown in your normally aspirated Mooney and how did it behave, say past 15K if you went or passed that altitude?

[29-0363]

Towards the end of a 4.5 hr flight (by myself) in Ovation 29-0156, I made it to FL200.  It was back in May 2001 in Queensland Australia. Temp on the ground was about 27C, OAT at altitude was about -15c if I recall. Took a while to get there and there wasn't much climb left.  Control forces were very light with IAS about 105K, and it was awfully quiet!

[Jeev]

Going over the southern end of the Rockies one summer day I had my J up to 17500 riding an updraft of over 1500fpm... It performed ok, real quiet as in almost no wind noise controls were mushy as to be expected with the low IAS and definitly a higher angle of attack Not really a big deal but I wouldn't choose to cruise up there unless there was a really good reason. I like flying the J between 7,000 and 12,000 ft. I'm sure the Ovation does better up in the teens due to the extra power.

[Alan Fox]

Slow and mushy over 15 K in a B model.....Better have O2 and a fierce tailwind to justify the slowass climb over 10 K with 180 HP...

[Oscar Avalle]

Due to terrain I normally fly around 13 to 14k. The other day I had to go up to 17k. Not much left after getting there. 

[John Pleisse]

I start to feel the plane slow down and have a nose up moment over 11.5. My best flight ever. One-hop from Kansas City to Gaithersburg, MD. 13.5 the whole way, never saw the ground until West Virgina. 40 knot tail wind most of the way. Awesome trip. (M20J)

[Piloto]

When I fly my 82 M20J KFXE - TJMZ I tipically do it at 13,000 feet to maintain radio contact with Miami Oceanic and San Juan Oceanic. On occassions with good tail winds I have gone to 15,000 feet at full gross witth 100 gals. The climb performance at 15K is about 200fpm and it takes over half hour hour to get there. TAS is just barely 150kts. I had taken mine to 19,000ft at light weight and like other said controllability is a little bit sluggish and a runaway trim or AP can easily get you in a stall. For the M20J overall max practical altitude is about 15,000 feet. The Ovation at 17,000feet has good performance as shown on the picture. But at -50F anything will climb.

 

José  

 

[Mooneyjet]

Oscar, I got a m20c as well, curious about what kind of fuel burn and true airspeed are you getting at those altitudes.

[jlunseth]

I probably don't count because my aircraft is turbo, but from 22500 to FL240 I am under 100%. Same as everyone else is reporting, the climb rate falls to 300 fpm or less, there is a distinct nose up and even with good airspeed you can tell that the wing is not truely happy.

[wishboneash]

Never been above 12k in any non-aspirated engine GA aircraft. Limited by not carrying oxygen more than anything else.

[1964-M20E]

When I fly my 82 M20J KFXE - TJMZ I tipically do it at 13,000 feet to maintain radio contact with Miami Oceanic and San Juan Oceanic. On occassions with good tail winds I have gone to 15,000 feet at full gross witth 100 gals. The climb performance at 15K is about 200fpm and it takes over half hour hour to get there. TAS is just barely 150kts. I had taken mine to 19,000ft at light weight and like other said controllability is a little bit sluggish and a runaway trim or AP can easily get you in a stall. For the M20J overall max practical altitude is about 15,000 feet. The Ovation at 17,000feet has good performance as shown on the picture. But at -50F anything will climb.

 

José  

 

I heard that the SR71 also experiences a very narow ban between flying and stalling albeit above 70k feet.

 

The highest I’ve ever been in mine was 12,500

[Oscar Avalle]

Oscar, I got a m20c as well, curious about what kind of fuel burn and true airspeed are you getting at those altitudes.

My TAS is around 150 at 12 K

[kmyfm20s]

What RPM at those levels? 2700?

[bnicolette]

I heard that the SR71 also experiences a very narow ban between flying and stalling albeit above 70k feet.

 

 

 

That is known as "Coffin Corner".

[Alan Fox]

That is known as "Coffin Corner".

All airplanes that cruise at the higher speeds have a narrow margin between cruise and stall.....not an issue on our mooneys as they dont get even close to fast enough for this effect......

[Oscar Avalle]

What RPM at those levels? 2700?

 

2550

[1964-M20E]

Are you sure that you heard that about the SR-71?  Or was it the U-2?

 

I've had my J up to 13,500, only for 30 minutes though because I didn't have oxygen on board.  I took a C with a portable bottle up to 17,500 once chasing tailwinds.  I don't remember anything remarkable about it except that I had to start my descent about 100 nm out from my destination, which I'm not accustomed to.  

 

Jim

I think you are correct it was the U2.

[Lood]

Once flew my Robin at 12k feet over the Drakensberg. Not a nice feeling to have almost no power left for any relevant further climb, with some very rugged mountainous terrain, 500' below your butt.

[N201MKTurbo]

I used to fly my M20F out of Denver across the rockies almost every day for six years (84 - 90) I would cross the divide at 12500 or 13500 every day. it performes great at those altitudes. Made an IFR flight from Kremmling to 01V once at 16000 with no problem. Went to 17500 one day with no O2 in an updraft power off and at the top of the green. It is pretty tireing just flying at that altitude with no O2. Came back down about a minute later to normal altitudes.

[BorealOne]

19000' in my Ovation - just once. It was a bad day over N. Quebec/James Bay, and I wanted to be clear of tops. A N/A IO-550 becomes pretty sluggish at that altitude - 100 fpm climb by the time I made it up there, but with a nice tailwind, it pushed me along pretty nicely. 16k is a much more reasonable altitude with the IO-550...you still have about 300-500 fpm avail if you need it.