Downgrading from a "K" to a "J"

[aaronk25]

Factory making most parts, elevator skins are made by special piece of equipment that's broke down currently. Good support of parts

[dfurst]

Wow.  Forgot I even started this thread.  Here is a quick update 6 years later.

Found a partner

Got my IFR.  Wish I had done it a lot sooner!

Partner left after 5 years

At the point where I need to overhaul or sell.  Looking at selling and buying newer, faster instead.

Thanks to everyone who told me I would not be happy going slower.

[Seth]

On 7/1/2013 at 11:50 AM, KSMooniac said:

 

He wants to go back to a Rocket... he has one years ago and that ruined him for "normal" Mooneys.

 

I'm not sure what to advise... will you be similarly constrained for the foreseeable future?  Do you not use the plane more b/c you don't have the IR?  Would you get more utility from it once you have the IR?  (ie business or family trips)  The transaction costs and first year de-squawking an unknown used plane are non-trivial, and could possibly wipe out any paper savings you see today.  I would think long and hard about how you plan to utilize any plane in the next 5 years and be honest with yourself.  Perhaps biting the bullet and doing a 10 day intensive IR course might be in order?

I feel that way about my Missile.  I love Mooney's but even when I fly a M20J, or even a Cirrus SR22 for that matter, I think "My Missile Cruises Faster."  It has ruined me to an extent.

However, the fuel burn, speed, mix, everything about the J east of the Rockies makes a lot of sense.  It may be one of the best all around airplanes ever.

-Seth

[Seth]

45 minutes ago, dfurst said:

Wow.  Forgot I even started this thread.  Here is a quick update 6 years later.

Found a partner

Got my IFR.  Wish I had done it a lot sooner!

Partner left after 5 years

At the point where I need to overhaul or sell.  Looking at selling and buying newer, faster instead.

Thanks to everyone who told me I would not be happy going slower.

Nice update!  Glad you kept your Mooney.  Hope you find another good faster aircraft.  What are you looking at upgrade wise?

-Seth

[dfurst]

Thinking Ovation.  Faster then my 231 below 12K and I hardly ever go over 10K.  The rare time I do go over 12K it has O2 and still performs OK.  I did fly home from FL a few months ago at 11K, doing 231 MPH, which was really nice but the exception.

No turbo so easier maintenance.  Newer body and interior.  A big jump from 1980 to 1995 or later.

[Browncbr1]

2 hours ago, dfurst said:

Thinking Ovation.  Faster then my 231 below 12K and I hardly ever go over 10K.  The rare time I do go over 12K it has O2 and still performs OK.  I did fly home from FL a few months ago at 11K, doing 231 MPH, which was really nice but the exception.

No turbo so easier maintenance.  Newer body and interior.  A big jump from 1980 to 1995 or later.

I have an f, flown J, K, and ovation2...  i fly a baron with io-550 engines often and have come to really like that engine.

Sooooooooo smoooooth LOP 12-13gph 

If I wanted to move up from my F, I would without a doubt go with ovation with io-550.   

 try to find one with 3 or 4 blade prop.  The two blade O2 takes a bit of airspeed before it starts to bite well.  

[carusoam]

Bcbr, did you get to fly the 310hp IO550?

A pair would be extra cool!

Best regards,

-a-

[Browncbr1]

1 hour ago, carusoam said:

Bcbr, did you get to fly the 310hp IO550?

A pair would be extra cool!

Best regards,

-a-

I fly a baron 58 (part91 commercial) with colemill and fox star conversions.   It has 4 blade q-tips and winglets.  I don’t think they are rated for 310hp though...I think it was 300hp for the baron application.  In any case, they are smooth and from all I gather on BT, those are as bulletproof as io-320.   I’ve only put a few hundred hours on it so far, but I’m pretty sold on them.    Smooth LOP operations all the way to cut off on stock injectors.  

One thing I’ve heard said about these is if you loose a jug, it can still limp home on the other 5.  With a flat 4, you lose a jug and you have to shut it down.   

Although I have become used to traveling 190-200kts, and I really love flying the baron, it never ceases to amaze me how expensive a pair of these things are to operate, even as efficiently as possible using the jpi 900.   So, I still love my 4 banger F model because it gets the job done and I can afford unlimited mx and fuel.. I built out a nice comfortable interior, so the extra time enroute doesn’t bother anyone.  

Luxurious interior, acoustic/thermal insulation, and vibration dampening are excellent alternatives to expensive speed mods.   Making the whole experience nicer makes the time go by quicker.  Best value in aviation is a well fitting Home Depot door seal!!!   I’m starting to think maybe relief tube!

[dfurst]

Long delay update again.

Sold the K in fall of 2019. Was going to hold off on buying a new one until summer of 2020, or later, then this thing called COVID happened.

3 months in to lock down, my wife we need our own airplane so we can travel during lock down.  Well, when your wife say buy an airplane, you do one thing, right away.

Took a few months but I found an Ovation I like, Serial number 0002, the first production model.  Nice upgrades and fantastic, over the top new paint job. Paint job was documented on Mooneyspace,

 

Prebuy found few things.  Seller was in a hurry since he already bought a new plane so we worked it out.  Timing was perfect.  Airplane prices had been dropping and interest rates were dropping at the same time.  Closed the deal June 2020.

Coming up on 4 years, love the Ovation, love the newer everything. Annuals have been good.

In hindsight, could I have gone a different route?  I am wondering if I would have been better off doing the overhaul, and a full glass upgrade in the K. The cost of that would be about the difference between price of the runout K and the R I have. I know I would be upside down on the K but I would have had the plane I built for me.

Anyway, love the Ovation.  Comfortable, fast, quiet.