198907-1989 Mooney M20M TLS

Taxiing out, the fact that. it is heavier on the nose than other Moo- neys is evident in the steering. An- The appearance of the cowling and the three-blade propeller tells you that this is going to be different. other TLS first, rudder trim, will tend to make the airplane steer right if it is in the takeoff position during taxi. The variable-density turbocharger controller will automatically set the manifold pressure that results in 270 hp for takeoff, so the only require- ment is to monitor manifold pressure on a very cold day to avoid exceeding the maximum value. You can tell there is more horse- power up front from the very begin- ning, though the relatively small AOPA PILOT • 41 Mooney MlOM ILS Base price: $177,500 Length Height Wingspan Wing area Wing loading Power loading Seats Cabin length Cabin width Cabin height Empty weight Max takeoff weight Useful load Fuel capacity, std The cowl design gives up a few knots of speed to ensure adequate engine cooling, critical in a turbocharged airplane. prop diameter (75 inches) results in a slight compromise in static thrust. Once the TLS gets moving, though, it does move out, and the 65-knot rota- tion speed and the 105-knot best rate or 120-knot cruise climb figures are quickly reached, with the vertical speed at or exceeding 1,000 feet per minute. Because only 270 hp is maxi- mum continuous, most TLS oper- ators will probably choose to use this amount of horsepower for climb. The in-flight sound level is com- parable with other Mooneys. On the test airplane, there was a low-order vibration, likely caused by something attached to the engine touching the cowling and easy to fix. The TLS is quite nice in not giving the impres- sion that it is an airplane in which the maximum amount of horsepower is unleashed. Except for the indications on the airspeed and vertical speed in- dicators, it is much like the other Mooneys. At 12,500 feet, we settled into a best-power cruise that yielded 160 knots indicated on just over 20 gph. The temperature was warm, and the whiz wheel ruled that the true air- speed was 195 knots. It wasn't neces- sary to open the fully adjustable, electrically operated cowl flaps to 42 • JULY 1989 Specifications Powerplant Textron Lycoming TI0-540-AF1A, 270 hp at 2,575 rpm Recommended TBO 2,000 hr Propeller McCauley constant-speed, three-blade, 75-in diameter 24.8 ft 8.25 ft 36.1 ft 174.8 sq ft 18.3 lb/sq ft 12.55 lb/hp 4 10.5 ft 3.625 ft 3.7 ft 2,0121b 3,200 lb 1,188 lb 96'ga! (90 gal usable) 576 lb (540 lb usable) Oil capacity 10 qt Baggage capacity 130 lb, 20.9 cu ft Performance Rate of climb, sea level 1,230 fpm Cruise speed/endurance w/45-min rsv, std fuel (fuel consumption) @ maximum cruise power, best power 25,000 ft 223 kt/3.5 hr (123 pph/20.9 gph) @ intermediate power, best economy 19,000 ft 202 kt/4.33 hr (99.6 pph/16.6 gph) Max operating altitude 25,000 ft Limiting and Recommended Airspeeds Vx (best angle of climb) 80 KIAS Vy (best rate of climb) 105 KIAS Va (design maneuvering) 123 KIAS Vfe (max flap extended) 110 KIAS VIe (max gear extended) 165 KlAS VIo (max gear operating) Extend 140 KIAS Retract 106 KIAS Vno (max structural cruising) 174 KIAS Vne (never exceed) 195 KIAS Vr (rotation) 65-70 KIAS Vsl (stall, clean) 65 KIAS Vso (stall, in landing configuration) 60 KIAS All specifications are based on manufacturer's cal- culations. All performance figures are based on standard day, standard atmosphere, sea level, gross weight conditions unless otherwise noted. 0 keep the engine cool. For descent, you can start down early and get your climb money back-if air traffic control allows. Or you can do a dive-bomber attack on the destination using the standard speed brakes. Either way, you'll ap- preciate the new 140-knot gear ex- tension speed if you get a little close and a little fast. For emergency or ex- tremely rapid descents, the speed can be increased to 165 knots once the gear is extended. Couple this with the speed brakes for a spectacular de- scent, should you or ATC long for the aircraft to be closer to the ground. When the flaps are extended for landing, there is a strong nose-down pitch that has to be handled with trim (electric or manual) in a timely man- ner. This should be stored for future reference, in case of a go-around. There the pitch will be nose up. For an airplane that flies so high and fast, the TLS has a low 75-knot approach speed and a low touch- down speed. Fly too fast on approach in any Mooney, and it will float. Fly the approach at the correct speed and make a normal landing. Some experi- enced Mooney pilots will tell you to minimize the use of flaps in strong crosswinds. With the TLS, Mooney lives up to its promise to offer significant new models on a regular basis. Each time, the available choice expands, and it now ranges from the economical (to buy and fly) 201 to the classy PFM to the efficient and high-flying 252 to the powerful new TLS for the pilot who wants a personal single with performance normally associated with the best of the light twins. 0