Used Mooneys (1955 through 1968)

weight of 2,450 pounds-the same as earlier models. But the metal components raised the M20's empty weight by 110 pounds, to 1,527 pounds. Mooney built 220 M20Bs before introducing the M20C in 1962. Named the Mark 21, it has a gross weight of 2,575 pounds. The company built more than 1,600 Mark 21s before changing the name of the M20C to Ranger in 1968. Unlike the Mark 21, the Ranger has fixed cowl flaps, a nonretractable step, no dorsal fin and a gross weight of 2,740 pounds. A few words about the boarding step: M20 models built before 1964 have cranks mounted on the left side of the cockpit to raise and lower the step. Air- planes built between 1964 and 1968 have steps that retract automatically when the engine is started. The retraction mechanism is activated by pneumatic pres- sure supplied by the vacuum pump. This feature was discontinued in 1968 to save weight and to cut costs. The M20G Statesman also was introduced in 1968. It is similar to the Ranger, but has a fuselage that is 10 inches longer. The extension offers more legroom for rear-seat passengers but takes its toll in drag. The Statesman is slower than the Ranger and the Mark 21. The Ranger and the Statesman are the best buys among the 180-hp Mooneys built before 1969. Their engines have larger valves and higher recommended times between overhauls (TBOs) than those in the earlier models. The TBO on the M20C Mark 21's en- gine, however, can be raised from 1,200 to 2,000 hours if the valves and camshaft are replaced. When you shop, check the engine logs carefully. An M20C with this modification would be an excellent buy. In response to dealer requests for a training airplane, Mooney introduced the M20D Master, which has fixed gear and a fixed-pitch propeller. The airplane did not sell well, and Mooney built only 160 of them in 1963 and 1964. Most Masters have been converted, at a cost of about $2,000 each, to retractable gear and constant-speed props. Mooney introduced the fuel-injected, 200-hp M20E Super 21 in 1964. Three years later, the air- AOPA PILOT' 61 plane's fuselage was extended 10 inches, and the Su- per 21 was redesignated the M20F Executive 21. Because of the Mooney's tight cowling, the fuel-in- jection system is prone to heat-soaking and vapor lock during ground operations. The owner's manual advis- es pilots to get the Super 21 and Executive 21 into the air as quickly as possible. Activation of the fuel boost pump sometimes can force vapor bubbles out of the Bendix fuel-injection system. When this fails, the only alternative is to cover the system with rags dampened in cold water to cool it off. The 200-hp Mooneys have a feature called Power Boost. Application of full throttle activates a system that allows induction air to by-pass the engine air fil- ter. The engine then runs on unfiltered ram air and provides a few extra inches of manifold pressure. This feature should be used only at altitude and in dry air, because moisture can freeze in the by-pass passages. Contaminants in the air at low altitudes also can dam- age the engine. The airplanes have lights on their pan- els that glow if the gear is lowered while the system is still in operation. If you are considering buying a 1960s-vintage Mooney, take a look at the 180-hp models, first. Pilots who have owned both 180- and 200-hp models say the few extra knots provided by the fuel-injected en- gines are not worth the associated higher maintenance and fuel costs. Mooneys are well-known for their exceptional speed and fuel efficiency. The keys to the airplane's success are its tight cabin and thin, laminar-flow wings. These structures offer less frontal area and, hence, create less flat-plate drag than airplanes with bigger cabins and thicker wings. What is not so well-known is that the Mooney is a very tough airplane. From the tailcone forward, the fuselage comprises a welded-steel truss covered with prestretched and flush-riveted aluminum skin. The massive, aluminum alloy wing spar is constructed in one piece and runs through the cabin beneath the rear seats. The wing is attached to the fuselage by 34 bolts. The landing gear is made of heat-treated chrome- moly tubing and uses neoprene disks as shock absorb- ers. The gear is incredibly strong. and it also is very stiff. Taxi maneuvers require vigilance, because the airplane tends to rock back and forth when the gear hits a bump. There is precious little clearance between the low-slung Mooney's propeller and the ground. Two owners told me about incidents in which their propeller hubs shattered. The failures apparently were initiated by damage caused by previous prop strikes that were not reported by former owners. A thorough examination of the engine log books and the propeller itself for evidence of a prop strike is very important. One of the Mooneys I flew for this report is a 1965 M20C, owned by Michael A. Meyer, AOPA 489896, of Reisterstown, Maryland. I had spotted a picture of the handsome airplane, N7854V, on a bulletin board. Meyer, who currently is looking for a partner in his Mooney, agreed to give me some right-seat time, My first flight in his airplane reminded me of an early promotional photograph that shows a Mooney parked next to an Austin Healey 3000 sports car. The analogy is a good one. As with a sports car, you do not occupy a Mooney; you wear it. The cockpit is tight but not uncomfortable. If you like sports cars, you will love a Mooney. I have flown in the airplanes with beefy, six-footers. It was close, but there were none of the elbow wars that usually break out in the cockpits of Cessna 150s and Piper Cherokees. The Mooney's controls also are sports car-like: tight and responsive. The control system comprises torque tubes and permanently lubricated and self-adjusting bearings, rather than cables and pulleys. Because of the differential travel of the ailerons, very little rudder is needed to make a coordinated turn. Stalls are abrupt. The laminar-flow wing gives little warning of an impending stall. And when it quits fly- ing, the airplane tends to fall off on a wing very quick- NIOONEY NI20s A fighf cowl makes mechanics growl. ly. I have heard that a Mooney will wind up rapidly in a spin. But Mooney prohibits intentional spins. One of the major disadvantages of old Mooneys is their owner's manuals. The booklets do little more than congratulate the owner for his wisdom in buying the airplane. The pilot really has to dig to find any useful information in them; and the performance fig- ures for early Mooneys are exaggerated grossly. During the flight at 7,500 feet from Westminster, Maryland, to Petersburg, West Virginia-well below the M20C's gross weight-our true airspeed was about 138 knots at 68 percent power. The manual said we should have trued at 158 knots. The Mooney is not a hands-off airplane. Any ripple in the air tends to send it off the straight and level. To reduce pilot fatigue, Mooney introduced Positive Con- trol in 1965. Basically, the system is a wing leveler that supplies pneumatic inputs to servo units linked to the rudder and aileron controls. Pneumatic pressure is supplied by the vacuum pump, and the system is in operation whenever the engine is running. I certainly would welcome the system during long trips or flights in rough air. But, like many other pilots, I do not like the fact that the wing leveler is always on. It takes a little muscle to overpower the system to AOPA PILOT· 63 Like sporfs cars? You'll love an M20, make a turn. And it feels as though there is a gnome hidden in the airplane who continually attempts to thwart your efforts to make minor heading changes. A button on the pilot's yoke can be pushed to deacti- va te the wing leveler. Meyer uses the Velero fasteners on his push-to-talk switch to keep the button depressed. Others say that rubber bands and tape also work. On our return from Petersburg, I was a bit surprised when Meyer advised that I start our descent from 9,500 feet some 30 miles from our destination. The reason became readily apparent: The Mooney does not like to slow down. The yellow arc on the airspeed in- dicator begins at 132 knots, and the gear-extension speed is 114 knots. Descents require planning. The landing gear is linked mechanically to a two- foot-long bar in the center or the cockpit. A locking mechanism built into the grip slides into metal holders located below the power controls and between the seats. I found that by using smooth pressure, the gear can be operated very easily. I have seen some pilots ronlinut'd p. 68, !>pt'(;!i{at;o"~ovn/t'u! L- Daryl Myer and Donald Heagy of Chique 5 Ano. The dub has logged 4,000 hours in its Statesman. o TEAM EFFORr Yes, I hear you talking: You would like to own a Mooney, but it just is not in the cards right now-with the mortgage on the house and the note on the new car, the family budget is stretched tighter than the D-string on a guitar. Well, join the club. A flying club, that is. Group ownership of a used Mooney could be a good way to go, especially if you are putting more than 100 hours on rental aircraft each year. (See "Sharing the Costs," AOPA Pilot, October, p. 55.) For a modest initial investment, you will not own the entire airplane, but you probably still will find it very satisfying to point to a Mooney and say, "That's our airplane." There are a number of successful Moo- ney clubs in operation. One is Chique's Aero Corporation, based at Pennsylvania's Lancaster Airport. According to Donald Heagy, AOI'A 425597, treasurer of the club, Chique's (pronounced Chickee's) started out with a couple of taildraggers in 1947. The club was incorporated when it bought its first Mooney, a wood-wing Mark 20A, in 1956. The members traded the airplane in for a new Statesman in 1968. Heagy said the members are very pleased with the Statesman, especially with the extra legroom and the fixed cowl flaps. The club has logged nearly 4,000 hours in the Mooney. They recently had a new engine and nose gear installed in the airplane. "It's a dependable airplane," said member Daryl Myer, AOPA 415456. "The biggest problem we have had with the Mooney is quite a few generator failures." Membership in Chique's Aero costs $2,500 for initiation, $30 for monthly dues and $29 per hour for use of the air- plane, fuel included. The club's eight members, who use the Mooney primarily for recreation and personal transportation, are required to fly the airplane at least two hours a month. This ensures that the members stay reasonably current in the airplane and that the club's cash flow stays in the black. Scheduling is on a first-come, first-served basis, with extended trips re- qUlflng approval by all of the members. Another Mooney club, Badlands Flyers Incorporated, is rather unusual. The club is based in Watford City, North Dakota, a farming and oil-drilling community with a population of about 2,000. Except for a part-time charter service, there is no com- mercial air service available at Watford City. There are no aircraft available for rental at the city's airport, either. "We feel that we have given years of reasonable flying costs to a number of people in this community who would not have flown otherwise," said club founder and president Paul Wagner, AOI'A 613815. Badlands Flyers started nine years ago with a 1946 Funk, which later was re- placed with a 1963 Mark 21. When mem- bership grew, the club decided to buy a second airplane. "We tried a Cherokee 140 and a Cessna 182," Wagner recalls. "But they were more expensive to operate than the Mooney because of maintenance problems. The Cherokee and the Cessna also burned more gas than the Mooney." A few years ago, the members voted to buy another Mooney, a 1967 Executive. The 12 members of Badlands Flyers put about 300 hours a year on e,lCh of the air- planes. Wagner said the Mooneys are flown primarily for business purposes. It costs $4,000 to join the Badlands club and $28 per hour to fly either of the Moo- neys. Monthly dues are $41 and include one hour of flight time. With a little luck, you may be able to locate a club in your area that offers a piece of Mooney ownership for the price of a good used car. If not, why not form your own club? An AOPA booklet, "The Flying Club," c.m get you started. It is available free from the Service and Reference DepMtment. Members of Chique's and Badlands stress that one of the most important fac- tors in running a successful flying club is a comprehensive set of bylaws. "Get it all down in print," said one member, "so that there are no questions or hassles I,lter on." "Choosing your pMtners wisely is aiso very important," another member said. "The club experience can be very reward- ing and enjoyable when there is h.umony among the members. But one black sheep can spoil the whole thing." So, find some flying buddies who can make a modest investment and are willing to devote some effort to making ,\ flying club work. Draft a good set of bylaws. Then, go fly your Mooney. 64 • SEPTEMBER 1981 .- (onfinu/'d 'I USED MOONEYS (1955 through 1968)M20A M20C M20D M20E M20F M20G Mark 20A Mark 21 Master Super 21 Executive 21 Statesman 1958-1960 1961-1967 1963- I 964 1964-1967 1967-1968 1968 $12,500 to $14,75010 $15,99510 $13,995 $18.450 to $21,995 to $18,790 $15,540 $18,250 $19,995 $22,995 $6,000 to $8,000 to $10,000 to $9,000 to $14,000 to $17,00010 $16,000 to $12,000 $15,000 $22,000 $15,000 $25,000 $29,000 $28,000 Lycoming Lycoming Lycoming Lycoming Lycoming Lycoming Lycoming 0-360AIA 0-360AIA 0-360A I D 10-360AIA 10-360AIA 0-360AIO 180 hp 180 hp 180 hp 200 hp 200 hp 180 hp @ 2,700 rpm @ 2,700 rpm @ 2,700 rpm @ 2,700 rpm @ 2,700 rpm @ 2,700 rpm1,200 hr 1,200 hr 1.200 hr 1,200 hr 1,200 hr 1,200 hr 2,000 h r McCauley McCauley Hartzell McCauley Hartzell Hartzell Hartzell constant speed constant speed fixed pilch constant speed constant speed constant speed 2 blade, 74 in 2 blade, 74 in 2 blade, 74 in 2 blade, 74 in 2 blade, 74 in 2 blade, 74 in 35 fl 35 ft 35 ft 35 ft 35 ft 35 ft 35 ft 23 ft 2 in 23 ft 2 in 23 fl2 in 23 ft 2 in 23 ft 2 in 24 ft 24 ft 8 ft 4 in 8 fl4 in 8 ft 4 in 8 ft 4 in 8 ft 4 in 8 ft 4 in 8 ft 4 in 167 sq ft 167 sq ft 167 sq ft 167 sq ft 167 sq ft 167 sq ft 167 sq ft 14.7 Ib/sq ft 14.7 Ib/sq ft 15.4 Ib/sq ft 15.4 Ib/sq fl 15.4 Ib/sq fl 16.4 Ib/sq ft 15.4 Ib/sq ft16.3 Ib/hp 13.6Ib/hp 14.3Ib/hp 14.3 lb/hp 12.9Ib/hp 13.7 lb/hp 14.3Ib/hp 4 444444 8 ft 8 in 8 fl8 in 8 ft 8 in 8 ft 8 in 8 ft 8 in 9 ft 6 in 9 ft 6 in 3 ft 4.5 in 3 ft 4.5 in 3 ft 4.5 in 3 ft 4.5 in 3 ft 4.5 in 3 ft 4.5 in 3 ft 4.5 in 3 ft 8.5 in 3 ft 8.5 in 3 ft 8.5 in 3 ft 8.5 in 3 ft 8.5 in 3 ft 8.5 in 3 ft 8.5 in 1.4151b 1.4801b 1.525 Ib 1.4751b 1.560 Ib 1.640lb 1,5851b 1,0351b 970lb 1.050 Ib 1.100lb 1,0l51b 1.I00lb 990lb 8251b 760lb 738lb 788lb 7031b 7161b 6781b 2.450 Ib 2.4501b 2,575 lb 2,575 Ib 2,575 lb 2,740lb 2,5751b 210 Ib/35 gal 210 Ib/35 gal 312 Ib/52 gal 312 Ib/52 gal 312 Ib/52 gal 384 Ib/64 gal 3121b/52 gal 8 qt 8 qt 8 ql 8 ql 8 qt 8 qt 8 qt 120lb 120lb 120lb 120lb 120lb 120lb 120lb 725ft 600 ft 890 fl 620 fl 575 ft 595 ft 815 ft Takeoff over 50 ft N/O N/O 1,250 ft 1.800 ft 1,120 fl 1,385 ft 1,250 ft 900 fpm 1,150 fpm 1,010 fpm 740 fpm 1.000 fpm 1,055 fpm 875 fpm Max level speed 149 kt 162 kt 160 kl 128 kt 172 kt 160 kt 154 kt (Fuel consumption) @ 75% power 5,000 ft 143 kt/520 nm 156 kt/550 nm 148 kt/690 nm 124 kl/570 nm 153 kt/71O nm 151 kt/860 nm 142 kt/665 nm (60.0 pph/ (66.6 pph/ (69.0 pph/ (67.2 pph/ (67.2 pph / (66.6 pph / 10.0 gph) 11.1 gph) 11.5 gph) 1I.2 gph) 11.2 gph) 11.1 gph) N/A N/A N/A N/A 162 kt/760 nm 160 kt/925 nm N/A N/A N/A N/A (66.6 pph / (66.6 pph/ N/A 11.1 gph) 5,000 fl N/O N/O 128 kt/740 nm 98 kt/530 nm 143 kt/81O nm 137 kt/l,OOO nm 122 kt/704 nm N/O (54.0 pph / (57.6 pph/ (50.4 pph/ (50.4 pph/ (54.0 pph/ 9.6 gph) 8.4 gph) 8.4 gph) 9.0 gph) 131 kt/535 nm 143 kl/660 nm 127 kl/830 nm 104 kl/628 nm 143 kt/840 nm 138 kt / 1.060 nm 120 kt/780 nm (42.0 pph / (48.0 pph/ (51.6 pph/ (49.8 pph/ (49.8 pph/ (48.0 pph / 7.0 gph) 8.0 gph) 8.6 gph) 8.3 gph) 8,3 gph) 8.0 gph) 17,200 ft 17,200 ft 17,200 fl 13,600 ft 19,500 ft 17,900 ft 17,000 ft 575 ft 550 ft 550 ft 550 ft 595 ft 640 ft 595 ft 53 KIAS N/O 83 KIASN/O 80 KIAS 75 KIAS 80 KIAS 82 KIAS N/O 100 KIAS 82 KIAS 100 KIAS 100 KIAS 100 KIAS 113 KIAS 113 KIAS 115 KIAS 115 KIAS 115 KIAS 117 KIAS 115 KIAS 87 KIAS 87 KIAS 87 KIAS 87 KIAS 87 KIAS 92 KIAS 87 KIAS 104 KIAS 104 KIAS 114 KIAS N/A 114 KIAS 114 KIAS 114 KIAS 130 KIAS 130 KIAS 130 KIAS 128 KIAS 132 KIAS 152 KIAS 132 KIAS 159 KIAS 159 KIAS 164 KIAS 164 KIAS 164 KIAS 173 KIAS 164 KIAS N/O 60 KIAS 60 KIAS 60 KIAS 60 KIAS 60 KIAS 60 KIAS 54 KIAS 54 KIAS 58 KIAS 58 KIAS 58 KIAS 58 KIAS 58 KIAS configuration) 49 KIA5 49 KIA5 49 KIAS 49 KIA5 49 KIA5 49 KIA5 49 KIAS 66 • SEPTEMBER 1981 NIOONEY NI20s Mooney mania, a rare form of sanify. employ the Kamikaze approach-slamming the gear up or down with a heavy thud. It is quite a show, but it is entirely unnecessary. The manual-gear system requires little maintenance. For those pilots who do not like to exercise their arms, electric gear became an option in 1965. Meyer's airplane has a small handle located on the center pedestal that is used to pump the hydraulic flaps down. I prefer the flap-actuating system that was used in the Mooneys built before 1962, which has detents for both takeoff and landing flap positions. Landing a Mooney requires precision. It must be flown by the numbers. Speed builds up rapidly when the nose is lowered, and the slippery airplane rewards a hot approach with a long float down the runway in ground effect. Although he has had some problems with his air- plane, Meyer said he would not consider trading it for any other single-except, perhaps, the M30. Meyer has suffered three engine stoppages while flying in heavy rain. "Each time, it took an eternity plus 20 seconds to get the engine restarted," he recalls. Meyer believes the air filter was the culprit. He has replaced the paper element with a foam-pad filter. Meyer, like many other owners of used Mooneys, also has had a problem with fuel seepage. The high concentration of aromatics in the new low-lead fuels tends to break down the lead-cure fuel-tank sealants that were used in Mooneys built before 1979. Meyer recently resealed his tanks with the dichromate and magnesium sealant that is used in the newer Mooneys. Speed and efficiency are the hallmarks of the M20. But many owners said that money saved on fuel has to be plowed back into the airplane to pay for mainte- nance. The compactness of the Mooney makes main- tenance work time-consuming and expensive. Nevertheless, a used Mooney is one of the best buys on the market. As fuel prices continue to climb, Moo- ney mania is just what the doctor ordered. 0