Hello Axe,
as I’ve never operated one with the electric system I don’t have a direct comparison. However, the manual gear has hardly any parts in it’s retraction system which can fail or break so it is mostly maintenance free. All that is done is a gear swing each 100 hrs check. Flaps are hydraulic, so it is important not to exceed flap limit speeds as this can cause the system to overload and leak. Other than that, it is also a system which needs very few if any maintenance.
The advantage of the manual gear system is that it is as good as fail safe. There are no motors, actuators, pumps or the like to break or jam, no emergency procedures for a stuck up gear as it is manual already.
Thank you, but what I’m really trying to find out is how that translates in to actual cost savings. Is it mostly due to the fact that things rarely break and need replacement or that there is a lot less routine maintenance to be performed for example on annual inspections? What kind of real world numbers are we talking about?
Let’s say you budget 10k € per year to maintain and keep a non complex older aircraft (C172, P28A etc) current and up to date. Might be a tad on the conservative side but we can use it as a starting point. How much would a vintage Mooney with manual gear and hydraulic flaps add to that compared to a J-model with electric stuff?
Another question. I’ve read somewhere that you can simplify the Mooneys regarding speed like follows:
Your C-model seem to be a 150 KTAS airplane. Is that due to the PowerFlow exhaust, and would that mod deliver the same performance increase to an E-model?
My C-Model can do 150kts due to the power flow exhaust and after prop revision. That is however flat out, top speed. Normal cruise would be about 145, that is 5 kts more than a regular C with the same fuel flow the normal one does 140 kts with.
The figures you have are otherwise accurate for straight models without mods and these are cruise figures. Top speeds may be a tad more, particularly if the planes have either cowl closures or 201 style cowls and particularly windscreens. These two mods will probably add 5-10 kts to the spectrum.
As for cost, so far I’d say the cost of the gear vs a fixed gear airplane has been minimal if non-existent. The one bit where there is a difference to the bog standard PA28 is the prop, which is variable whereas the PA28 or C172 usually are not.
As my tenure as a Mooney owner will come to an end most likely, I could not have been happier with the plane. The day it finally sells will be a very sad day in my life.
This very rare M20A just showed up on planecheck in Switzerland.
I don’t know too much about them, but they are becoming really rare these days. They are faster than the Metal B and C’s and have the “A1A” engine as opposed to the A1D the C has. Due to the wooden wing and empennage they do need a hangar though.
This one is for sale for 18k.
As a small update to my last post, I have decided to keep my vintage Mooney for the time being as a solution has started to materialize as to my current absence from flying and it will do some IFR training work with a local flight school. I am very happy that I did not have to take the ultimate step of selling it.
Great article on the Mooney’s.
Thanks you so much. I have 350+ hours in a 64 M20E during the late 90s and am looking at purchasing a 66 M20C. Your article was very helpful.
Mooney’s are great. If I ever went back to piston (not unthinkable the way the economy is going 
), and wanted a low wing plane, the Mooney’s be at the top of my list.
Thank you very much BlueNoser. If I can be of any assistance, do not hesitate to write to me. My C model is a 65, so very close to the 66 you are intending to buy.
Thank you @Mooney_Driver, a very comprehensive summary and useful real-world experience. I’ve always liked the straight tail that looks like it’s leaning forward fast, but up to now always thought a Mooney unattainable (maybe from the Acclaim/Ovation adverts).
