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Mooney M20
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooney_M20
The Mooney M20 is a family of piston-powered, propeller-driven, general aviation aircraft, all featuring low wings and tricycle gear, manufactured by the Mooney International Corporation. The M20 was the 20th design from Al Mooney, and his most successful. The series has been produced in many variations over the last 60 years, from the wooden-wing M20 and M20A models of 1955, to the M20V Acclaim Ultra that debuted in 2016. More than 11,000 aircraft in total have been produced. In November 2008, the company announced that it was halting all production as a result of the late-2000s recession, but would still provide parts and support for the existing fleet. With the injection of Chinese capital after the company's purchase, production of the M20 resumed in February 2014. Since then, the company has released two more M20 models. Al Mooney had been developing preliminary designs for the four-seater M20 for some time, while the single-seat M-18 Mite was in production in the late 1940s and early 1950s. When in early 1953 the company moved from Wichita, Kansas, to Kerrville, Texas, and when it became clear that the Mite was nearing the end of its production, development of the M20 accelerated. The first M20 flight took place on September 3, 1953, and it was certified on August 24, 1955. During 1955, the company sold 10 of the M20 airplanes. Due to start-up costs, they lost about $3000 on each airplane. In 1956, they delivered 51 airplanes, and in 1957 the total was 105. The airplane gained attention because it was able to achieve speeds up to 170 miles per hour (270 km/h) with a 150 hp (110 kW) Lycoming O-320 engine. The combination of speed and efficiency was noteworthy. In 1958 the M20A joined the lineup with a larger 180 hp (130 kW) Lycoming O-360-A1A engine, and by 1959, this was the only model offered, with a total sales that year of 231 units. This was the first year the company made a profit. The M20A continued production into 1960, when 166 were delivered. These were the last of the Mooneys to have wooden structures in the wings and tail. Early in the model's history, several incidents of wooden tails breaking up in flight occurred due to water damage and the resulting rot. Consequently, most tails have now been replaced with all-metal copies, as required by Mooney Service Bulletin M20-170A and the FAA Airworthiness Directive 86-19-10. Without the possibility of metal fatigue, the wooden wing has an indefinite life expectancy and is considered by some pilots to provide a smoother ride in turbulence. 2000s The M20TN Acclaim was released in 2006, powered by a turbonormalized Continental TSI0-550-G powerplant with twin turbochargers and dual intercoolers. The Acclaim replaced the Mooney M20M Bravo in the company product line. Mooney laid off 60 employees in June 2008 and cut production, citing a weak economy and sales inhibited by high fuel prices. Later that year, in November, all production was halted. In July 2008, Mooney signed a memorandum of understanding with Rolls-Royce to develop a version of the M20 that was to have been powered by the Rolls-Royce RR500 TP turboprop powerplant. The project was announced as being a joint "marketing investigation" and "exploration project", but does not appear to have come to fruition. 2010s More employees were laid off in late 2010. The stated goal was to have less than 10 employees at the start of 2011, with these employees providing parts and support to existing aircraft owners while the company searched for new investment. This search ended in late 2013; Chinese investment enabled the company to resume production in early 2014. Later that year, the M10T and the M10J were announced, both to be powered by Continental diesel engines. Two new models were released in 2016: the M20U Ovation Ultra and the M20V Acclaim Ultra. The M20U was based on the M20R and its first flight was on 4 June 2016. It was the first M20 to have a pilot-side door. It also featured a composite shell forward fuselage which replaced the traditional aluminum skin. The M20V, which was developed from the M20TN Acclaim, had those features, as well. Role Personal use civil aircraft Manufacturer Mooney International Corporation Designer Al Mooney First flight 1953 Introduction 1955 Status In production (2017) Produced 1955–1971, 1974–2008, 2014–present Number built 11,000 Unit cost US$690,000 (M20U Ovation Ultra, 2017) US$770,000 (M20V Acclaim Ultra, 2017) Developed from Mooney M-18 Mite In August 2017, 6,748 Mooney M20 aircraft were registered with US Federal Aviation Administration, 342 with Transport Canada, and 33 in the United Kingdom with the Civil Aviation Authority. In June and July, 2017, pilot Brian Lloyd flew his Mooney M20K 231 around the world, commemorating Amelia Earhart's attempted circumnavigation which took place 80 years earlier in 1937. Lloyd followed a route similar to the one taken by Earhart. Specifications These are the specifications for the 2016 M20 Acclaim Ultra General characteristics Crew: one pilot Capacity: three passengers Length: 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m) Wingspan: 36 ft 6 in (11.125 m) Height: 8 ft 4 in (2.5 m) Empty weight: 2380 lb (1080 kg) Useful load: 1000 lb (454 kg) Loaded weight: 3380 lb (1533 kg) Max. takeoff weight: 3368 lb (1528 kg) Powerplant: 1 × Continental TSIO-550-G air-cooled, 6-cylinder, horizontally opposed piston engine, 280 hp (209 kW) Propellers: Hartzell Scimitar Three-Blade Performance Cruise speed: 242 knots (278 mph, 447 km/h) Stall speed: 53 knots (61 mph, 98 km/h) Range: 1100 nm (std tanks) (1266 mi, 2037 km) Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7625 m) * |
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