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| Using early postwar experience with the Mooney M-18 Mite, Al W. Mooney moved into the four-seat monoplane market in the early 1950s with the M-20A design, featuring a similar low wing and retractable undercarriage - some subsequent lower specification models were offered with a fixed gear. The M-20B had a larger engine and was of all-metal construction. Successive marques of the type (Ranger, Master, Super 21, Chapparal, Executive and Statesman), with its distinctive raked trailing fin edge, have been offered, with over 7500 delivered to date.
| MODEL | M-20M Model 257TLS |
| CREW | 1 |
| PASSENGERS | 4 |
| ENGINE | 1 x 270hp Textron LycomingTIO-540-AFIA turbocharged piston engine |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 1451 kg | 3199 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 11.00 m | 36 ft 1 in |
| Length | 8.20 m | 27 ft 11 in |
| Height | 2.50 m | 8 ft 2 in |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 413 km/h | 257 mph |
| Ceiling | 7620 m | 25000 ft |
| Range | 1983 km | 1232 miles |
| JAKE JACOBS, e-mail, 09.12.2010 19:11 Am second owner of N57033 84 J 201 Mooney and its the only plane have or will ever own. 150kts /8.8GPH-great long range cruiser-have done 1100 miles non-stop. We have been to 49 states & Canada & Bahamas and landed on turf, ice, gravel etc. Strong, reliable and most economical of 4 place planes. Eleven years, 2300 hours and a lot of neat adventures and friends along the way. Love camping out at LAL & OSH next to 57033 /Cheers /Jake & Kat reply | | Jonathan Paul, e-mail, 09.12.2010 18:01 In April 2010 I flew my 1966 M20E non-stop from coast to coast, San Diego to Savannah. I have extended tanks (88+ gallons). It took 12:55 hours and used 72 gallons. I flew at 13,000 feet burning 5.2 gph. The TAS was 115 knots at that fuel burn. There was a good tail wind in the west. The message is that the efficiency of the Mooney design can also yeild exceptional range. One can trade speed for range. reply |
| Mike Elliott, e-mail, 09.12.2010 15:12 My 1970 M20F will haul 1100# of lard and fuel at 145 KTS TAS on 9.0 GPH, and it will do this for 7 hours. What other production plane can match this? reply | | Harley Myler, e-mail, 07.12.2010 05:03 I have a bizarre, disturbed love affair going on with my '66 M20E Super 21. I just love that plane! Once you fly a Mooney, you become a Mooniac and nothing ever comes close. reply | |
| | R.J. RODGERS, e-mail, 23.11.2010 07:22 PART OWNER OF 1965 EXCUTIVE 21. BACK IN THE 60'S AND 70'S. 180 H /P. HONEST 165 CRUISE ON 10 GPH. THAT GEAR HANDLE WAS A PIECE OF CAKE IF ONE REMEMBERED TO RETRACT WITH PALM FACING PASSENGER AND GEAR DOWN WITH PALM FACING UP. reply | | Paul Straub, e-mail, 23.11.2010 00:06 I bought a 1965 200 hp Super-21 with manual gear for $12,700 in 1970. I repainted it, re-upholstered it, added a turbercharger and some new avionics and took her to the Reading Air Show in 1975 where she won first place in single engine class. She wss competing against dozens of other highly equiped and newer Bonazas and other aircraft. These were called National Awards so it represented the best single engine airplane in America at that time.
I then flew her seven times over the Atlantic Ocean and made the 17th solo trip (in 43 years) around the world. I flew her to every continent except Antartica. AOPA PILOT magazine featured her in a five page article called Manual Mooney in 1986.
I have just published a book about this plane and the flights called "MY ODYSSEY" by Paul Straub which is available at Amazon.com reply |
| David Sullins, e-mail, 06.11.2010 03:47 i have had a M20E Super 21 for about 10 years. Manual gear is never a problem and I never bang my knuckles with it. I love it and don't ever have to worry about gear not working. I had Alt failure one time and gear was not the concern. Only if the battery would last long enough to get home into BWI. I have Monroy (34 gal long range tanks) total of 88 gal usable and fly mostly alone. have about 8 hours of fuel that way and at 150 Knots (10 gph) 1200 nm range. This is the 200 HP fuel injected engine. Back seat is small though and any distance would be cramped with 2 adults back there. F model has about 8 more inches of leg room between front and back and I would recommend that one for any one who plans to take 4 adults in it. E model is the fastest one that is not turbo or normalized though.
Great airplane. It is tight fit (sportscar) but fast and least cost per hour at 10 gph or less if you slow down. If just poking holes in sky you can pull power back and get 6-7 gph fuel burn at 120 mph (105 kts). Plenty fast for sight seeing or just looking at things. reply | | Buz Allen, e-mail, 10.10.2010 02:36 The M20 is Hands down the Best civilian aircraft for less than six people ever built!! I have owned an M-20C for 20yrs and flown 7 different models from the B to the M. The fuel efficency of the K model 252 can't be beat@ FL 250 22"MP 2200RPM 214KTAS on 12 Gals. /HR. Thanks AL&Art!!! reply | | Sid McClue, e-mail, 01.10.2010 20:00 I owned a M-20F w /rayjay turbo & full IFR avionics, flew out of Scottsdale. Put a third seatbelt in back benchseat so I could take three sons on trips. Great fun, fast and econo. Once lost alternator and had to hand crank electric gear down, but no other problem. Loved it. reply | | Barrie Davis, e-mail, 27.09.2010 06:01 The only Mooney I have flown is the Moony Mite, a truly tiny little bird that handled nicely and carried only the pilot. I can not compare it with other Mooneys, but the spring loaded lever that contolled the retractable gear and flaps (simultareously) did leave my knuckles ripped and bloody. Great fun! reply | | Roy M. Jones, e-mail, 24.09.2010 19:35 Please contact me and I will give you more information about other Mooney's reply | | Roy M. Jones, e-mail, 24.09.2010 19:32 If you go back and check, they built the first Mooney Mite, which a 65horsepower, single place aircraft which would fly about 130 mph at 3.5 gallons per hour. Then they built the 4 place woodwing,woodtail, metal fuselage with an 150hp Lycoming, then changed it to 180hp. My father worked there when they made the metal wing, reply | | Ross, 12.09.2010 04:15 I have owned my 1969 Mooney M20E for 30 years and flown it all over the US and to Alaska. Its a great traveling plane, good performance and wonderful to fly. I get 162 mph on 7.5 gph at altitude.I dread the day I have to sell it. reply | | Glenn S, e-mail, 01.09.2010 09:59 I owned a 1971 Executive 180hp Lycombing with manual gear and full King IFR. Paid $12,500 in 1973 with 300 hrs on it. Put 1,500 hours on it flying out of Tamiami and Homestead airports all over the US and western carribean. Used to hop over to Freeport, Bahamas to an Italian restarant called Marcella's and Marco Island Hotel (Daytime Only) on a regular basis.
Got my private (after solo in a C-150 at 10 hrs) and instrument tickets on it.
Hung up my goggles in the 80's. Wish I could afford one similarly equipped today
Have since hung reply | |
| | tony martinez, e-mail, 04.03.2010 07:23 I owned a 1967 Mk 20 for 5 years. Had a TSIO 360 Lycoming with a Ray Jay turbo. Flew it all over the country with no problems. It was a solid flyer and real dependable performance especially at altitudes of 12K plus. reply | | A. F. France, e-mail, 04.03.2010 04:46 The sports car of single engine aircraft. I had a Model M20E then moved up to a 201 before I had to hang up my goggles. Loved them both, explored the USA from corner to corner in both of them. reply | | Verne Lietz, e-mail, 28.01.2010 06:48 I had an M-20E (200 h.p, N5743Q) for about 10 years. Couldn't be beat for cross country if the back seat passengers weren't too big. Economy cruise at 2300 RPM was 145 mph, 9 gph. It had electric gear that never gave any trouble, though I got distracted,thought the warning horn was the stall warner and forgot to lower it once. reply | | Bob Gay, e-mail, 07.01.2010 14:28 I had a 1 /3 interest in a M20B, my first airplane, and the one I got my instrument rating in. The mechanical gear handle was indeed the hardest part of learning to fly this plane. I had a tennis wristband I put over my knuckles to try to protect them when raising the gear. What an airplane-- cruising around 125-130 knots on less than 10 gph. I later had a share of a 201 with all the bells and whistles. A fine airplane also, but not as much fun to fly as the old M20B. reply | | Carl Staib, e-mail, 06.01.2010 17:45 Being a "Pipe-Dreamer" as I am, if I had the money to buy two aircraft, the first would be a C-185 and the second would be a Mooney. Of course they're two completely different aircraft and they both serve they're purpose well. And I love them both. reply | | Hal Anway, e-mail, 05.01.2010 22:42 I flew an earlier 150 hp model. Great airplane. Mooney pilots could usually be identified by the scrapes on the back of their right hand. The mechanical gear handle was unforgiving. I rented one at KC,Kansas and at Peachtree-Dekalb in Atlanta.The later FBO also had a Super 21 that was supercharged and could really scoot. reply |
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All the World's Rotorcraft |
Paul Straub
I am interested in extended range tanks and would be interested in any information and /or pictures you have of your install. If able feel free to reply. Thanks!
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