Flying the World's Fastest Piston Single-Mooney Acclaim Ultra

Mooney has re-tooled the Acclaim in the Acclaim Ultra, making it the fastest certified piston single in the world. In this video, AVweb's Paul Bertorelli took the airplane for a test flight with Mooney's Lee Drumheller. And yes, it goes as fast as the book claims it does. (Corrects warranty title.)

[@tomekwrs]

It's funny to see as the guy on the right seat squeezes to the window to make an impression of a bigger cabin for Paul :)

[@akitaproperties3814]

I have owned a Mooney Ovation now for over 11 years. I love the plane and it is roomy, stable, fast and efficient. 75-80 knots over the numbers is way too fast as mentioned in the video. I shoot for 70 over the numbers and that works well for me. Staying ahead of the aircraft is key to flying the fast long bodies and taking advantage of the GFC 700 autopilot is great!

[@rmp5s]

What year is yours?

[@jacobbeef4645]

Very true. About 70 - 75 and you’ll get the bird down. Any more and you’ll float FOREVER.

[@jbw9999]

I always landed the M20J I flew faster since it made for a smoother landing. And I never bounced once. I never landed at short runways so didn't care about floating a bit.

[@prestonmiller9552]

A real shame to see Mooney out of the picture again. Hope they can come back again and stay back. It remains one of my favorite airplanes.

[@JH-in5oq]

It’s crazy that a company with such a fantastic product can still run itself into the ground. It must have been frustrating for the engineers to see all their hard work go down the drain because the corporate side of the company was incompetent.

[@zachburgess2289]

Same with Lear jet. It’s sad 😔

[@hogey74]

Loving these longer reviews Avweb - I reckon you've responded to a common request. Thanks!

[@gilbertfranklin1537]

I may not be able to afford it, but I sure love that sassy Mooney tail angle! ✨👍

[@lopflyer6330]

I really was looking forward to this review and it is great as always!

[@AVweb]

Apologies for the re-post. I just missed that 300 year warranty thing in the title.

[@jakemalone8894]

You can edit titles I think?

[@AVweb]

No, not the lower third titles in the body of the video. Guess I coulda put a caption on it, but I just fixed it and reloaded.

[@ymk8355]

300 years warranty?....well they ain’t answering the phone no more... no one at the factory. I’d say mooney is too fragile now to trust another recovery and i would buy a new mighty ultra at $150k to $200k under the asking price or look for something else!

[@davidferris9392]

@@ymk8355 not correct. Mooney is open.

[@ymk8355]

@@davidferris9392 well my post is 10 months old, so I was correct but today is has been saved for now! Good on the Mooney owners.

[@David-ce7mh]

I think it's pretty awesome what mooney has done with their wing structure, and STEEL CAGE frame. Sure if your not a pilot you can complain about the price...but I would feel very safe in this Mooney.

[@harryagrotis326]

As always an honest detailed review on things that matter. Thanks

[@petersinger785]

To the Mooney Community: We are pleased to announce that as of September 1, 2020, a long awaited transition at Mooney took place. There is new management at Mooney and it's made up entirely of pilots and Mooney owners giving the company a unique and valuable perspective going forward. So, on behalf of new management, I wanted to take this opportunity to inform you that the reports of Mooney's death are greatly exaggerated. Mooney is, in fact, very much alive, up and running. You can expect to see some changes at Mooney which we believe are long overdue. Plan to witness a new culture and approach which is reflective of the new ownership's love of aviation, flying an Mooney aircraft. Our first priority is to reengage and rebuild our relationship with the Mooney Community. For those of you who are Mooney pilots and owners, folks that make a living selling or fixing Mooney aircraft, or just fans of Mooney, we want you to know that we recognize that you are our life's blood. You are our best spokespeople, our most informed advocates and our most loyal customers. It is our goal to do right by you and rebuild your trust in Mooney. In fact, our number one priority is to build a customer support infrastructure that can capably reward your loyalty which has been the hallmark of the Mooney consumer for years. Our first and immediate focus is to make sure that we're properly servicing the community's fleet of over 7000 aircraft. For the last 6 months, we've taken over parts production and managed to keep the spares moving to the service centers. We have plans to improve our efficiency so that parts are easier to order and arrive sooner. We're also working on those challenges that have gone unresolved to date. A useful load increase retrofit is in the works. Once this is tackled, it will allow us to consider other design challenges such as a ballistic parachute, auto-land and a larger cabin. As a first step toward earning your confidence, we're pleased to announce that we recently secured FAA approval over and will be offering an upgrade to the Legacy G1000 software. It will allow ADS-B to play with the G1000 so you'll get traffic, free weather and all available approaches on your display. We'll also be offering a carbon cowl for the Ovations which will immediately improve useful load. Coming soon will be the long-awaited upgrade from NXiI to NXiII. We're also working on an upgrade from the G1000 Legacy to NXiI and NxiII. We also want to extend our hand to the Mooney Community outside of the United States. In partnership an in support of the Meijing Group, we have a unique opportunity to create an international Mooney network that reaches the many Mooney owners and operators across the globe while growing their numbers. As the Mooney Community grows, we will all benefit. All of the changes we anticipate are important, exciting and we believe will benefit both Mooney and the Mooney community. But they're not always simple or easy to implement so we ask you to be patient. And as we work on ideas to improve your experience with Mooney, I promise to be in touch with you as we roll them out. Finally, I want to say a brief word about the folks who work at the Kerrville plant. For the last 6 months I've been overseeing a skeleton crew at the factory. They have been tasked with keeping Mooney alive during a period of instability and stress, not to mention a pandemic. They had no idea whether this change in control would ultimately take place or whether Mooney would even continue to operate, but they put their heads down and forged ahead. They are all dedicated workers and people of great integrity and I'm proud of them. They, along with the Kerrville community, including those workers who were furloughed but who sometimes stepped into help, are the heart and soul of Mooney and I thank them. Warmly, Jonny Pollack CEO

[@miadrain1454]

please this plane needs to carry more and the cost is rediculious legit i can get a boeing 737-200's downpayment with the price of this

[@sigbauer9782]

@@miadrain1454 what a stooooopid thing to say. plus you're spelling sucks.

[@Swordfish393]

Past the manufacture of replacement parts, do you have plans to start producing aircraft again? The Acclaims are lovely, but have you thought about resurrecting the M20J 201 / M20K 231? They were more affordable to own and fly (those TSIO-360's drink a lot less fuel) for those of us who aren't surgeons, and who can't drop $900k+ on a decked out Acclaim. If you could find a way to produce a new version of the 201, and get it done under $350k, you'd eat Cessna's lunch.

[@johnwight6041]

Awesome to hear! Very exciting!

[@narf571]

I'm not a Mooney owner however I wish Mooney all the best. Glad to hear you are still going

[@capchuckpriceutyoub]

Thank you for this review. Great to see Mooney pushing product out the door!

[@danblumel]

Wish that were true now.

[@davidferris9392]

@@danblumel they are open for business.

[@mytubehkjt]

I love these in depth reviews. Well done. Keep 'em coming!

[@azaliamitchell9736]

Goodbye Mooney.. Don't think they're coming back this time. Good luck to all the employees you built an amazing product.

[@NoNonsenseScalping]

Find someone to marry that looks at you the way this dude looks at paul. 😂😂😂

[@witeviper1990]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@bjs2022]

I suspect you made some corrections/improvements in the second post. It’s too bad the comments get deleted, too. I’ll say it again: Thanks.Excellent report and production.

[@104thDIVTimberwolf]

For that money, I could get the Aerostar 702P I've been in love with since I was a kid, and pay for 10 years worth of fuel and maintenance. The Mooney is fast and beautiful, but my bicycle has nearly as much useful load.

[@joycethomas8868]

Bicycle will have more elbow room

[@TheJustinJ]

@@joycethomas8868 but no retracts tho

[@christopherbernhardt]

@@TheJustinJ idk man my legs have a pretty large range of motion

[@DustinLaughs]

This video helped Mooney go out of business. It shows just how impractical this airplane is at this price point. No wonder they couldn't sell 3 of them.

[@brandthershman4088]

1. Mooney is not out of business. 2. They sold far more than 3 of them. 3. They stopped building planes for a number of reasons, including COVID. 4. It’s cheaper, has longer range, and is faster than a Cirrus.

[@squidiz496]

@@brandthershman4088 I belive this comment was ment to be more of a joke.

[@kevin_6217]

​@@brandthershman4088Yeah, they are out of business. Also, their aircraft were not very good.

[@johnwight6041]

@@brandthershman4088I’d take a Mooney any day over a cirrus

[@austinbowman1433]

Excellent report! Well done. That's a lot of money for essentially the payload of a Cessna 172.

[@troyedwards5233]

Austin Bowman Oops!

[@austinbyrd5313]

Love the review, Paul, but I'm a Mooney guy. All designs are a compromise. Mooneys are not SUVs. I own a turbo-Mooney, 1985 M20k 231, and owned a 1966 C model for 10 years before the K. I would love to have a new Ultra if I had the $. My useful load in the K model is 877, so with full fuel, that's me, my wife, and 80 lbs of luggage going 1,000 miles at 168 kts true (66% power) burning 11 gph at 12,000 ft. I'm 5'11" and 200 lbs, and have no trouble with the cabin size - it is very comfy for 4 people, and the seating position and panel layout are great for long distances (I've done 6 hours at a time). I live in Colorado Springs, and out here density altitudes are often 10k on the ground (current DA in Durango is 9585 ft.). Most of my flying is just me and my wife, but sometimes we use all the seats. Last weekend, I flew the family me, wife and two kids aged 17 and 21) from Colorado Springs to Durango, and we were at max gross weight (2,900 lbs). So you absolutely can take 4 people on a 1 - 2 hour trip (rather than a 4-6 hour drive). Same profile from Memphis to New Orleans, if you're only going 300 miles (~27 gal needed, so ~40 gal on board), 4 regular people who pack lightly is no problem. No, you can't bring your mountain bike and dogs and golf clubs. So the mission defines the aircraft you fly. I've flown awesome Beech Barons turning two 300hp engines, and yeah, they lift more and have a bigger cabin, and burn 3-4x more fuel for the same distance and speed. If you're frequently carrying 3-4 people and more gear, get one of those. But if your mission is 1-2 people (and that is mostly how people fly), I'd rather have the hella strong and fast Acclaim Ultra over any other piston or turboprop. In fact, a guy flying an MU-2 just walked across the ramp and told me he was going to downsize to a Mooney turbo (his kids grown, just him and his wife now). Last thing, devote this much time and $ to an airplane and you should love how it looks on the ramp. Mooney makes beautiful airplanes.

[@quidestnunc9238]

Exactly so.

[@abel4776]

Really? Even over an Evolution?

[@Siryn]

Last one I ever flew in was a Bravo. Really looking forward to getting a chance in one of these!

[@tootall849]

Awesome review; no beating around the bush here!

[@scottfranco1962]

Paul is really an asset for AVweb...

[@andreasbacher2695]

I will never understand why someone could ever prefer a Cirrus or a Diamond single engine model over such fine aircrafts like these Mooneys! Mooneys look phantastic compared to these ugly Cirrus and Diamond models and have such a lot more style. This is commented here by a proud Bonanza owner (due to cabin space, comfort, baggage compartment, and - yes - style reasons). However, I do envy Acclaim Ultra owners for the phantastic performance of their aircraft. It is a pity that the Mooney company finally had to close its doors apparently forever in January 2020.

[@speedomars]

Because you don't understand is why you don't understand. A Cirrus SR22T WITH A/C and TKS has 200lbs more useful load and has the exact same fuel burn and speed. Seats 4.5 AND it has a chute to boot.

[@2Phast4Rocket]

Nice airplane. I am impressed at the center wing spar. No company in the GA piston makes a stronger wing than this Mooney. To get something stronger, you have to get an experimental. See, money can't buy you everything.

[@nonamejones2321]

New to your channel, Im a flight simmer that uses vanilla FSX. What fine work, I enjoyed it.

[@jeffhiner]

A couple years ago I bought a heavily modified 1965 M20E that happily matches that 135 knots indicated at 12500, while only drinking 9 gallons per hour. It's not turbocharged, but it easily handles the high altitude airports I regularly fly in and out of. I love my Mooney and I'd love to see the company stay afloat, but I also can't understand who buys a new aircraft priced at nearly $800k when used aircraft in great condition are available for less than a tenth the price, and a newish RV-7 with low hours is typically available for around $100k. Where are the reasonably priced new GA aircraft?

[@codmott286]

"Where are the reasonably priced new GA aircraft?" In the experimental world. You can blame certification for these absurd prices.

[@tropicthndr]

For a million you should get a vibration free motor from Victor. Garmin nonsense adds 150 extra lbs

[@USARealMan-ls3zj]

Payload capacity is ridiculous on this plane... as low as 240 lbs payload when it is fueled. Give me a break

[@johncarr123]

Price is ridiculous. Come on China take the M20e and covert it into a carbon fiber shell and mass produce for under 200 grand. Use dynon avionics and a 200HP certified UL engine.

[@ldmax]

China couldn't even mass produce the SkyCatcher for under $100,000.

[@nevillecreativitymentor]

2023 Bump ... great content as usual

[@gunnerjoe53]

Anti Ice or A/C wow, I spend 800K on a plane I'm going to want both. Someone needs to explain what a cool looking cockpit looks like, looks just like Diamond cockpit, 8 inch panel of circuit breakers, small displays, but hey its fast.

[@mojogrip]

Great plane. Really tight useful load.

[@amerrandhawa5129]

Mojo this is the plane that you should get, ahahahaha. But seriously I would love to see you fly this

[@slinehan4]

no kidding...for 800k I figure you'd at least be able to bring the dog haha

[@SaulHoodman]

beautiful machine thanks for making this video

[@ripper8771]

Love the review, impressive speed but at that price I’d be looking for a used TBM 700

[@dieselyeti]

That kind of money gets you an early production TBM with a high-time motor needing a $250k overhaul.

[@dieselyeti]

@@ripper8771 Okay, they stretched out the TBO. That's still entry level TBM money and it's still a 250k overhaul.

[@ripper8771]

dieselyeti Still worth it IMO👍

[@gmcjetpilot]

Me too, but that is at least $1.0M and higher operating cost, BUT I agree with you used TBM700 is a good value.. However there are even better values on used Citation jets that can be flown single pilot for $300K, with more performance. However again operation cost. Just can't break the bank on a turbine single.

[@RossLeavitt]

Yeah, you can always get more for your money if you buy anything used. I never understood buying new cars or airplanes. But some people do it for whatever reason.

[@rahuldobhal9037]

thanks for the precise review

[@EZ_shop]

Nice review Paul.

[@scarybaldguy]

95% of my flying is solo and I travel light. Useful load means far less to me than speed, and Mooneys are just fantastically beautiful and efficient. Would absolutely snap up this bird if I could.

[@BillyJ10]

I know we're currently several years removed for this video, and Mooney is now under new ownership. But when do they plan to resume production of these 2 models?

[@wheeler9161]

I like that you cut a person in half and removed the baggage instead of just removed the second person.

[@erythuria]

is it just me or did you keep switching headsets? Haha it's like a replay of your epaulette additions in the tight traffic pattern video ;)

[@AVweb]

Actually, no, we didn't switch. But it's not just you. Someone else said the same.

[@BruceBusby]

I think the useful load make this a no go option in minutes

[@johnnyboythepilot4098]

RIP Mooney.

[@johnnyboythepilot4098]

@John Smith Mooney temporarily went out of business but then came back when a group of new investors took it over.

[@speedomars]

@John Smith Yes.

[@speedomars]

@@johnnyboythepilot4098 No. Mooney laid off their production staff. They are only in business to sell replacement parts right now.

[@davidferris9392]

Still open for business.

[@speedomars]

@@davidferris9392 Nah. They are cobbled together with no money and an old factory with outdated designs and equipment. They are making spare parts only. This time they are done. The little group of employees and lawyers that think they are restarting the business are a joke.

[@bombsaway6340]

Have a 62 M20C and love it, but now have new Mooney envy. Off to get a lottery ticket, only way I'd be able to buy one.

[@daszieher]

I'd already be happy with what you've got! It's all a matter of perspective 😉

[@bombsaway6340]

@@daszieher I’m just joking. Love my M20c. Just replaced all the engine instruments with a MVP 50 digital system.

[@1Gregos]

did you lose a gopro? @10:26 on the wing vs @10:49

[@slinehan4]

"...and it is hauling ass" haha well put!

[@saito125]

Two asses at most....

[@aaronhanes1828]

Love my old Mooney! So much more useful load..

[@Agislife1960]

There are several recipe aircraft that utilize Lord type engine mounts.

[@namewitheld]

$800,000 and the same payload as my $9,000 C150. I'll wait, thanks.

[@namewitheld]

@yolanda jerginson Yeah? No shit.

[@BruceBusby]

Great airplane for a guy with no friends!

[@friedchicken1]

or a guy with a friend with no shoulders

[@747-pilot]

@@friedchicken1 ROFLMAO!! 😂

[@sdefonta]

Or a freind who doesnt bring anything else

[@flycow69]

With a plane like this one you will have more friends than you want to have

[@BruceBusby]

@@flycow69 and all them need to stay on the ground to stay under max Gross

[@DannyCreech]

Thanks for the good overview video. Yeah, the PRICE will kill this aircraft. The salesman said at 2:20 in the video "Turbine speeds but on a piston budget." The first aircraft that came into my mind when he said that was the Lancair IV-P Turbine. I thought about how much these aircraft cost which is between $300K-700K. So I knew this Mooney with it being a "Certified" aircraft would cost higher than like a Lancair ES (~$200K) and I figured $300K would be about right for the Mooney's price. After all it is NEW and Certified. Then when you stated the price of the base model just under $800K I thought that salesman is a LIER. I will take a Lancair IV-PT for $400K that flies higher (FL290) flies faster (310Kts) and looks way cooler! Nope it is not certified but for my business I do not need a certified aircraft. I will now add Mooney to the list of other Nut Job companies making WAY OVERPRICED aircraft like Carbon Cub, Cerius, and Cessna. No wonder everyone is buying Homebuilts. What kind of a car can one buy for $800K and is WAY more complex to build than a Mooney (yes I know volume). Just saying.

[@tstanley01]

I don't think it is the price that killed it...It is the useful load and no parachute (love them or hate them, they have a pretty high wife approval factor). Cirrus sales a million dollar piston single that is 30 kts slower, every day...every single day...

[@lucasbrien5008]

The lancair is a 'strange' aircraft to say the least... Not sure if it's fair to compare it to the Mooney. Comparing certified aircraft is more fair. An old TBM-700 is probably like $300k + likely $250k overhaul needed. $550k total, not bad since it vastly outperforms the Mooney. However, this aircraft is both old and much more expensive to own, as turboprops tend to be. TBMs will cost over $1k/hr to operate. This Mooney will cost around $250/hr. This is what he meant by a piston budget. I know this comment is old but if you were thinking $300k for a new aircraft you are very out of touch. A new 172 is $400k.

[@Ozarkprepper643]

My great nephew has a m20j . I've had many planes throughout the decades. Have two plus an ultra-light. Plus one currently being built. But the main plane is my STOL bush camper. It does this powered by type 1 2300 stroked with ported mofoco heads with very large valves. And low RPM cam. But the trick is my custom-built port fuel injected manifold fed by 2 AMR 500 superchargers with clutches. Also did something really trick for AC. Yes it's air-conditioned! And it will freeze your butt! They only weigh 16 1/2 lbs. There's two one in front one in back. They are semiconductor "peltier" AC units. And since they run with computer fans there's no interference with the Avionics. Also serves as a heater. It has a wing loading of 6.4 And a power loading of 5.6. It is a one off I designed and built myself. Aluminum tube frame. And composite foam and S Glass. Empty weight is 463 lb. Best part of all under $20,000 LOL.

[@josephdunbar2105]

800K! That’s a nice Used Baron and a cabin in the mountains. I think I’ll stick with my Skylane. I’ll get there a few minutes later with my wife, our friends another couple, my lap dog, all my luggage, etc. ain’t gotta worry about the gear, annuals are a grand a year, insurance is 850 a year. Good luck with selling that thing

[@richglenn3729]

Nice airplane, terrible price.

[@747-pilot]

Yes, it should have been about 150K to 200K less. It would be a great deal at that price.

[@sdefonta]

Terrible full fuel payload

[@PerthHunter]

@@sdefonta all mooney's do. Bonanza is the best trade off for speed/useful for a low wing. C210 or similar on a high wing.

[@Dragonrc.]

Terrible company, cant seem to stay in business

[@orangebetsy]

alright, i got about $1,000. guess i'll stick to rent and X-Plane

[@pinkdispatcher]

So it's still true what my prof said a decade or more ago: "Mooneys are small, and don't carry a load, but do so fast." The useful load sounds almost like a joke.

[@kCI251]

It's not a truck, it's a fasssssttt airplane.

[@FelipeArtista]

I agree, for $200K less I can get a DA-42, which can still perform like a single if an engine fails.

[@FelipeArtista]

@NonyaBusiness! I didn't say it would perform like a Mooney, I said "which can still perform like a single if an engine fails". The Mooney's performance is not typical for a single, so I was comparing the DA42's price, performance and safety record to a typical single with similar useful load. I would not spend that money on a Mooney. If I'm going to buy a single engine aircraft, it's going to be a used turboprop.

[@azaliamitchell9736]

So it's still true what my prof said a decade or more ago: "Mooneys are small, and don't carry a load, but do so fast." The useful load sounds almost like a joke.

[@erinchillmusic8930]

@@kCI251 if you want fast, get a harmon rocket for 200K. Sure its a two seater but a mooney runs out of weight with just two 200lb guys and full tanks, so in practical terms it is also a two seater. It is a joke indeed at this price level.

[@quinnjim]

A 2 person airplane for $750,000. I wonder why they went out of business? Too bad for those guys counting on the warranty.

[@cefb8923]

Yeah that does suck.. damn.

[@michaelangelo7511]

A good Ferrari is a two seater and at a cost of $450,000. People with real money don’t care about capacity. It’s the performance and prestige. Everything else is secondary.

[@quinnjim]

@@michaelangelo7511 A Ferrari is a 2 seater. The Mooney is false advertising.

[@brandthershman4088]

Cheaper than a Cirrus or a Bonanza.

[@TexanUSMC8089]

People are choking when they see the price, but a Mooney is the Corvette of 4 passenger single engine airplanes. It's fast. Period.

[@williamrmcintosh4343]

Great review, with the exception of an overemphasis on the price of the airplane. It seems that the market for this airplane is the owner-entrepreneur who needs to go 500 nm or so fairly quickly, and who will likely, more times than not, be the sole occupant. The purchaser realizes turboprop performance at a smaller operating cost. Then, after 2 years of operation or less, the owner might trade up to a nice late model M500, thus gaining pressurization and an engine type that fails only once for every 117 piston engines that fail. Since that means that the failure rate of a piston engine is 11,700% that of a turbine engine, the Acclaim owner will likely want to limit his or her exposure to the piston engine to the time period mentioned. For the rest of us, a used C182 makes a lot more sense to fly from Here to Podunk International 75 miles away. Finally, Kudos to Mooney for the strong airframe construction, and best wishes to Mooney in reaching the right market that will keep the Acclaim flying for many years to come.

[@tropicthndr]

doesnt come close to the value of a pressurized Malibu or even a Bonanza, where do you put the fold up bikes, no where you have to uber everywhere its useless.

[@rainerzufall689]

While turbines are cool I want to add that there is a considerable amount of engine "failures" that don't relate to it being of any type. Although the turbine itself rarely failes there can easily be a problem with the fuel supply (many causes possible) or a control cable breaks...

[@gmcjetpilot]

Hard to beat a C-182. However the Mooney competes against many other used single engine planes including used Mooney 231. Other Piper Comanche, Beech Bonanza, Cirrus SR22 can be had for $100K-$120K and a used Malibu can be had for $320K. The business owner can write a lot off on taxes, but cheapest is fly commercial (not fun or efficient). However if you serve farmers or remote places ,with no commercial service, private aviation is golden. Then there are twin engine planes...

[@williamrmcintosh4343]

@@gmcjetpilot Very good points. Well, first of all, the Ultra is more suited to the European market than the American one. In Europe, you can be in a whole different country in one hour..In America it's gonna just drone on and on, with pilot and pax in those teeny seats--- and the pilot's gonna say, "Hey, this thing is no RJ! I spent 800K for THIS? I'm exhausted--gonna take me 3 weeks to recover from this trip!" So while Mooney is coming up with a business plan for today's millennials, it should be marketing the Ultra in terms of attractive city pairs that can be traversed in about 1 hour with the Ultra, but are a real pain to drive between. So, IMHO, Mooney should forget the concept of the somewhat speedy single-engine piston airplane, because it's time has come and gone.

[@terriholliday8038]

Beautiful airplane!

[@gmcjetpilot]

GREAT AIRPLANE REVIEW>...Wish all were like this, full of information, real numbers.... That is a lot of money... I'll stick with my RV-7. Always loved Mooney and gave instruction check outs at the flight club, but it's not for a casual pilot. A 182 is a better choice if you want to haul people and bags, albeit slower.

[@2Phast4Rocket]

The high price of these new airplanes is what keeping the experimental market healthy. People don't want to buy a 50 years old corroded spam can and they can't shell out 1/2 mil or more for a generic GA airplane so they just buy a lightly used experimental like Vans RV10 or build one.

[@gmcjetpilot]

2Phast4Rocket Yes true, but this new 2018 Mooney is competing with Mooney. A used 20 year old Mooney 201 or 231 is way less money and does similar mission. As far as experimental not many people can see a project through as I have twice (RV4/RV7). However because of such excellent kits, use of new Lyc clones, used experimental kit plane market is full of fairly well built standardized planes. They can be a good value (but also $100K not cheap), but they are not for all plane owners either. Experimental needs TLC... and buyers of used kit planes, not being the builders, need an AP or AI to do the condition inspection. With that said the new Mooney is a beautiful two place aircraft... Of course the no money limit optimal personal airliner is the TBM850 or Phenom 100 or a used Citation (I have time in type).

[@2Phast4Rocket]

You are correct about the Vans series of airplane. I am building an RV8 myself. I can't see anything certified that comes close to its value, despite a nicely equipped Vans can be close to 100K if you are not careful.

[@gmcjetpilot]

2Phast4Rocket my first RV was much less. Back in the day a wood prop, used O-320, basic VFR instruments, DIY paint and upholstery, and kits were about $12K... you could get a nice RV for way less. Now everyone has to have a new XP-390, constant speed Hartzell/Whirlwind/MT Prop, full glass triple display panel with IFR GPS and dual axis auto pilot, fancy leather and custom pro paint.... and kits are now + $20K (I think). So yes $100K on up is very possible. Not including the 2000 plus hours of work... but worth it. I'm sad people are spending so much in a way, but to each his own.. their plane and money. It is just that people feel like they have to compete.. If you ever fly a simple LIGHT RV, with wood prop (butter smooth) they are a joy. Heavy RV's lose their overall performance and flight characteristics that makes them fun and utilitarian (aerobatic, short field ops, light responsive controls with descent payload w/ full fuel and XC range). I am kind of guilty, O-360 180HP parallel valve, Hartzell CS blended Prop, single display EFIS, fairly simple interior... nice but solid paint.

[@ReflectedMiles]

I thought the same thing about a 182. I have more Mooney time than 182 time, and I much prefer a Mooney w/TKS when I need to get somewhere that's a good distance away with confidence no matter the time of year, but if you need your airplane to do some actual work with people or a significant amount of cargo behind you, a 182 is hundreds of pounds more capable., especially with a higher-gross STC. I don't know why the Mooney weighs about 300 lbs. heavier sitting empty, though I've always heard and read (Richard Collins, perhaps?) that the heavily built wing structure came about during the transition from wood to aluminum when few changes were made and the Mooneys have been weight penalized ever since. Whatever the cause, if it is going to do much work, it's going to have comparatively little range which defeats the point of the speed.

[@skyking8498]

Paul can you tell us of what happen to the mooney 301, I think its a fantastic aircraft, pressurise 250 kn airspeed 6 seater fantastic.

[@johnnyboythepilot4098]

The 301 design was sold to what is now known as Daher-Socata, and was redesigned into the TBM-700. Yep, the TBM-700 was originally a Mooney.

[@danblumel]

@@johnnyboythepilot4098 Now they bought Quest Aircraft too.

[@Renato.Stiefenhofer.747driver]

Nice video, thank's. Small detail and maybe I misunderstood it: Do not use the trim to flare your Mooney. Trim before. Other than that, I would buy it. Nice airplane, but too expensive. If you have 800'000 for a piston engine a/c why not spending it on a used turbo prop. Maybe it's just me, but I don't trust piston engines. I had two engine failures (C-421 and Seneca). To be honest, I also had engine failures on multi engine jets. Greets from the 747-8 flightdeck.

[@lucasbrien5008]

Take good care of your piston engines and they are very reliable. But regardless, the reason used turboprops are so cheap is because if you can afford to operate one you will probably buy a newer one. Same goes for jets. I read a new G650 is $70 million and an 8 year old one is $20 million. A TBM-700 will be cheaper than the Mooney but 4x the price to operate, if not more.

[@Renato.Stiefenhofer.747driver]

@@lucasbrien5008 You are right, of course. ✈

[@davidmann4533]

Continental his famous crankshaft failures I’d rather have a Lycoming any day of the week

[@TySteve539]

What happened to the gopro on the right wing? It was there @ takeoff but missing when flying at altitude. 😂😂😂😂

[@hawkdsl]

I dig the Mooneys... Would love to have one... but I don't understand how a plane with a tank like wing spar can only carry 10 lbs.

[@GonzoT38]

Construction is heavy due to the use of the steel trusses. But they have to carry that anachronism forward because of certification rules. Remember they're essentially doing what Boeing did with the 737. Piggibacking off already paid for certificates (the M20 line in the case of mooney) and tacking on little changes in hopes of reviving sales. Owner-maintained category would have been a godsend for the used market imo, seeing how the new offerings are just all FUBAR on the "price to value" proposition.

[@sixstringedthing]

500th comment on an old vid: Does the sticker price include an onboard defibrillator for that moment when you get the annual service bill after the Fill'n'Fly coverage runs out? :)

[@flybobbie1449]

Those pop rivets look great around the fuel vent. I would expect them to be blind and totally flush and not even noticeable on an aircraft of that value. Kit built have looked better. So now i see all the aircraft is covered in dome rivets. So for fast aircraft, biggest engine and turbo in smallest airframe. And £620 ($800) to fill at UK Avgas prices.

[@Jonnydeerhunter]

Other than the fancy electronics and the speed... I prefer our $130k 1979 Lance II with the avco-Lycoming io540..... Waaaaayyyyyy more useful load. Cool airplane and good video!

[@kbuss10]

amateur question: 3 big screens plus an Ipad with this much information... is this really needed today for single engine aircraft? looks like more options than an md11... is that an FMC down in the middle?

[@raphael150]

What a dream airplane!

[@lorendjones]

Pretty awesome personal traveling machine.

[@user-tg6bc8qr6y]

Just imagine these planes will also go for $30k in just 70 years lol

[@jamesdond1]

Yes, but when adjusted for inflation it will be about 1.5 million. in 70 years.

[@user-px1wj2uv3r]

@@jamesdond1 Inflation affects paychecks too, so it’s really a wash, right?

[@gotemfishing2190]

@@user-px1wj2uv3r let’s ask Venezuela.

[@user-px1wj2uv3r]

@@gotemfishing2190 Yeah, because inflation is Venezuela real problem haha.

[@gotemfishing2190]

@@user-px1wj2uv3r it’s without a doubt a large part. That and socialism that caused the inflation.

[@roadboat9216]

Thanks Mike, another good one. PS, did some research on Rotax vs Continental. The consensus is that the Rotax is a bit more maintenance, but very dependable and runs better ( smoother and less temperature issues than the Continentals) and if you run non-avgas it cuts down more on maintenance.

[@sambiscits6711]

I'm gonna start off by qualifying as me not knowing anything about flying, but the option to have air conditioning would that be needed? I'm thinking there must be reason for it to be an option.

[@supermegajaime]

Sam Biscits it’s nice to have if you are 10th on take off in a hot day.

[@sambiscits6711]

@@supermegajaime Thanks that makes a lot of sense. I'm the king of sweating, I would opt for AC.

[@aleksandrnestrato]

It's September 2022 and I'm curious... Does Mooney still exist?

[@MikeKobb]

I’m honestly less concerned about a place to put my jaunty hat than I am about keeping my pax comfortable on a hot day. I think the Cirrus would win for me. Better payload. Better comfort (A/C and cabin volume). Not quite as fast, perhaps, but less likely to need a fuel stop with pax, so that probably works out in trip times. Plus the added reassurance of CAPS...

[@y4nnickschmitt]

Looks cool and sounds like a great performer! But at that price it is no surprise that they closed shop.😥

[@robertallison9653]

Best vehicle ever made in my opinion!

[@ecerejo]

Why don't they do like Diamond, automatic leaning and feathering?

[@ryanlewis7427]

Tradition

[@ecerejo]

Flying is fun, not leaning! Where's the fun of driving an automatic instead of a stick!

[@TimothyHuntC]

Mooney built 50 Porsche Mooney's in the late 80's which incorporated the mixture/prop/throttle into a single throttle lever. The motor was not subject to shock cooling either. The aircraft was expensive at the time and was several knots slower than the existing Mooney aircraft. But you could say you owned a Porsche

[@TimothyHuntC]

@crk1121 it was air cooled boxer motor. Because it was run at a higher RPM level the motor temperature was more consistent. The gear reduction box between the motor and the propeller was a very expensive piece of the puzzle. Many new Mooney pilots porpoise when in ground effect during landing. A prop strike to this airplane was about $55k in 1990 dollars and Porsche was who had to inspect the engine after tear down. One last bit of trivia. The engine instruments were a type of flat panel similar to those used in the F16. If you lost one of those they were about $2500 per 2 instrument panel. Ouch! Full disclosure. I owned N-P51X for about a year and a half before trading it for a new 252 and later ordered a TLS which is the forerunner to the aircraft subject of this video. Brilliant aircraft. At the time air traffic controllers would have trouble believing a single engine aircraft was at FL-20 something cruising often over 300 miles an hour with favorable winds.

[@johnmohanmusic]

Wow - 172 kts true on 11.1 gph is faster and more economical than even the Mooney 201. That is impressive!

[@geezler4083]

Agree. 75% bhp @ 8000' @ 2740# (max) = 12.6 gph , 169 ktas

[@imnotbuddha]

Anyone know if Mooney is owned by Taiwan Chinese or mainland chinese company? It's tough to get a handle on this one.

[@gerald4027]

I love electronics,my toilet has auto whip,but is ran by dos 3.0 and the set up program take 7 days to set up.

[@cat1racer]

Paul is the best !

[@eduardoletti5537]

It's a nice machine. But for about half the price of a new Mooney, one could be riding in a nice Cessna 421 or 414W, carrying all of your bags, in a pressurized/air conditioned cabin with a toilet on board. Oh, with anti-ice as well. For the same amount of money, one could be riding a turbine C90 or a Cheyenne.

[@Marc1973Dez]

hhmmm I don't know...but 800k for only 2 skinny humans, and 2 normal luggage.... let me think for a while............... zzzzzzz

[@FlyersDistrict]

Miguel Peraza yeah, but can condos fly?😂

[@normand5847]

200 pounds isn't a skinny human. Besides, the Mooney has a narrow cabin for speed. They're not made for fat people.

[@DriveByShouting]

Norman D I’m 6’1, 250lbs and my 128lb wife and I are more than comfortable our 2018 M20V. Great airplane. Probably my favorite of all the Pistons I’ve owned. Unbelievably beautiful, unbelievably responsive, unbelievably economical (Fuel consumption at altitude, not upfront cost of the Airplane) and unbelievably FAST. I’m in awe of the performance this airplane gets with a PISTON. Had a helpful tailwind on a flight-KSGU to KTUL -and was pulling an easy, and steady 300mph. Got from the State Line of OK/TX to wheels down in Tulsa in 50 minutes. I love that bird.

[@jeremyc311709]

Seriously. If I could afford $800k I’d buy something a little more versatile

[@Daytonaman675]

It’s a ferrari

[@Pushyhog]

Let me get my checkbook out.

[@technovan1133]

i like the way he is speaking simplicity cost of the aircraft $789k, sounded like buy a tv 55 inch on the next corner of the street! :)

[@lanncopeland8127]

Bring back the Mooney Mite !

[@troyedwards5233]

Lann Copeland Yes! I'll take 3 Mooney Mites. His, Hers and a stolen one for parts 🤓

[@musoseven8218]

One can only but dream!

[@rustusandroid]

9 flush mounted rivets?!!! I gotta get one!

[@jakecameron5085]

Great video! One suggestion, KZbin likes for the Thumbnail image that is uploaded be 1,280 x 720. This automatically creates a nice large version of the uploaded thumbnail for displaying on websites that want to show a nice intro photo of your video. No complaint, just a heads up to help the distribution of your videos. Thanks!

[@AVweb]

Thanks. That's actually a custom thumbnail in 1080. How did the thumb look where you saw it first?

[@jakecameron5085]

Here's the full size thumbnail that was created when you uploaded your 1080 image: img.kzbin.infoKvyUK10y0Cc/maxresdefault.jpg Here's and example of the image that is created when an image uploaded is 1,280 x 720: img.kzbin.infohV545sF9ml0/maxresdefault.jpg The maxresdefault.jpg image is used in webpages in the og:image meta tag. This allows facebook to pull the nice big image for display from any website page that embeds your video for display. Hope this helps.

[@occasionalenthusiastrobjon5066]

Mooney needs to develope this airframe design to be more eco friendly and more affordable prices...manufacturers should be looking for their aircraft for future simple electric conversion to beat the new hi tech entrance to the market...

[@daszieher]

Electric is not necessarily more "eco", a newer engine not reliant on leaded Avgas, however, would already be a huge step forward.

[@flyinbrianewing]

We will never see a practical electric plane any time soon due to the weight of the battery, especially with Mooney useful load. :-)

[@troy5007]

Hi what is the size and pitch of those propellers? And are they adjustable? Thanks 😀

[@Dg-zj6jo]

great stuff caps would been nice

[@marcelodacosta8090]

Mooney is Mooney.... No compares!!!!

[@ConvairDart106]

I prefer the roomier, slower, but weight hauling, Cherokee Turbo Arrow III, or even a Saratoga, can be found for less than 100k. That leaves 700k for fuel, food, and lodging, as I would begin a grand world tour with the old bird!

[@rmp5s]

I love it so...

[@CrobbDawg]

#7:38 TKS on a Trinidad?

[@prreith]

3:55 - This is what I find most infuriating with GA. The sales price of aircraft nowadays is something like 4x the national inflation rate and I dare say downright criminal.... It should cost something like $200k, which is still high but palpable.

[@GERntleMAN]

89 Gallons are not the ship galleons but the US gallon, right? So 89USgal are 337L x 2,99€/L = 1.007,63€ for one fuel tank in Germany. That's more than double what you pay in the US. No wonder we have so little private planes.

[@Eltern10]

My dream plane!

[@bernhardecklin7005]

Honestly, if you were living in Alaska, would you skip the anti-ice devise in favour of air conditioning...?

[@josecardenas4944]

I love Moonys sry if I misspell!

[@samtatenumber1]

it appears a mooney tragically had a mid flight breakup a couple of weeks ago in minnesota, so maybe the spar isnt as strong. then again it was a different model

[@2Phast4Rocket]

The inflight breakup has nothing to do with the strength of the Mooney in question. The pilot in the accident flight lost control in IMC and overspeed the airplane way past VNE. Every airplane has a published VNE and you never want to fly near this speed. When going past VNE, the aerodynamic loads will rip apart all of you control surfaces, and the airplane will come down in pieces. Watch this report: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXvNqXqpd7h8j6M

[@samtatenumber1]

@@2Phast4Rocket ah good information. Thanks

[@IstasPumaNevada]

So "Piston Budget" is five times as much money as the house many can barely afford a mortgage for nowadays due to the increasing wealth gap/out-of-control housing costs?

[@alexs3187]

What’s your point?