FIKI SR22 Turbo / Mooney Acclaim / G36?

If you were buying it, which one would you choose?

  • Total voters
    26
L

Lucky2AV8

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Dec 30, 2015
Messages
7
Location
Amsterdam, NY
Display Name
Display name:
Lucky2AV8
Hey all,
Currently looking at a new plane (selling a 1977 172N, currently flying a 06 T182T with G1000).

We live in upstate NY and that means that our flying pretty much stops end of November, early December, and then doesn't start again until some time in March due to the weather in the northeast.

Our missions are mostly 2-3 people, 5-600 miles (with the occasional 900 mile trip). We want something that is FIKI so that we can get up through a layer and back down, and we have gotten really used to a G1000 and the GFC700 autopilot and want to stay with that. and somewhere sub $500k for the aircraft.

I believe that leaves me looking at a SR22 turbo, a Mooney Acclaim or a G36. If there are any other recommendations for what I should be looking at I would love to hear them. Does anyone here have experience with any/all of them? And even better, would anyone have the useful load and/or cruise performance tables from the POH that they could share with me?

More interested in speed and range than increased useful load, although I can say it has been frustrating when we can't take an extra person with us due to load.

We will most likely use it for 3-5 years before then upgrading it to a TBM.
 
Cirrus owners will tell you to get a Cirrus
Mooney owners will say get a Mooney
Bonanza owners will say get a Bonanza
Ted will say get a twin.

Get what you're gonna get.
Did you ask your friends what sort of wife you should get? ;)
 
I would stick with yoke controls if TBM is in your future. With out looking it up I gotta believe Acclaim is winner if its a contest of speed and by a large margin.
 
None of the above. They all be low wings without floats. What good are they? ;)


But if I was forced to take one, I guess I'd go for the Mooney.
 
From your options, I chose the G36. I love the Mooney, but Mooneys are generally better for personal transport or with one other (smaller) person who you're friendly with. Also, while the Acclaim may have a significant speed advantage on paper, that's up in the mid 20s. Most people don't want to be up in the flight levels in an unpressurized plane. You and your passengers going to have to wear a mask to be legal, and if you're on cannulas (since the FAA doesn't have a hidden camera in your plane) your nose will be angry with you for days at the air flow levels required to keep your blood O2 reasonable. This is just talking practical, ignoring the obvious hypoxia issues. Get down into the teens where it's more comfortable, and the speed advantage starts to diminish. The G36 is going to be not too different on block times for the Mooney, and will be significantly more comfortable doing it.

Now, since Ed pointed out I was going to say this, get a twin. All of these planes you're looking at have a very significant investment associated with them and will continue to depreciate. The reality is you don't need turbos in the northeast - I spent a couple thousand hours flying without turbos in all kinds of weather in the northeast, mostly hauling dogs. What matters more is good de-ice capability and climb rate to punch through a layer. For under half your purchase budget you can buy a FIKI 310R that will be right in the middle of the pack as far as speeds and block times go, with a much more comfortable cabin. No, you won't have a G1000 and GFC 700, but a G500, 750/650 combo, and decent autopilot (there are several good ones, and even an old Cessna 400 series AP works well if it's in good tune) makes a great panel. Talk to @James_Dean about his 310R.

You could also get a 340 for under half your budget and get pressurization, cabin class comfort, similar block times, etc., which is what you're ultimately going to go with in the TBM. With either of these planes, they're all legacy planes that have depreciated as much as they realistically will, so your sale price will just depend on market fluctuations. Plenty of people out there have upgraded these planes significantly panel wise, and the path is pretty well understood.

Signed,

Twin Engine Ted... err... Kyle... err... Einstein... err... @SixPapaCharlie what's my name today?
 
EdFred is probably right. I love my Acclaim and that's what I voted for. But of the three planes mentioned it definitely fits my mission best. I'm solo 50% of the time, and the rest is with my 110lb wife and a couple carry-on bags. I rarely fly sub-500NM legs, so the speed is important to me too.

I've flown a similarly equipped SR22 and think it's a great airplane, but the Mooney suits me better. Based on your mission description, I think the SR22 would be a better fit for you than the Acclaim. I've never flown a Bonanza.

Good luck with your decision and purchase. Bet you can't wait to get that TBM.
 
I'll take whichever somebody is willing to throw at me! They all have a slightly different mission. If I needed to carry 4, I'd go with the Bo. If I wanted to go fast, the Mooney. If comfort was the #1, the Cirrus. What are the priorities?
 
I voted SR22. The bonanza seems over kill for what you need and doesn't really get you any speed for the extra complexity. the SR22 is probably as or more comfortable than the G36.
 
I voted for the G36. I have nothing against either of the other two choices, but you're going to be spending about as much for any of the above, so you might as well get the most roomy and capable. I don't know about the Acclaim, but I've felt cramped in the Mooney's I've been in, so I'd probably go with the SR22 as a second choice. It has nice bells and whistles. And plus the instructional videos.
 
All three are good options. Look at the payload you'll need and what that means for how much fuel they each can carry after that. Turbos are nice, but that will mean everyone will need/want to be on supplemental oxygen. As mentioned the top end speeds quoted by manufacturers for a turbo charged plane is typically full out at 25,000'. Most people don't fly there much. Compare what they do lower, even if that's 16,000'. Flying east of the Rockies means 10-12k is great the vast majority of the time.

I think most passengers will like the SR22 more. That's been my experience flying people on Angel Flight missions. Two doors, a wide cabin and no yoke in front of the passenger in the front seat.

Ted's right that the capital cost for a 310R is lower than all three of those options. Operational costs will be noticeably higher for the twin though.
 
I'd be all over a p210 with that budget and mission. Relatively easy step up from the t182, Would be a great year around airplane and pressurization makes 16-18k for weather a no brainer easy on your nostrils experience. A very well equipped one with a gtn750 and solid autopilot comes in close to half the budget.
 
TheGolfPilot said:
I'd be all over a p210 with that budget and mission. Relatively easy step up from the t182, Would be a great year around airplane and pressurization makes 16-18k for weather a no brainer easy on your nostrils experience. A very well equipped one with a gtn750 and solid autopilot comes in close to half the budget.
Click to expand...

I'd be all over a Malibu before a P210.

That said, Malibus in icing... ick.
 
TBM is a single engine, so I would stick with a single engine.
Because of controls and retractable gear, I would pass on the Cirrus.
You need to sit in the Mooney, some people don't like the sports car feel (low with legs extended).
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top