I'm starting to look for airplanes to by, looking for a good XC plane. Basically being able to get 700nm range with a descent speed.
I was looking at a range of planes, such as Piper Arrow, Saratoga, Cessna 210, etc.
Then I came acroos Mooney M20M Bravo and now I'm confused. They are relatively cheap compared with Saratoga's or 210's, they are faster, and they consume less fuel (15GPH @ 75% cruise!).
What's the catch? Is hard to believe there is a solution "good, cheap and fast" all in the same!
The main catch is that there are enough old wives' tales about how tiny and cramped the Mooney cabin is that there's less demand. I'm 6'4" 300+ and I fly a Mooney Ovation (very similar to the Bravo, with 10 more hp but without the turbo).
The other big thing is that the Mooneys won't carry nearly as much weight as the other planes you mentioned. But it goes faster because its wing isn't as fat as theirs, which they need to haul all that weight! If your mission doesn't include hauling a ton of weight, the Mooneys are a fantastic option.
We've had no issues with parts availability, but to be honest, we really haven't needed all that much. It just doesn't break much.
This. People have asked me if I have trouble getting Mooney parts. I don't know. I've had mine for 9 years and have yet to actually buy a Mooney part.
Some people find the Mooney cockpit a little tight, especially if you are big (over 6 feet - 210 lbs).
Like I said, people keep repeating this and so there are plenty of buyers who never look at Mooneys, so you can get a great plane for a reasonable price.
If you're short *and* wide, you might not like it. But Al Mooney was 6'5" and built himself an airplane. While some people describe a "claustrophobic" feeling, the Mooney is one of the few airplanes where I can have my seat in a comfortable position and reach the panel without leaning forward. If you're shorter, that may mean that the panel is uncomfortably close. The other possible source for the descriptions of it being "claustrophobic" is the earlier models (prior to the J) which had a much more upright windscreen that was closer to your face than most people are used to. The Bravo and other newer models have a much sleeker design that has more room up there.
All that said - The airplanes you mentioned above, Saratogas and 210s, DO have larger cabins than the Mooneys do. They're more of the "SUV/CUV" style, whereas the Mooney might be better described as a "GT".
Also, consider an O2 system so you can go high.
All Bravos should have factory O2. Even my normally aspirated Ovation has factory oxygen.
That's a completely valid point and I make it to myself also. What makes me think of going in this direction is that I want to start doing my instrument rating right away (I've already learned most of the theoretical part) and I want to build up the XC time in my airplane, as part of doing weekend trips. I also thought of going much in simpler airplanes, maybe a Warrior, but that limits the places I can get too (range and speed).
So the idea is trying to merge my instrument rating XC requeriments and doing weekend trips for fun, instead of spending 10k on renting a plane to do "local" XC just for the instrument rating.
Just be aware that it's going to take you some time, as a newly minted pilot, to get up to speed in a hot rod like this. It can get you into trouble a LOT quicker. It will take you longer to do your instrument training with it.
Now... Here's some things to consider:
A simpler airplane that accomplishes your mission might be a better first airplane to own. In your case, the Diamond DA40 would be a good intermediate step. It'll do 140-150 knots on 10gph depending on what year you get, so it's enough faster that you'll be happy with it in the short to medium term for traveling. It's also simpler and less costly to operate and probably a better introduction to aircraft ownership. You'll be able to get your IR quicker, and you'll have great fun with it, it's a really sweet-flying plane.
If you do go for the Mooney, think about *all* your missions. Like I mentioned, I have an Ovation, which is VERY similar to the Bravo only without the turbo. I've wanted a turbo a couple of times, but frankly I'm glad I don't have one, for several reasons:
1) It takes at least 8 miles per thousand feet in the Mooney for climb and descent - 2nm/1000 on the way up, 6nm/1000 on the way down. It's generally best, in both time and fuel, to have at least half of your flight be in cruise. The Ovation is faster than the Bravo below 10,000 feet or so... Put those together, and on a 160nm flight the Ovation is going to get there just as fast as the Bravo. Shorter flights, the Ovation will be faster. And it isn't until you start getting into legs that are at least 300-400nm long before the Bravo will have a significant speed advantage. Given that you'll be burning a lot more fuel and you'll have the added maintenance and overhaul costs on the turbo, unless you're doing those flights the majority of the time, you're just burning money faster. For reference, on a longer trip in the Ovation I plan on 175 KTAS on 12 gph at 9-10,000 feet, I've done 172 KTAS at 13,000 on 10.1 gph. And that's still fast enough that I can pretty much beat the airlines anywhere east of the Rockies flying out of Wisconsin.
2) If you're going to be doing those legs where you do get up high to go fast, you're going to need to be on oxygen. Like I mentioned, I have a factory oxygen system in the Ovation, and I do take it up to the oxygen altitudes occasionally. However, I find it *highly* unpleasant to be on oxygen for very long, because there is ZERO moisture in the oxygen coming out of the tank, so your nose and sinuses will be burning after a little while.
3) If you're going to be doing those legs where you do get up high to go fast, you're also going to be farther away from the scenery. A couple of years ago, I started flying a turboprop for work and very quickly realized that I have the perfect airplane for me. Cruising in the flight levels sounds cool, but it's BORING. You can see things better on Google Maps.
So, think about the M20R as well... And if you think you still want that turbo, go take a ride with someone in an M20M or other turbo bird on a long trip and go up to FL250. See whether you even like it! Thanks to what I'm flying for work now, I am even more glad that I don't have the turbo. The Ovation is, to me, the perfect airplane: It's fast enough to get me places at airline-like speeds if I'm going under 1000 miles, my cost per mile is lower than a 172, I'm still in the fun altitudes, and it's cheap enough to operate that if I want to just go poke holes in the sky, I don't have to worry about what it costs.
