The yellow arc

[mandm]

Your airspeed indicator is meant for a PA28-180, no "R" (Cherokee 180/Challenger/Archer) rather than a PA28R-180 Arrow. Someone made a big oops.

Ah ok so I wasn’t in the yellow arc then.

 

[Salty]

Every m20c owner I’ve talked to routinely cruises in the generously sized yellow. I guess we’ve all been risking our lives. I’d guess I flew more than 400 hours in the yellow. At any altitude at all you’d be below 50% power to stay out of it.

 

[steingar]

Mooneys have had inflight breakups, and while those seem to have occurred outside typical operating envelope I'd say it's foolhardy to ignore Vno and what engineers at the time published. 'My stout plane can handle it' might work until some day it doesn't. Remember fatigue is accumulative and it's not just wing spars.. as I understand it most breakups happen near the tail, for Mooney, and other planes. The yellow arc should be understood, and respected.

There have been a handful of in flight breakups of Mooneys, it's true. All but one happened inside thunderstorms. The one breakup that occurred outside a T-storm was the result of a hard pull up out of a 3 thousand foot per minute dive, and it did snap the main spar in two.

Mooneys aren't capacious. They aren't comfortable for those with girth. But they are stout.

 

[Tantalum]

girth

haha

I got a flight recently in a J model, fast, solid.. etc. A bit tight for me, but not demonstrably different honestly from a PA-28, I think the rounded roof made it seem 'cozy'. I just wouldn't (in any plane) cruise into real bumps in the yellow. Planes are for going fast, but if the going gets rough I'm in the green. Fatigue as I understand is accumulative

 

[Bill]

I just wouldn't (in any plane) cruise into real bumps in the yellow. Planes are for going fast, but if the going gets rough I'm in the green. Fatigue as I understand is accumulative

The green line is much higher on the J, it cruises solidly in the green, the only time I'm in the yellow is cruise power descent, which I like to do in smooth air to make up some of the climb time.

 

[steingar]

The green line is much higher on the J, it cruises solidly in the green, the only time I'm in the yellow is cruise power descent, which I like to do in smooth air to make up some of the climb time.

The structure of the J is very, very similar to my C and has the exact same wing. The speeds were raised because the engineers realized just how strong the structure was. I do my best to keep out of the yellow in the bumps, but I don't worry about it over much. I promise whoever was flying this before me had the same problem and likely dealt with it the same way. Guys don't buy Mooneys to fly slowly. The thing is nearly 60 years old. Color me not worried.

 

[Tantalum]

I guess we’ve all been risking our lives

..to a degree yes, but that's just life

Color me not worried

I think the OP's point was more about turbulence, vs strictly staying out of the yellow


I'd be curious to see an ultimate load test among a number of common GA frames, Bonanza, PA-28, PA-32, Mooney, etc., and see how that bakes out. I've always liked the idea of a solid one piece wing spar.. and always cringe when you see a downed PA-28 with a super clean separation at wing and fuselage, like this: http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2017/07/accident-occurred-july-22-2017-in_22.html

If you look through accident photos this seems to be a Piper propensity vs other types that break or crumple somewhere mid span

..