Woe is me!

FlySince9 said:
I think I've settled on a '69 or later C or E (won't be carrying any backseaters, normally, except a dog or 2)... My druthers are electric gear and flaps...And I like the idea of the Power console over the push-pull. Old radios seem to be the norm out there, so far. So finding something with some upgrades might be a little challenging. In a perfect world it would be 2020 compliant as well... The search is on...
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Interesting video. Just posted 2 days ago. Has me wanting to buy one. :)

 
Salty said:
They didn't make very many C's or E's after 69. So my excuse is there isn't that many of them. ;)
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One of every six M20-Cs made was 1969 or later, having both electric gear and electric flaps. While the data is probably available, I certainly dont have access to how many pre-69 Cs were either built electric or converted (but both happened). Mine is one of "the few." In fact, every Mooney built after 1969 is electric . . . C-model production started in 1962 and peaked in 1965 after production in 1964 was reduced by half.

I have come to really like the throttle quadrant instead of the three push knobs hanging out of the middle of the panel. In fact, I often rest my hand on it, fingers on the throttle, in the pattern and any time I'm flying slow; it's really quite handy like this.

As far as annual, there is no additional work for my electric gear, and your hydraulic flaps require checking / filling / servicing an additional hydraulic circuit (we both do brakes, right?).

How many other Mooney myths can I bust tonight??? :cool:
 
I gotta admit I don't understand why any manufacturer would go through the effort of installing a hydraulic flap system and then use electric gear. o_O

If they are going to go through the effort of installing a pump, reservoirs, actuating cylinders, etc they might as well power both systems that way. Or make them both electric.

Contrary to popular belief, hydraulic systems are remarkably reliable and pretty low maintenance. Ask any earth moving heavy equipment operator. ;)
I have far more electrical glitches on my old '79 than problems with the hydraulic gear & flaps.
 
GRG55 said:
Contrary to popular belief, hydraulic systems are remarkably reliable and pretty low maintenance. Ask any earth moving heavy equipment operator. ;)
/QUOTE]

Popular believe amongst pilots, or what? I couldn’t find any evidence of this belief in a few different Google searches.

I did however find the article, “Why you don’t want your hydraulics warm and wet” in the first page of results from Google on the topic of unreliable hydraulics, which seems like people may have perhaps been searching for something completely different... :)

Per popular belief, that is. Hahaha.
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Most retractable light GA planes seem to have electric systems. When the subject comes around it is not uncommon, with my all hydraulic system, to get the reaction that all those hoses, pipes and such winding through the airframe must be on par with the head adornments of Medusa, and just as deadly, apparently. ;)
 
GRG55 said:
Most retractable light GA planes seem to have electric systems. When the subject comes around it is not uncommon, with my all hydraulic system, to get the reaction that all those hoses, pipes and such winding through the airframe must be on par with the head adornments of Medusa, and just as deadly, apparently. ;)
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Interesting. Most of what I’ve flown is hydraulic pushed by an electric pump. Usually a reversible electric pump with either a hand hydraulic pump as back up or free fall.

Is that what you mean by hydraulic, or...something all hydraulic with no pump? (I forget what you’re flying right now...)
 
BrianNC said:
Interesting video. Just posted 2 days ago. Has me wanting to buy one. :)

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Alex spent the better part of 2 years restoring that Mooney to health. I think they went though every system in that airplane. That said, he knows it inside and out. A good example of driving down costs with sweat equity.
 
denverpilot said:
Interesting. Most of what I’ve flown is hydraulic pushed by an electric pump. Usually a reversible electric pump with either a hand hydraulic pump as back up or free fall.

Is that what you mean by hydraulic, or...something all hydraulic with no pump? (I forget what you’re flying right now...)
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I fly a 1979 Aztec F.
It has engine driven hydraulic pumps on each side to power the system (either one alone is capable of running the system in the event of one engine out), a hand pump for backup and, if everything else fails, a CO2 cartridge that will blow the gear down "one-time".
All of it is completely independent of the aircraft electrical system.

The evolution of the system seems to have been from a) Apaches and older Aztecs with one engine driven pump (left side only) and the hand pump, b) the addition of the CO2 cartridge, c) an optional second hydraulic pump on the right engine, d) the optional pump became standard sometime during 1978 until production ended in 1981.

When I decided to buy an Aztec as a first twin I specifically went looking for a late model with the redundant engine driven pumps. My habit is to start the left engine first and check the LH pump at the start of every flight, and shut down the left engine first to check the RH pump at the end of every flight. The pumps are located on the back of the IO-540s like the other accessories, and so far maintenance has been nothing more than visual checks and changing the small filters at annual.
 
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GRG55 said:
I fly a 1979 Aztec F.
It has engine driven hydraulic pumps on each side to power the system (either one alone is capable of running the system in the event of one engine out), a hand pump for backup and, if everything else fails, a CO2 cartridge that will blow the gear down "one-time".
All of it is completely independent of the aircraft electrical system.
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That’s pretty cool. I didn’t know that about the AzTruck. What a cool tank those things are. :)
 
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