Upgraded Airplanes Fresh Out Of Certification

By Tom Woodward

Mooney received certification on both their M20 U and V models in March of 2017. They delivered the first Acclaim Ultra, serial number 330002 to their customer earlier this year and the second, serial number 330003 this week. Earlier this month the company was awarded TIA on the revolutionary Garmin 1000 TXI avionics package. Along with the new avionics the new models bring additional improvements such as a pilot-side door (and wider doors to boot), center-console data entry and a totally new luxury interior. These are features that customers have been asking for and Mooney has listened and delivered.

The new Garmin 1000 TXI system offers customers a host of capabilities and refinements – from faster boot-up times, to enhanced screen resolution and faster map-rendering speeds. The suite also features visual approach capability, wireless Bluetooth connectivity, map overlay on the HSI, and ADS-B In and Out compliance. The trademark Mooney speed was evident during the trip up to Oshkosh in Serial number 330001 where the pilots, cruising at 15,000 feet at 24” of manifold pressure were truing out at over 200 Knots while burning about 15 gallons per hour.

Also at Oshkosh 2017, Mooney laid to rest rumors and conjecture by affirming the M10 next generation aircraft program is alive and well. The proof of concept airframe has flown over 150 hours to date, and the company’s research and development team continues to make large strides in vehicle development. Mooney is finalizing plans to relocate the M10 development team to the production facility in Kerrville Texas to support greater synergy between engineering and production teams.

Mooney is also engaging in a multitude of social media channels and on-site participation events as a part of a specially crafted marketing campaign called “Love My Mooney”. Fans will have the opportunity to win commemorative prints and Mooney brand aviation shoes among other neat items.

As the question and answer period was opened up, Lance Phillips, Director of Marketing became a bit nebulous on the number of airplanes that Mooney has sold this year. His initial response was only “we’ve accounted for all the airplanes on the assembly line”. Pressed further he again skirted the issue until a few in the audience were left shaking their heads, as this simple answer seemed to be a trade secret. However when finally asked, “How many airplane have you sold in the first half of the year”, he reluctantly answered seven. Hopefully the Chinese financing will keep them afloat while they ramp up their new product line.

Why it took so long to put two doors on the Mooney or any other airplane is beyond understanding. Engineering problems aside, no PIC should have to crawl over a seat to get to his command post. Beechcraft…are you listening?

(Image provided)

FMI: www.mooney.com