Mooney v A36 ?

[satpak77]

Possibly a Ford V Chevy argument, but money no object, and no option to buy twin, what would you buy and why ? Specific year, model, etc also

Useful load is important to buyer, FYI

 

[DAS at 10/250]

A36 is too small for anyone over 6", has very little payload with gas, and a CG that can kill you in a heartbeat. It does fly great like all the other Beechcraft products. It is flawed in engine (both the 520 and 550) as it will eat your lunch on valve failures and the related cylinder replacement costs. If in the south a A/C is a must have.

I've been out of them for a few years but would look into the wing spar and box issue well.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

 

[acpilot]

I have about 100 in an A36 and 50 in a 1968 M20F-E21 converted to a 201. I can't imagine what a true J-model or better would be like, but I'd take that beater 1968 Mooney over the Beech any day. I'm 6'3" and the Mooney was a comfortable fit for me and back seaters. It's hard to beat the bulletproof IO-360-A1A, too.

It's the one airplane I would consider buying into a partnership for. A friend has a Turbo-231 and loves it, too.

Numbers out of my M20F book...
45% @10k: 1,126sm, 141 mph, 7.2gph
65% @10k: 943sm, 167mph, 9.7gph
77% @10k: 654sm, 175mph, 14.2gph
Useful load was 996lbs which, with full tanks (64gal), left 612lbs for people and bags.

I'm sure you're looking for something a little newer, but Mooneys are outstanding machines.

 

[tapcon]

I, for one am a huge Mooney fan. I have also flown the A36 a number of times, and in respect to both, I've flown newer models.

The Mooney is surprisingly roomy for both forward and aft seats (I'm six foot tall and sit comfortably both toward and aft). There is ample baggage and in hundred of hours of flying it, I never ran into a CG problem. However, it does take some skill to land them due to the rubber rings for shocks. If you're not careful, you can oscillate yourself into a prop strike pretty easy. The speeds of the newer models are obviously a huge selling point.

If your looking at older AC, you might want to also consider the Comanche. Per knot, per pound, per dollar, it's a hard plane to beat.