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Another entry into the diesel market: Mooney

Mooney published a few more pics.



By the looks of it, Mooney is going a way which was proposed both by the Mooney Community while at the same time satisfying the interest and needs of their new partners, who see China as the primary market.

The Mooney Community has for a very long time asked Mooney to return to the efficiency / speed per horsepower line with which they originally became successful. It is certainly not an accident that the M10 destined for the owner market is labled the “J” as the M20J has been the most successful of the M20 Series, followed by the M20C.

The Community has also spoken out for Diesel engines, it appears that together with the target market in China, where Avgas is a rare commodity, this has also been fulfilled, together with the demand for an entry level Mooney which is more affordable than the current M20 Ovation or Acclaim series.

While the “T” is targeted at the flight training market, the “J” can be a very attractive 2 seat tourer with 170 kts TAS and 1000 NM range while consuming 4-5 GPH Jet A1.

I reckon that with this move, Mooney deliberately targets a market where it will augment but not directly compete with the 4 seat high performance market for now. The move to Diesel is the absolutely right thing they can do. If I read this right, Mooney will most probably present a successor to the M20 within the next year or so, as soon as the power plants are available. The move to Diesel will there again sidetrack the competition rather than meeting it head on.

Generally I think this move shows Mooney wishes to go down the proven road of economy, speed and performance per available horse power. I don’t think this is a bad idea but is rather what has been called for by most Mooneyacs for years.

Off to dinner with some of them now.

As someone asked: To my knowledge current production of the Ovation and Acclaims are sold out at least until the end of 2015. So the nearest delivery positions for a M20 at the moment would be near spring 2016. So it appears things go pretty much by plan.

(Oh, btw, some folks here seem to loose their touch. Or why was it that the first Cirrus picture only appears that late in a Mooney Thread? Seriously, can we maybe keep to the discussed plane without the usual Cirrus is better and where is the parashute drivel? Thank you.)

Last Edited by Mooney_Driver at 13 Nov 21:47
LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

Where is the parachute?

Sorry, but you cannot avoid that discussion. A GA manufacturer offering a new expensive design today without CAPS, will fail. That’s my opinion. What would you think if BMW had a new model without ABS or seat belts?

You know what Mooney answered when a guy in a geman forum asked about BRS? That it will not have BRS but that it has a “double spar” and therefore is very safe …

Last Edited by Flyer59 at 13 Nov 22:37

Where is the parachute?

Who cares? The Mooney looks 10 times better than a Cirrus. I believe looks sell better than parachutes. I also believe parachutes will save lives – but, the one Cirrus that has fallen down in a chute in Norway, did it because the pilot flew VFR into IMC, got totally disoriented and pulled the chute. I would believe learning basic IFR (and VFR) is a better method than pulling the chute.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

Interesting … but can i please ask:

If “looks sold so much better than CAPS” then then what does it mean that Mooney sold 3 or 7 airplanes in the same time span in which Cirrus sold + 5000 SR22s? (I didn’t think the Cirrus is THAT beautiful ;-))

If all you need is an IFR rating to make the chute “unnecessary” – why do Mooney pilots die in scenarios in which many Cirrus pilots walked away? Because an IFR rating protects you in Midair collisions, engine failures at night, over mountains or over water? It helps the passenger in the right seat when the pilot suffers a stroke?

And why do IFR pilots lose control in IMC, during approaches in severe turbulence or in severe icing conditions if all you need is an IFR rating?
Do pilots of military planes with ejection seats have no IFR rating?

Last Edited by Flyer59 at 14 Nov 03:40

Has it flown?

The aircraft doesn’t even have an interior yet. The interior photos shown come a cabin mock-up.

They say 2017, so make that 2020 or 2022 for certification realistically. If it ever will come to certification.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Look closer bosco ^^

“In Shandong province, Bin Ao Aircraft Industry Co. has built 96 complete Diamond DA40D four-place single-engined diesel-powered light aircraft out of orders for 235, and is now supplying composite airframes to Austria-Diamond as required, and components to the European company’s Canadian operation. All Chinese-built, completed and ordered Diamonds are for Chinese flight schools; all are powered by Centurion diesel engines made by Thielert. That company was acquired last week by Chinese AVIC’s Continental engines subsidiary.

“We have 66% of the Chinese four-seat market between 2008-13 with the Diamond DA-40D aircraft, compared with 34% for Cessna and Cirrus together,” says Li Long, assistant to the general manager and head of sales for Bin Ao, at Oshkosh. Sales campaigns are now underway for the first exports, to Vietnam, Thailand and South Korea, he says"
"
From http://aviationweek.com/blog/will-china-be-savior-us-general-aviation. Bold mine.

Things are happening fast out east, although we are kept from hearing from them.

Sorry for the oneliner, but: Sidestick, yeah !!

EBST, Belgium

I don’t think I have run a church in a previous life so let’s please avoid Cirrus discussion in a Mooney thread.

By all means express an opinion on the marketability of a new plane without BRS but a given poster needs to express that opinion only once to make his point clear.

Otherwise, I am going to have to buy a trade pack of bin liners to collect all the toys off the floor, again…

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Looks like you run a church now, though.
I think we will be good, not fight again and maybe you can just tolerate it if we repeat ourselves?

HAve you repeated yourself in the past, maybe? About the KFC225 maybe? :-))
(I am joking, so no need to get upset)

But i promise that I will stick to the rules.

Last Edited by Flyer59 at 14 Nov 10:34
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