Mooney M20 - Fastest Single Engine Piston Plane! Review, History, Specs and Costs

Mooney M20 is a legendary four seater single engine piston aircraft that made its status as a best sport plane for family that loves to travel fast!
In this video we talk about what its like owning a mooney, whether it be a mooney m20j or mooney m20m bravo, or maybe even mooney ovation or acclaim, or even moonye acclaim ultra if you really want to go fast.
We will review a mooney m20v acclaim ultra to see his history in depth specs and costs of flying a mooney airplane.
00:00 Intro
00:46 History of Mooney
02:38 Development of Mooney M20
09:09 Main Mooney Features
10:22 Mooney M20V Fuselage
10:43 Mooney Acclaim Ultra Specs
11:31 M20V Interior

Пікірлер: 91

  • @mdbryan9525
    @mdbryan95253 ай бұрын

    My first time having an engine failure was in a Mooney 231. I had filled the gas tanks with a high pressure hose. I drained the water out of the sumps ( there was about an inch and a half in the tube type strainer). I started up and taxied it to the far side of the airport for takeoff. I ran the engine up and everything was fine. I was given a takeoff clearance and at the same time that I had retracted the gear, the engine quit. I immediately lowered the nose to maintain airspeed. The tower heard it and asked if I was having trouble. I picked up the mic and answered affirmative. I looked straight ahead and saw nothing but hardwood trees. I looked to my left and saw a bay that was within gliding distance. I had just started rolling out when the engine started running again. I kept the turn going and landed downwind. The tower had gotten everyone out of my way. The engine kept running for me to taxi back to our company headquarters. The head mechanic trusted me when I told him what happened. He drained a fair bit of water out of the gas tanks. He waited 20 minutes and drained out a bunch more. Waited another 20 minutes and drained out even more. He did this several more times until finally he quit getting water. This plane had flown in from Arizona and sat outside on our ramp for several months during the rainy season. It turns out that the fuel cap o-rings had dried out and with the fuel caps being recessed about 1/4”, the water was able to drain into the tanks. The high pressure fuel hose had put the water into suspension. I had gotten some of it out during preflight but there was still a lot in suspension. Learn from this.

  • @timhicks40
    @timhicks403 ай бұрын

    This is the best I’ve ever seen on the Mooney airplanes when I buy a plane it will be a Mooney.😊

  • @majohnson55
    @majohnson554 ай бұрын

    1986 M20K 252 Driver. Last year, FL270 from Colorado to OSH. Love my bird.

  • @dougcrowe3054
    @dougcrowe30544 ай бұрын

    I owned a TLS Bravo for 3 years. She safely took me to the Bahamas, Belize, & Turks & Caicos. Thanks for the history lesson!

  • @adotintheshark4848
    @adotintheshark48484 ай бұрын

    I always liked the distinctive vertical stabilizer on the Mooney. Much like the v-tail Bonanza, you knew what the plane was.

  • @PilotFun101
    @PilotFun1014 ай бұрын

    I love my Ovation ❤ Mooneys are just built like a tank

  • @jacobellis6150
    @jacobellis61505 ай бұрын

    I just bought my first plane two weekends ago! It's a 1967 m20f! I can't wait to get to know her better!

  • @bigmetalbirds

    @bigmetalbirds

    5 ай бұрын

    Woah! Congratulations!!!

  • @3SM20Pilot

    @3SM20Pilot

    5 ай бұрын

    Congrats! That was my first plane as well. There are so many misconceptions around the mooney. That it is difficult to land or doesn't fit taller pilots. Well, I'm 6'5 and I find it easier to land than the 172s that I began my training in.

  • @steveconaway774

    @steveconaway774

    5 ай бұрын

    I bought a 1978 M20J twelve years ago and I still love that plane as much as the day I bought her. It’s a great, reliable, fast, economical little airplane that fits my mission perfectly. You’re going to love it!

  • @jacobellis6150

    @jacobellis6150

    5 ай бұрын

    @@steveconaway774 thank you

  • @hpijeep

    @hpijeep

    5 ай бұрын

    I’ve got many hours in a ‘67 m20f. I ran it at 24 square and it loved it. Averaged 147knot airspeed at 8.5gph.

  • @gtr1952
    @gtr19525 ай бұрын

    The Mooney was always my favorite plane from the time I was a young boy. I always thought that V-stab was really cool! LOL My favorite Mooney story is how it was sold to Socata, right after the Mooney 301 design was almost complete. Socata had different plans for it. They wanted something to morph into turbo shaft power, and the slippery 301 fit the bill perfectly! Socata turned into Daher after the design was mostly done, and they set out to build it at their factory in Tarbes France. Build it they did!! You know the model 700 well! The rest of the name is T, for Tarbes, B for the back half of Tarbes, and M, for Mooney!! TBM-700! The fastest stock turbo-shaft in production is the (Modded) Mooney 301 with a PT6 mounted on the nose! LOL Made in Tarbes, France. Thanks for reading! Some exact details may be omitted due to space, but it's pretty much the story and how it happened. Peace --gary

  • @hawkdsl

    @hawkdsl

    4 ай бұрын

    The TBM has come a long way sense the 700

  • @gtr1952

    @gtr1952

    4 ай бұрын

    @@hawkdsl A friend of mine just bought a TBM-940, it's amazing the say the least! The nose, windscreen to prop is a mile long!! LOL It's got the new engine from P&W, and the 5 blade prop. Top prop rpm is about 2000 rpm, very quiet! It has FADEC, auto-throttles, auto-level and auto-land!! That's a lot of technology!! I think I'd take the TBM over a Slowtation Jet!! (Citation Jet) Take care, --gary

  • @jermyn1856
    @jermyn18565 ай бұрын

    There is my very plane at 5:16 D-EHHL. What a nice surprise

  • @YodpilotID
    @YodpilotID8 күн бұрын

    The M20K 231 and 252 are so fun to fly

  • @user-mu6ov3xr6h
    @user-mu6ov3xr6h4 ай бұрын

    Great video and I learned a bunch, and was entertained. I've been a partner in a M20K "231" for eight years now and it's a fantastic airplane. Last summer, I flew it to KOSH and then over Lake Michigan to Traverse City in IFR conditions. We've upgraded the panel with Garmin goodies including the GFC500 autopilot, got rid of the vacuum system, and kept her well maintained. What a capable and fun flying machine.

  • @drchoclate
    @drchoclate4 ай бұрын

    Yes it is a joy to fly. TLS owner here.

  • @Mitch-Yeh
    @Mitch-Yeh4 ай бұрын

    The Mooney is fantastic, I am still looking one for myself. Can't wait to fly this beauty.

  • @gerritvdmerwe1
    @gerritvdmerwe125 күн бұрын

    1967 M20F, love my mooney.

  • @AC-jk8wq
    @AC-jk8wq5 ай бұрын

    Nice video… I went to school a half mile up the road from the Hoboken (NJ) ferry terminal, shown when discussing Al Mooney’s early financing arrangements… Got my first Mooney during Y2K… Fantastic airplanes, well built, speed or efficiency… whichever the PIC wants to use, that day. Flying a Mooney with 310hp is amazing!

  • @ThePapapatoto
    @ThePapapatoto3 ай бұрын

    He used my planes tailnumber as the photo how cool!

  • @RMAG
    @RMAG5 ай бұрын

    Clicked on your vid this morning and wasn’t expecting seeing my old Mooney during your title intro…. Made me do a double take.

  • @johnbullwick2225
    @johnbullwick22252 ай бұрын

    Had a 1969 M20C Ranger. Fun times.

  • @thewombat4377
    @thewombat43775 ай бұрын

    I had a 20F Turbo Executive N9602M with electric gear and O2 certified for FL250 in the early 90's. It was so much fun to fly. Sadly, I had to sell it.

  • @robrossi
    @robrossiАй бұрын

    I've owned a M20J 201 for 4 months now. I absolutely love the plane. I did all my training in Pipers, Cherokee, Warrior, Archer and Arrow (retractable). The Mooney is much difficult to fly and land, it doesn't forgive poor technique like the Pipers do but fly it on the numbers and it rewards you like no other. Slippery airframe that floats and floats in ground effect if you get the numbers wrong and fast. The more I fly it the less likely I ever see myself flying anything else. Btw it hard to get your up, it's so fast you get there too quickly for your log book's liking😂.

  • @robrossi

    @robrossi

    Ай бұрын

    I meant to say " get your hours up" in the above post.

  • @jeffhess7130
    @jeffhess71303 ай бұрын

    Two 👍👍 Up For Mooney 🇺🇸

  • @richtanis1573
    @richtanis15734 ай бұрын

    Had 200 hours in a 1966 M20E 200hp injected, still the most enjoyable plane to fly!

  • @SierraBravo7970
    @SierraBravo79705 ай бұрын

    Definitely mistitled nevertheless it is a fast aircraft. I love my 67 M20E! I’ve own mine for several years and love it. My M20E performs very well. “WOT” wide open throttle and 100 “ROP” Rich of peak at 9000’ 167 KTAS 10.5gph “WOT” wide open throttle and 50 degrees “LOP” at 9000’ lean of peak (where I always fly) 143 KTAS 7gph with CHTs running 40 degrees cooler than ROP. Not bad for an IO 360/200 with the 2 bladed scimitar prop

  • @petersinger8628
    @petersinger862829 күн бұрын

    Love flying in Mooneys.....

  • @hattrick2219
    @hattrick22195 ай бұрын

    Lots of hours in the Super 21 and Exec 21...180 indicated and 8 gph. Positive control was a very nice feature. Felt like you were wearing the airplane. Sweet.

  • @endokrin7897

    @endokrin7897

    4 ай бұрын

    That's insanely efficient.

  • @offylibertylover4868
    @offylibertylover48685 ай бұрын

    Back in 1998 I got checked out in an M20, forgot which model, I’d have to check my logbook. We flew from Centennial, CO to Rapid City, SD. While we were relaxing at the airport, my instructor and I ran into a couple Northwestern pilots and they took us onboard their MD-90 and let us hang out in the cockpit to BS a bit. Great memory and we flew by Mount Rushmore before heading back to Colorado that evening.

  • @08turboSS

    @08turboSS

    5 ай бұрын

    You mean Northwest or NorthwestOrient

  • @offylibertylover4868

    @offylibertylover4868

    5 ай бұрын

    @@08turboSS Yes thank you, it was Northwest. It’s been a little while and the memories fade.

  • @KuostA

    @KuostA

    4 ай бұрын

    northwest never owned md90s. @@offylibertylover4868

  • @markstrachan489
    @markstrachan4894 ай бұрын

    i was in a forced landing of a m20 e due to failure of the fuel tank lining blocking the injectors we were lucky to survive as the day before over rugged mountainous terrain the thre pob would have all perished, be aware folks check your tanks vigilently

  • @scotty2307
    @scotty23074 ай бұрын

    The M20 is a fantastic, and relatively inexpensive airplane for traveling. They are very slippery, and it takes some advanced planning to bleed the speed down for final approach. If you don't plan right, you will float your way to a go around. Also, the doughnut ring suspension makes them a bit of a pogo stick if you don't grease the landing. I guess that the likelihood of a perfect M20 landing is inversely proportional to the number of people watching your landing. LOL

  • @aarondezafra8800
    @aarondezafra88005 ай бұрын

    I own the first M20G. Serial number 1 (68001 to be exact). It started life as an F and was replacarded as the G after Mooney pulled off the 200hp IO-360 it originally had and installed a 180hp O-360. This was all after the plane was originally manufactured but before it was sold by the factory. As a result the first G left the factory with long range tanks and was the only G to have the extra fuel capacity. In 1994 the plane got its 200hp IO-360 back under a LASAR STC. It’s been a “G/F” ever since and is essentially a fully capable F with 64gal of fuel, electric gear, and 200hp of fuel injected speed. Beautifully restored and still sporting original colors, it was repainted in 2008 and given leather interior with a ton of LASAR speed mods. Glass cockpit in 2018. Owned and operated in CA since 1968.

  • @KuostA

    @KuostA

    4 ай бұрын

    amazing. what do u do for work?

  • @philippeginoux2427
    @philippeginoux2427Ай бұрын

    I fly that plane since 2022 and I love That plane (M20J), fast (160kt), efficient (10 gallons / hour), easy to handle, sporty feeling. what else ?

  • @Douganchesner
    @Douganchesner5 ай бұрын

    The Bellanca Skyrocket II was quite a bit faster, single reciprocating engine, general aviation aircraft but unfortunately it was t put into production. NASA kept one for study on laminar flow.

  • @TheRotorhound
    @TheRotorhound4 ай бұрын

    Having owned a M20J and a M20M they are great planes.

  • @suruived95
    @suruived955 ай бұрын

    I'm a flying enthusiast. I'm making some arrangements to take my priv. Pilot's test here where I live (not US) and I really hope to get a Mooney one day. The ground school I'm planning to take has a mooney for training and I'm really excited about it

  • @bighaasfly
    @bighaasfly5 ай бұрын

    At 7:30, you sure that’s a picture of the ovation? 😏

  • @spdaltid

    @spdaltid

    5 ай бұрын

    You're right, many of the pictures are mismatched. Still, a nice storyline.

  • @carlkenyon4599

    @carlkenyon4599

    4 ай бұрын

    That's a 1961 M20 B

  • @billveek9518
    @billveek95185 ай бұрын

    I prefer a GeeBee myself, but haven't found one on trade a plane?

  • @b.g.tercero2351
    @b.g.tercero23515 ай бұрын

    Do you mean it's the fastest one ever built by Mooney?

  • @philipmangaoang1352
    @philipmangaoang13525 ай бұрын

    early models before the 201 had manual retractable gear .

  • @gabekremer7148

    @gabekremer7148

    4 ай бұрын

    They had option of electric gear til 1973. Then they all had electric gear

  • @tobyw9573
    @tobyw95734 ай бұрын

    P-38 WW-II 414mph top speed, ceiling 44,000 feet Too bad Mooney couldn't find a suitable turbo-prop. :(

  • @TomPritchett

    @TomPritchett

    4 ай бұрын

    It did. It’s called the TBM. The M is for Mooney.

  • @peterweinberg4504
    @peterweinberg45045 ай бұрын

    "The fastest single enginge piston plane ever built" - I don't think so! (More than 300 mph slower than the record holder.)

  • @AC-jk8wq

    @AC-jk8wq

    5 ай бұрын

    Somebody missed an important point…. Single engine, factory built, piston powered, four seater…. By the time 1965 rolled around… The M20C was a highly updated speed machine capable of crossing the country, comfortably! Each update got even better…. 😃 Many early Mooneys are still flying today, 60 years later…! Go Mooney!

  • @jacobellis6150

    @jacobellis6150

    5 ай бұрын

    I also believe he meant to say general aviation aircraft. I don't think most people are going to own a grumman or a p51 Mustang. Obviously those are much faster planes.

  • @joshuaspop8865
    @joshuaspop88654 ай бұрын

    Faster than a Bonanza Turbo? I believe it’s called a TC.

  • @08turboSS
    @08turboSS5 ай бұрын

    Bonanza had less speed but 6 seats and room.

  • @mattmichael6792
    @mattmichael67925 ай бұрын

    I love my 66 M20E but, Mooney isn’t the fastest single engine piston aircraft

  • @yakacm
    @yakacm5 ай бұрын

    When you say fasted single engine plane, I assume you mean mean fastest civilian aircraft, obviously there much faster single engine military aircraft?

  • @kevinhom8812
    @kevinhom88125 ай бұрын

    I think Lancairs IV and IVP’s are faster

  • @08turboSS

    @08turboSS

    5 ай бұрын

    But not as roomy or safe.

  • @SuperGolfguy

    @SuperGolfguy

    5 ай бұрын

    Pretty sure the claim is for fastest certified general aviation piston aircraft

  • @MrTriath1337

    @MrTriath1337

    4 ай бұрын

    Lancair is Experimental category, not certified GA@@SuperGolfguy

  • @1DesertRat
    @1DesertRat4 ай бұрын

    Ehhhh, that's not the fastest single piston engine airplane ever. It's actually a (insert name of virtually any WW II fighter from any country - I'll go with my favorite, the North American P-51D, capable of well over 400 mph without modification). Otherwise, an informative video about a stunningly efficient line of aircraft.

  • @paulciprus9582
    @paulciprus95824 ай бұрын

    Grab my Johnson bar….🤣🤣.

  • @MISTERLeSkid
    @MISTERLeSkid4 ай бұрын

    Without specifying "General Aviation", the claimed speed record is extremely false, strictly speaking. That record may hold in GA (general aviation) but there were dozens of manufacturers making single-engine piston planes that flew well in excess of 300 and some, even 400 mph back in WWII: fighters. So they should qualify that claim because on its face, it's oddly inaccurate for an industry-recognized accolade.

  • @endokrin7897

    @endokrin7897

    4 ай бұрын

    That's true, but a bit harsh. Everyone knows the video is talking about GA. Is his video title wrong? Yeah. Do we know what he meant? Yeah. Is calling it a load of crap a load of crap?

  • @MISTERLeSkid

    @MISTERLeSkid

    4 ай бұрын

    @@endokrin7897 Ahh, you've got as point. I re-worded it, thanks.

  • @yurimoros
    @yurimoros5 ай бұрын

    Is not AT AT AT ALL the single engine pisto fastest in that class ….. that tittle is hold for the CESSNS TTX … even discontinued since 2018 still hold that world record as the only single piston engine in that class as the world fastest ever in that class even the Mooney with retráctil gear is slower that the world fastest the one and only wold faster even in her class the TTx

  • @bigmetalbirds

    @bigmetalbirds

    5 ай бұрын

    really? ttx max cruise tops at 230 knots. great plane by the way, but you should double check the manual.

  • @brandthershman4088

    @brandthershman4088

    5 ай бұрын

    Incorrect. The Acclaim Ultra tops out at 242 kts. The TTX is 235.

  • @08turboSS

    @08turboSS

    5 ай бұрын

    The mooney was at 242 kts. The Cessna Columbia 400/ later as TTx was a 235 kt cruiser

  • @danpolk
    @danpolk5 ай бұрын

    Mooney owners always pretending like the Bonanza doesn’t exist with more cabin room, more speed, a proper tail and sexier look.

  • @brandthershman4088

    @brandthershman4088

    5 ай бұрын

    Nope. Beech makes a fine airplane. A Cadillac for sure. The Porsche of general aviation is the Mooney. A Mooney Ovation or Acclaim is much, much faster than a Bonanza, uses less fuel, is cheaper to maintain, and has an iconic tail not made of unobtainium magnesium. And while looks are in the eye of the beholder, anybody who thinks a Mooney isn’t a hot looking airplane needs their head examined. Oh, and the Bonanza cabin is 42 inches wide. The Mooney is 43.5.

  • @briscoedarling3237

    @briscoedarling3237

    5 ай бұрын

    Bonanzas burn 25% more fuel for not even the same airspeed as the M20. I know, I have flown them both extensively and my choice was always the M20. More than once a controller asked me what I was flying because it was going so fast.

  • @1jamaican

    @1jamaican

    4 ай бұрын

    Says the Bonanza owner trolling the Mooney videos. 😂

  • @rumblethis2023
    @rumblethis20234 ай бұрын

    Garbage!!! There are many singles that are faster!