Mooney Ovation 3 with 310 HP

Nice airplane. Maybe next year. :rolleyes:
 
Let's see, 1860 NM range at 196 knots is 9.5 hours in the plane (assuming "Long Range" is cruising at 196 knots) with standard fuel. You would be burning 10.7 gph on a 310 HP engine. Assuming the calc allowed 1 hour reserve, you are still burning 12 gph which would be about 52% power which means even slower. I would love to know the fuel burn and range at normal cruise so I can see the usefull load for the flights I normally take.

Does look speedy, but don't think it fits my mission profile.

I love marketing guys.
 
NC Pilot said:
I would love to know the fuel burn and range at normal cruise so I can see the usefull load for the flights I normally take.
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My rules of thumb for normal cruise say (within an accuracy rate of 1 or 2 +/-) a big six is going to burn about 15 GPH...the 360's burn about 10 GPH...the 320's burn about 8 GPH...the 235's and 200's burn about 6 GPH...give or take...consult your POH...leave plenty of room for error...fuel, never leave home without it...if you just "think" you have enough fuel or if you think you have "just enough" fuel you probably don't and always remember the only time you have too much fuel is when you are on fire.

Len
 
Len Lanetti said:
...and always remember the only time you have too much fuel is when you are on fire.
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Or when you are departing overweight on a 200 nm trip with 1000+ nm in your tanks ... or when the density altitude is high and climb performance is marginal ... or when you're operating at a short strip where weight is an enemy ...or when a rough field will make the wings flex and cause those wet wings to leak ...

I know, I'm a smart alec.
 
Ken Ibold said:
Or when you are departing overweight on a 200 nm trip with 1000+ nm in your tanks ... or when the density altitude is high and climb performance is marginal ... or when you're operating at a short strip where weight is an enemy ...or when a rough field will make the wings flex and cause those wet wings to leak ...

I know, I'm a smart alec.
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Or when you want to take four people in a plane that, with full fuel, can only carry two.:goofy:
 
Wow that is sweet. I'm still kicking around the idea of the M20C which looks fast to me but this is Va Va Va Voom! I've been thinking if I get into the M20C I may want to get some type specific training for the Ovation 3 I'd hope Mooney gives it to ya with the purchase.
 
AdamZ said:
I'm still kicking around the idea of the M20C which looks fast to me but this is Va Va Va Voom! I've been thinking if I get into the M20C I may want to get some type specific training for the Ovation 3 I'd hope Mooney gives it to ya with the purchase.
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RE: M20C & Fast...Ovation 3 in comparison to an M20C you get 77% of the speed for 10% of the purchase cost. Aren't numbers wonderful!?

With regard to training...it says on the website that each aircraft comes with a four day initial/transition course.

http://www.mooney.com/aircraft/ovation3/training.html

With regard to insurance...I hear that an M20 is an M20 regardless of the letter designation. That said, I wouldn't consider jumping into an Ovaition 3 for a cross country without first reading the POH and maybe going once around the pattern. ;<)

Len
 
I just ordered two of em. one for me and the other one im going to give to whom ever gives me the most reputation points :)
oh wait, poa took that away.......guess I'll have to keep both of em.
 
I think all new planes should go on a DIET. And be less expensive of course. :)
 
Anthony said:
I think all new planes should go on a DIET. And be less expensive of course. :)
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Anthony - I think that if you want a plane the government should provide you with one. Gotta be a written down as a right in there somewhere. Socialized aircraft gifts and maintenance. I'll take a G-V thank you very much...
 
NC Pilot said:
Let's see, 1860 NM range at 196 knots is 9.5 hours in the plane (assuming "Long Range" is cruising at 196 knots) with standard fuel. You would be burning 10.7 gph on a 310 HP engine. Assuming the calc allowed 1 hour reserve, you are still burning 12 gph which would be about 52% power which means even slower. I would love to know the fuel burn and range at normal cruise so I can see the usefull load for the flights I normally take.

Does look speedy, but don't think it fits my mission profile.

I love marketing guys.
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That's like saying a corvette can do 180mph and get 28mpg...there are no marketing scams going on here. The corvette will do 180mph but the mpg will probably be around 4-5. The corvette will get 28 mpg but with a slow driver at the wheel.

Other notes: 75% LOP (50-60 deg richest cyl) will burn around 13.5 gph and will provide 6-7 kts off book. So my guess would be 190kts at 13.5 gph which should provide you with 1200+ nm range at max speed. If you want long range the mooney still moves along at ~170 at 15-16k burning around 8-9 gph. I don't think I need to work out the range on that one...can you say don't drink anything a week before your flight. If you don't need the fuel don't put it in.

When the garmin AP comes out that is going to be one set up aircraft!
 
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Just looked at the site. 1100 lbs useful load. Figure 75 gal in the tanks. That'll give you 3.5 hrs VFR plus an hour reserve, good for 700 nm and 650 pounds in the cabin. 900 ft takeoff run, and a sexy, sexy plane. I kinda like it, I suppose. :D
 
Iceman said:
If you want long range the mooney still moves along at ~170 at 15-16k burning around 8-9 gph. I don't think I need to work out the range on that one...can you say don't drink anything a week before your flight.
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But when you need to fly into and out of a distant airport at a time when fuel in unavailable, or if you're going into a major airport with very high fuel prices, suddenly the issue is no longer NON-STOP endurance.

It's all about flexibility. People complain about not having enough range, and then when the designers add fuel bays they complain about not being able to fill the tanks and seats. Since every airplane is a compromise of some sort, hats off to the designers who come up with ways to make their airplanes usable in a wider range of conditions.

(Sez the man who owns a Pitts.)
 
NC Pilot said:
Anthony - I think that if you want a plane the government should provide you with one. Gotta be a written down as a right in there somewhere. Socialized aircraft gifts and maintenance. I'll take a G-V thank you very much...
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I think NPR is offering G-V's as gifts if you donate $100 or more. Now even I would donate! :blueplane:


:D
 
Ken Ibold said:
Since every airplane is a compromise of some sort, hats off to the designers who come up with ways to make their airplanes usable in a wider range of conditions.

(Sez the man who owns a Pitts.)
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Hey, you've shown us that the Pitts works as a traveling machine! :goofy:

(P.S. Hope things are okay at home.)
 
With regard to insurance...I hear that an M20 is an M20 regardless of the letter designation. That said, I wouldn't consider jumping into an Ovaition 3 for a cross country without first reading the POH and maybe going once around the pattern. ;<)

Len
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Absolutely untrue. I've got hundreds of hours in C and J model M20s and about 5 in Ovations. If I want a Bravo, the insurance will want either a type specific course or 10 hours dual.

Same thing goes for ferrying - most insurers will cover me in any C,E,F,G, or J because I have so much time in Cs and Js, but they will still want an hour in the airplane with the owner first. newer models they'll want 5 dual before they let me ferry it.

Now, why less dual for a ferry pilot than an owner? Period of exposure is much shorter, and their experience with pilots with commercial certs who ferry for higher shows lower risk (probably because we're paranoid).
 
You mean like the Romanians? :)

Ken Ibold said:
It's all about flexibility. People complain about not having enough range, and then when the designers add fuel bays they complain about not being able to fill the tanks and seats. Since every airplane is a compromise of some sort, hats off to the designers who come up with ways to make their airplanes usable in a wider range of conditions.
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TMetzinger said:
Absolutely untrue. I've got hundreds of hours in C and J model M20s and about 5 in Ovations. If I want a Bravo, the insurance will want either a type specific course or 10 hours dual.
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All kinding aside...a type specific course sounds very prudent for airplanes of this class...lots of systems that are more complicated than an M20C or similar aircraft...good to know them all for safety and to get the most utility out of the airplane. I could see spending several hours on power management, landing gear, electrical system, TKS and O2. I'm sure the avionics would require significant study and practice as well.

Len
 
Joe Williams said:
Just looked at the site. 1100 lbs useful load. :D
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Note that the asterisk says something along the lines of "useful load will vary based on options installed". I'd probably skip the A/C but get the O2 and TKS. Note with the TKS you have to figure in the weight of the fluid too.

Len
 
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