January 2023

September
Volume LV 2022
Volume 1LIV
Number
Number 9
The
consumer
resource for
pilots and
aircraft
owners

Classics and Warbirds:

Tips for shopping a complex market ... page 8

A utilitarian approach to IFR ... 4 Plug-in power on a stick ... 14 Sentry versus Sentry Plus ... 19

4 IFR ON A BUDGET 19 SENTRY PLUS ADS-B 23 PANEL PLANNER 101

Pro tips for saving money on Our long-term trial proves Cutting new metal doesn’t
basic IFR avionics upgrades that it’s a solid performer always make sense

14 GROUND POWER UNITS 21 LANDING GEAR CHECKS 24 USED MOONEY 231/252

We round up external power Think like a tech when The market for these turbo
supplies for volts and starts preflighting a retrac speedsters is strong
 F I R S T W O R D

HOW ABOUT SOME TRADE-IN BUCKS?

As long as manufacturers keep tossing new portable ADS-B traffic and weather
EDITOR
receivers at the saturated market, why not sweeten the deal and at least offer
Larry Anglisano
some trade-in allowance for buyers left holding barely broken-in units? Even
SENIOR EDITOR Apple takes old stuff in trade, and I suppose you could unload them on the used
Rick Durden market like I do with pricey guitar pedals­—a vigorous market where new stuff
comes out every week. We otherwise found a good value in our long-term field
CONTRIBUTORS report on ForeFlight’s Sentry Plus portable ADS-B receiver. Made by uAvionix,
Kenneth Katz it’s a feature-rich unit with a good AHRS and a smart built-in CO detector, and
Phil Lightstone the set has exclusive connectivity with the ForeFlight Mobile app. With solid
EDITOR AT LARGE performance, excellent sales support through Sporty’s and a palatable, although
Paul Bertorelli hardly inexpensive, $799 price tag, I suppose it’ll continue to be a decent seller,
especially for loyal ForeFlight users. But how good can these gadgets get, and
COPY EDITOR how many features do buyers really want in a battery-powered portable? For me,
Jennifer Whitley a bulletproof receiver and CO detector is more than enough. And keep the price
south of $500, which is smartly what ForeFlight does with its middle-of-the-line
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Judi Crouse
Sentry. Cheaper yet is the de-featured Sentry Mini.
A couple of years ago when the ADS-B rush was over, Editor-at-Large Paul
SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT Bertorelli challenged me to a little wager that the market has seen the last of gee-
P.O. Box 8535 whiz portable ADS-B gadgets. I disagreed and ended up smoking him on the bet
Big Sandy, TX 75755-8535 because not long after, maybe at AirVenture the following month, Dynon and
800-829-9081
ForeFlight both released fresh receivers into a market where buyers were numb
www.aviationconsumer.com/cs
with choices. The Sentry Plus seems to sit at the top of the food chain, based on
FOR CANADA standard features. But what other features can entice buyers who by now have
Subscription Services spent real money on ADS-B, including permanent-mount ADS-B Out gear for
Box 7820 STN Main the mandate? I’m not sure, and even more unsure why manufacturers don’t offer
London, ON 5W1 trade-in value on these portable receivers. With supply chain troubles, maybe the
Canada
recycled units can be of some value. Regardless, if I recently forked over $599 for
a good-performing Sentry (still in the product line), it would be tough to drop
REPRINTS: Aviation Consumer can another $799 on the now flagship Plus, as good as the unit is. But there are buy-
provide you or your organization ers who always need the latest stuff, although I suspect that crowd is dwindling.
with reprints. Minimum order is 1000
copies. Contac t Jennifer Jimolka, This got me thinking about the early days of portable GPS and even earlier
203-857-3144 days of Loran-C receivers. The market was a feeding frenzy and companies like II
Morrow, Magellan and Northstar (and yeah, Garmin, too) kept it hot by cranking
AVIATION CONSUMER out new units with better performance, while in many cases offering generous
(ISSN #0147-9911) is trade-in cash value to lessen the sting. The current panel-mount avionics market
published monthly by can benefit from such incentives, too, and there should be plenty of opportunity
Belvoir Aviation Group for manufacturers to offer factory-refurbed units to the used market. I bet they
LLC, an affiliate of Bel- would sell more units.
voir Media Group, 535
Connecticut Avenue, AL SIMMONS
Norwalk, CT 06854-1713. Robert England- Longtime Aviation Consumer readers have seen that name in plenty of articles,
er, Chairman and CEO; Timothy H. Cole, and most recently when Al helped out in our long-term ceramic coating trials
Chief Content Officer; Philip L. Penny, in the November 2022 issue. And even when his name wasn’t mentioned in the
Chief Operating Officer; Greg King, Chief text or in a byline, Al was frequently behind the scenes helping with our product
Marketing Officer; Ron Goldberg, Chief reviews and testing. The photo below is Al testing the Jet Shades product in his
Financial Officer; Tom Canfield, Chief Diamond. An engineer, inventor, competing amateur athlete (my cycling coach
Circulation Officer. and mentor) and longtime airplane owner, he created the world’s most comfort-
able aftermarket motorcycle seat and the Mustang Motorcycle Accessories compa-
Periodicals postage paid at Norwalk, CT, ny. Al was incredibly valuable to this magazine because he was always looking at
and at additional mailing offices. Rev- ways to make products better. Some
enue Canada GST Account #128044658.
readers know Al from the soaring
Subscriptions: $84 annually. Bulk rate sub-
world, where he competed—and
scriptions for organizations are available.
won—in world soaring events.
Copyright © 2023 Belvoir Aviation Group
Al died while crossing the finish
LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in
line at the Panama City Ironman
whole or in part is prohibited. Printed in
event this past October, leaving an
the USA.
unfillable void in the lives of those
Postmaster: Send address corrections to
who knew him. We should be
AVIATION CONSUMER, P.O. Box 8535, Big
grateful for all that he did for
Sandy, TX 75755-8535. In Canada, P.O. Box
Aviation Consumer.
39 Norwich, ON NOJ1PO, Canada. Publish-
ing Agreement Number #40016479 —Larry Anglisano
2 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January 2023
 READER CORRESPONDENCE

WHEN DAMAGE HISTORY tank, which was eventually replaced. nuisance. I found that my PFX works
DOESN’T MATTER It never even had a cylinder off. in everything I fly, but the DZ re-
In response to the hidden damage quired changing this switch between
article in the December 2022 Avia- Larry Weitzman mono and stereo to work in certain
tion Consumer, I can weigh in. Hurricane, Utah aircraft. I ended up returning the set
I am not a broker, but I have been because of the ANR and the mono
involved in many airplane purchases Thanks for weighing in, and your switch because they were deal break-
for friends (mostly Beechcrafts)— experience is worth talking about. ers for me, but not for others.
perhaps a dozen including three We’ve had our own hands in plenty of
of my own. In those searches and airplanes like you described (and own) Andrew Elwood
purchases, several of the Beechcrafts and can say that many were better Essex, Connecticut
have had damage airplanes than
history, mostly when they came CERAMIC COATING
gear-up landings out of the factory In regards to your well-done ce-
or retractions on thanks to high- ramic coating coverage and recent
the ground. It’s quality repairs. long-term trial article (November
those who have It’s proof that as 2022 Aviation Consumer), many of
and those who long as the repairs our planes today have an exterior
will. I bought were made to pro combination of both paint and vinyl
three of these air- standards, with decals. Given that ceramic coating is
planes and tried good documen- mostly a paint protective, how would
to buy a fourth. tation as proof, a ceramic coating work with multiple
All have been ter- there’s no reason decals, including vinyl, on the paint’s
rific aircraft, and to avoid aircraft surface?
the V35B I am flying now had two with certain damage history.
gear retraction incidents (accidents). On the other hand, we’ve seen plenty Brian Turrisi
I researched the damage, dis- machines with repairs that hacked the Hilton Head, South Carolina
cussed it with the repair shop, did an wreck back together, and light on sup-
extensive prebuy evaluation (which porting paperwork. We think potential Our experience and others we heard
found about a dozen minor discrep- buyers should run—not walk—away from proves that properly applied ce-
ancies unrelated to the retractions) from these. ramic treatment works well on vinyl.
and negotiated a slightly lower price
because of the discrepancies. I was LIGHTSPEED DELTA ZULU
very comfortable with the purchase As a Lightspeed PFX user for many
and the airplane has been terrific. years, I was intrigued by the Delta
When going over the FAA Form Zulu (DZ) so I ordered one. I flew the
337s and aircraft logs, it can be headset in a few different aircraft and
helpful to talk to the A&Ps and offer the following observations. Find us on Facebook Badge CMYK / .ai

repair shops that have maintained In a Piper Arrow IV, I had an

the aircraft (especially over the prior intermittent reverberation/rumbling
five to seven years) and if possible, in the headphone audio. It was still
talk with the shops that repaired the present even after adjusting the ten-
damage. sion of the headband. The ability to
I bought a B58TC once that had adjust frequency response for hearing
two gear-ups and a nosegear is- deficiencies is a really cool feature
sue (the pilot forgot to remove the and it worked well.
towbar). I talked to all the shops that I think the ANR performance in
did the repairs and had Arky Foulk
(a head American Bonanza Soci-
the old PFX model is superior to the
circuitry in the Delta Zulu. As for
CONTACT US
ety tech advisor) check the repairs. wearability, the DZ set has the typi- Editorial matters only
His comment was the repairs look cally good Lightspeed comfort, plus Email: consumereditor@hotmail.com
better than when they came out the rechargeable battery works really and through Facebook
of the factory as a new airplane (it well, and I found the battery life to
was repaired by a Beechcraft shop). be excellent. Subscription Department
I put a thousand hours on that bird I think the DZ’s mono/stereo P.O. Box 8535
and its only issue was one leaky fuel switch located below the battery is a Big Sandy, TX 75755-8535
800-829-9081
On The Cover: Larry Anglisano shot the lead image while walking the Online Customer Service:
warbirds parking area at AirVenture Oshkosh last summer. And that walk www.aviationconsumer.com/cs
had him contemplating the current sales market for warbirds and classics.
In a complicated insurance market, are these aircraft just a dream for buyers For weekly aviation news
with the means to keep ‘em flying? The always insightful Senior Editor Rick updates, see www.avweb.com
Durden went deep for the field report starting on page 8.
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 3
 AVIONICS UPGRADES C H E C K L I S T

There are good drop-in EFIS

options that don’t require
expensive panel modifica-
tions.
Garmin’s line of budget
WAAS navigators pack a
healthy punch if you can live
without VHF nav.

Accessories and repairs

quickly break the budget in
aircraft that haven’t been
upgraded in a while.

a fuel totalizer. We’ll leave the stock

fuel gauges alone, unless they’re
completely useless like some we’ve
flown with. In that case, the fuel

IFR For $15K:

senders should be removed for over-
haul or replacement.
The interface should be easy to
manage. That means a logical layout

One GPS, Small EFIS of flight instruments. What we mean

is that older birds might need some
panel rearrangement (and modifica-
tion) to make a so-called standard T
Equip for basic IFR with a WAAS navigator and order of primary flight instruments.
And since it’s dark at night and in
a reliable six-pack. Autopilots, antenna work and the clouds, you’ll want good instru-
engine monitors are budget busters. ment and panel lighting. That could
mean spending time and money

S
troubleshooting instrument and avi-
ince plenty of us don’t have Skyhawk and Beech Musketeer as ex- onics dimmer systems or even add-
an endless supply of money to amples of basic models that haven’t ing a new lighting system altogether.
drop on flagship avionics up- seen avionics upgrades in a while.
grades, there are some utilitarian IFR We’ll use them for instrument train- MORE THAN REGS
solutions instead of $100K full-glass ing and personal trips in VFR and With a plan for putting the support-
makeovers. reasonable IFR conditions. We won’t ing systems and accessories in place,
be launching ahead of the jets when including replacing aging comm
LARRY ANGLISANO the weather gets really ugly. antenna systems (new radios are use-
So we still have money left But we will be taking them into less without good ones), it’s time to
for flying, we’ll shoot for a more the clag, so the avionics and sup- pick the main equipment. Start with
conservative $15,000 budget, fully porting systems need to be reliable. the FARs, where FAR 91.205 lists the
aware that we’ll have to make some To a degree, reliability is subjective. basic gear for VFR and IFR, and the
sacrifices. This includes a smaller- If you’re paranoid about a vacuum requirements haven’t really changed
screen EFIS, a single GPS and a and/or instrument failure in IMC much in the gazillion years we’ve
comm radio. For even limited bud- then you’ll be focused on electronic been equipping. Everyone knows
gets, it means keeping mechanical instruments and an all-electric in- you need a six-pack of basic flight
round instruments and buying used terface, never having to worry about
gear. On the shop floor, it means no maintaining the vacuum pump, Garmin’s GI 275 round flight
fancy new panels—with little or no filters and lines. But you will need
metal cutting and finishing work. to keep the electrical system strong.
instruments shown in the
Still, expect cost overruns and long This means maintaining a healthy Cessna panel at the top are
scheduling. battery and charging system. made for incremental upgrades
And for minding the electrics and without having to cut metal or
LOGICAL IFR the engine, we want a basic engine
To keep things simple, we’ll use monitor that displays voltage, CHT plastic—a key to saving labor
the typical Piper Cherokee, Cessna and EGT, oil temp and pressure, plus costs.
4 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January 2023
An easy WAAS upgrade for the
legacy Garmin GNS 430 is the
slide-in Avidyne IFD440, top pho-
to. That’s an older PS Engineering
PMA6000 audio panel at the top
of the stack. If it sounds good, and
you can live without Bluetooth, we
don’t see many reasons to remove
it. That’s an Aspen Evolution PFD
and a Garmin GNS 430W in the
Piper, middle—both IFR capable.

instruments, and even the most basic

EFIS will be so equipped.
But regs aside, venture into any
IFR upgrade with a plan for backup.
As just one example, since these elec-
tronic flight instruments require a
valid and uncompromised pitot/static
input, you’ll need a heated pitot sys-
tem. Not all machines are equipped, of displaying
and an iced source could mean a GPS (or ILS)
dreaded red X across the screen’s glideslope data.
flight data, indicating invalid data. That means
And even if you retain a mechani- connecting it to
cal airspeed indicator, altimeter and an WAAS IFR
VSI, the pitot/static system needs to navigator won’t
be able to pass the required two-year offer much
FAR IFR inspections. Troubleshoot- in the way
ing and repairing leaks in the system of approach
(quite common) can really add to the capability for
bottom line, but it’s a necessity. instrument ap-
Let’s go around the panel and look proaches. We’ve
at some equipment choices, starting seen plenty of
with the primary flight instruments. installations
where a single
BUDGET GLASS AV-30 was used
Shop the budget EFIS market and in place of a vacuum AI, but the magnetometer it has a magnetic
you’ll consider the uAvionix AV-30. panel retains a traditional DG and a heading display. The G5 DG is
At just shy of $2000 for the certified separate nav indicator or a mechani- equipped for instrument approaches
AV-30-C ($1495 for experimentals), cal HSI. The AV-30 fits a standard 3 with its electronic HSI, but is limited
the drop-in flight instrument packs 1/8-inch round instrument cutout, so to VHF nav and GPS sources with
a healthy punch in a round-gauge there’s no metal work required. digital databuses, mainly Garmin
chassis. But there are limitations to One step up in capability is a pair GNS 430W/530W, GTN 650/750
consider, particularly when it comes of Garmin G5 flight instruments. and Avidyne IFD navigators. The G5
to GPS and autopilot interfaces. The battery-backup-equipped G5 can also work with Garmin’s dis-
We’ve covered the AV-30 in other ar- attitude indicator is $2725 and the continued SL30 navcomm and the
ticles, most recently in the June 2022 electronic HSI version with GPS nav current GNC 255 digital navcomm
issue of Aviation Consumer. interface adapter (for connecting to through an RS-232 serial interface. If
In a nutshell, an AV-30 is well select VHF navs and GPS naviga- you have a third-party autopilot (S-
capable of serving as a primary at- tors) is $3675. Two G5 instruments TEC, BendixKing and even Century
titude instrument. In a dual installa- connected together offer reversionary and ARC/Cessna models) the G5
tion (one as an attitude indicator and ADAHRS, plus a four-hour battery EHSI can provide heading command
the other as an electronic heading endurance if the electrics quit. with the GAD 29B converter.
indicator), the AI is required to be The 3.5-inch QVGA color LCD To comply with the STC, a dual
locked when used as the primary, display-equipped G5 is aging, and G5 setup can’t replace the entire six-
although it does display a heading it’s a no-frills instrument that doesn’t pack of flight instruments. They’ll
tape at the top of the display. The have synthetic vision or touchscreen. replace the AI or DG or the attitude
second AV-30 can serve as a heading But it can be used in Garmin’s GFC instrument can replace the rate of
indicator for IFR, but it still doesn’t 500 autopilot interface, and when turn instrument. Removing the
have an electronic HSI that’s capable paired with the GMU 11 external vacuum system is fair game.
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 5
 That’s the L3Harris Lynx
NGT9000 ADS-B In and Out
multifunction transponder in the
Cessna stack in the top photo. It’s
a lot of capability in one box, but
we wonder about its long-term
support. That’s a JP Instrument
EDM-730 engine monitor to the
right of it. For WAAS GPS, a built-
in ADS-B In and Out transponder
and Flight Stream wireless traffic,
weather and flight plan transfer
capability to tablet computers, Gar-
min’s GNX 375 navigator, bottom,
packs a big punch for $8695.

interfacing, the E5 requires the ACU

(analog converter unit), which boosts
the price from $5995 to $6995. For
autopilots that require pitch and
roll input from an attitude indicator
(BendixKing, Century/Piper), you’ll
need to purchase the $2500 EA100
gyro emulator. The E5 has generous
features as standard, including built-
in GPS steering and a full-featured
EHSI.
A step up in tech and price is the a variety of third-party nav sources
Garmin GI 275. With a form factor and has mapping, traffic and IFR GPS
that directly replaces most 3 1/8-inch weather overlay. A GI 275 ADAHRS There are a wide variety of options
round instruments, the GI 275 is with the magnetometer is priced at here and we think most basic IFR
aimed at incremental upgrades and $4295. panels are well-served by WAAS
not requiring cutting new metal. For providing pitch and roll capability. For some, this means
The instruments have a 2.69-inch reference for driving attitude-based upgrading out of Garmin’s legacy
diameter (active screen size) color autopilots (including Garmin’s GNS 430 non-WAAS navigator. An
capacitive touchscreen and an ex- GFC 500), the $4995 GI 275 easy way to do that (with minimum
tremely flexible electrical interface ADAHRS+AP is the version you’ll wiring changes) is with Avidyne’s
potential compatible with a healthy want. There’s also an interface IFD440 slide-in navigator. At press
variety of third-party equipment. where a GI 275 can function as an time, Washington-based Avionics
They can function as a primary flight engine monitoring system, or Gar- Source (www.avionicssource.com)
instrument, EHSI, CDI, an MFD with min EIS. We covered Garmin’s EIS/ was offering the IFD440 for $11,395,
synthetic vision, traffic and terrain GI 275 interface in the July 2022 including trade-in value of a removed
display and an engine monitor. issue of Aviation Consumer. There’s GNS 430. The IFD440, with its hy-
For basic IFR equipage, you’ll also the $3395 GI 275 electronic brid touch and knob feature set, has
want the $3995 GI 275 ADAHRS, CDI for displaying GPS and VHF VHF comm/nav/glideslope, synthetic
which is the one for use as a pri- nav course data. vision with 3D terrain and obstacles
mary and standalone EFIS because Over at Aspen Avionics, the bud- and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectiv-
it has the sensors for displaying all get-priced EFIS is the Evolution E5. ity. There’s also the IFD100 iPad ap-
primary flight data. When used as For IFR, it needs to be connected to plication for a redundant display. But
such, however, it’s locked to display an IFR panel-mounted navigator, add EFIS to the installation and the
only the flight data. Synthetic vision but doesn’t require a backup at- price of the project quickly goes over
is a $995 option and is download- titude indicator. Its form-fit chassis the $15,000 budget.
able, so you don’t have to bring it to fits the existing holes of mechanical Sacrificing VHF nav capability (no
a Garmin dealer when adding it. attitude and heading indicators. The VOR, localizer or ILS) is the Garmin
As second GI 275 ADAHRS can E5 is perhaps the largest of the bud- line of budget navigators, starting
be installed to replace a round- get EFIS models with its 6.0-inch with the $5595 GPS 175. It works
gauge directional gyro and it con- diagonal Matrix LCD screen, and with all of Garmin’s flight displays
nects with a GMU 11 magnetometer it has a built-in one-hour backup and has built-in WAAS for LPV ap-
for heading resolution. It can be battery. proaches, plus Flight Stream wireless
configured as an EHSI, works with For autopilot and VHF nav capability for sending weather and
6 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January 2023
traffic to a tablet computer when the
navigator is connected to a Garmin
GTX 345 ADS-B transponder or GDL
88 ADS-B transceiver. The $7595
GNC 355 adds a built-in VHF comm
radio and the $8695 GTX 375 adds a
built-in ADS-B In and Out Bluetooth
transponder.
Worth mentioning is that at
press time in early December 2022,
Sarasota Avionics in Florida (www.
sarasotavionics.com) was offering a
package that includes a GNX 375,
GI 275 electronic CDI, Garmin GAE
12 altitude encoder and GA 35 GPS/
WAAS antenna and installation kits
for $10,889. If retaining round-gauge
flight instruments is your plan, but
you need a WAAS navigator and
ADS-B capability, this package gets it
done.

A BIT ON AUTOPILOTS Those are dual Gar-

AND USED EQUIPMENT min G5 flight instru-
We think a functioning autopilot
is required equipment for most IFR ments at the top and
flying, and even a basic wing leveler a vacuum-driven
is better than nothing. Consult with Century NSD360A
a knowledgeable shop if there’s any HSI at the bottom.
doubt of the status of the system in
your airplane. In general, for simple
single-axis systems, repairing one navigators and even
will in many cases be cheaper than ADS-B equipment.
buying a new one. Part of the problem
Genesys Aerosystems still sells is that the choked sup-
the line of S-TEC rate-based models ply chain has created a
that have lots of STC approvals, and feeding frenzy for used
the entry-level System Twenty has a late-model gear, and
starting price that’s roughly $9000, even for long-discontinued models aircraft needs an autopilot.
before installation. BendixKing sells like the Garmin GNS 530W and Our advice is to prioritize and
the AeroCruze 100 for some Cessna 430W WAAS navigators. The parts even consider upgrading in stages.
and Piper models, including the shortages have also boosted instru- If the aircraft has functional round-
172/182/177 and PA-28/32 series, to ment repair businesses. Popular gauge flight instruments, that could
name a few. It’s priced around $6000, IFR instruments including the King mean keeping them and putting
plus installation. KCS55A HSI/slaved compass system the money into the main stack for
Garmin of course sells the popu- and Century NSD360 HSI, as two WAAS GPS capability. Or maybe
lar GFC 500 (starting at $7870) and examples, might be less expensive you make the switch to a single elec-
there’s a growing STC list that covers to repair than buying a new EFIS, tronic attitude indicator and retain
a wide variety of models. We’re plan- but think long term. Do you want the traditional DG and save a couple
ning an autopilot upgrade article to spend thousands on a teardown thousand dollars to put toward an
for an upcoming issue of Aviation overhaul when the money can be audio system, comm radio or engine
Consumer and we’ll dig deep into the put toward a solid-state instrument monitor.
various choices. Expect a new system with far more reliability and a longer Last, get several proposals and
to push the budget north of $20,000 lifespan than a typical spinning bring the aircraft to the shop for
when you factor in the other basic gyro? We don’t. a look. It’s the only way to get an
IFR systems we outline here. accurate quote and help eliminate
As for used equipment, there’s THE BOTTOM LINE major budget-busting surprises once
nothing wrong with turning to For aircraft that haven’t seen an avi- the project hits the hangar floor.
a reputable seller to save at least onics upgrade in a while, or those Need some help getting started?
some money on basic IFR gear. We that have never been equipped for Drop us a line and we’ll include
wouldn’t expect any bargains on IFR, a $15,000 budget for modern your panel in our monthly Panel
late-model gear, including current- IFR gear is going to be difficult to Planner 101 section in Aviation
production EFIS models, IFR WAAS achieve and nearly impossible if the Consumer.
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 7
 A Globe Swift can satisfy the thirst
to own and fly a vintage aircraft
without breaking the bank. How-
ever, handling and system quirks/
features mean it demands respect
and a solid checkout.

seriously valuable antique such as a

Beech Staggerwing and display it at
airshows both on static display and
in flybys; or own and operate what
had been a serious warbird, wheth-
er trainer or combat machine, and
put it through its paces at airshows;

Off the Beaten Path: and/or buy a dedicated aerobatic

airplane such as a CAP-10 and per-
form at airshows.

Vintage Aircraft After speaking with pilots who

own vintage airplanes and do
everything from happily flying
them over the countryside with
Owning and flying aircraft other than spam cans friends to doing aerobatic routines
at airshows, we came away with
is some of the most fun you can have in aviation so some recommendations that were
long as you treat them with the respect they require. common to every airplane in our
self-declared vintage class.
First, knowledge is power. There
by Rick Durden are no shortcuts to moving up to

Y
more complicated airplanes and
ou flew a Diamond DA-40 tage machines or are more challeng- challenging ways of flying them.
Star because it has a stick and ing to maintain or are more difficult Second, you will be able to find
superb handling; you took to insure or are types the public experts who will be willing to help
aerobatic instruction because you will pay money to see on display or you if you are willing to listen with
wanted more than just plain vanilla flying in airshows or some or all of an air of humility.
aviating. Now you’re thinking hard the above.
about focusing on an airplane that Selecting, buying, insuring and GETTING STARTED
is outside the mainstream—vin- operating vintage aircraft is just like Step one in the process of own-
tage, antique, dedicated aerobatic ing and flying vintage, according
machine or a warbird—but you’re AIRCRAFT OWNERSHIP to Stan Musick, longtime warbird
unsure where to start and how far owner, airshow performer and for-
you can realistically go. Can you selecting, buying, insuring and op- mer chief check airman for fighters
get insurance if you buy something erating a 1975 Piper Archer—only for the Commemorative Air Force,
that is rare? Can you find someone more so. We’re going to go into that is deciding what you want and the
who can give you a solid checkout? process, make suggestions about resources you have to support the
Will you be able to find someone to doing it successfully, identify some aircraft. “You’ll want to pick an air-
maintain it? Are there parts avail- pitfalls and generally give guidance plane that you’re passionate about,
able? that we hope will result in you get- otherwise you’re going to get tired
For the sake of convenience ting more smiles per dollar that you spending lots of money on it and
we’re going use the term “vintage” spend on a vintage flyer. After all, the effort it takes to get it in and out
to refer to anything outside of the the reason to fly vintage airplanes is of the hangar.”
mainstream of nosewheel, civil- to have a lot of fun. The big break point items are
ian airplanes built after World whether you want to go tailwheel
War II. That includes any aircraft PAY THE DUES or nosewheel as well as tube-and-
built before late summer 1945, all However, you do have to be will- fabric or metal airframe. Going
warbirds—aircraft that were used ing to pay some dues in terms of tailwheel generally means that you
by the military (including civilian money, time and dedication. are going to have to get at least 200
models bought off-the-shelf)—and We researched this article from hours of tailwheel time before you
all tailwheel aircraft. Yes, that’s a the perspective of someone who are going to be able to get insurance
big hopper, but we’re going there decides to get into the vintage world in anything that has more than
because these aircraft either require and go as far as he or she possibly two seats or is worth more than
more skill to operate than non-vin- can—wishing to own and fly a $100,000.
8 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January 2023
One aircraft that we consider to be
an excellent platform for learning
the stick and rudder skills to fly
tailwheel vintage machines is the
Aeronca Champ—or L-16 when it
was pressed into service by the mili-
tary, above. Those stick and rudder
skills and experience are essential
should a pilot desire to buy and
insure a Pitts Special, below.

for building initial tail-

When it comes to insurability in wheel experience.
any airplane, especially one with Musick emphasized
a tailwheel or high worth, it’s all that flying that much
about experience and age, according in a year means that
to Scott “Sky” Smith, an insurance the pilot is going to get
broker with some 40 years of expe- real-world experience
rience placing insurance in all types with weather and things
of aircraft. breaking—she or he isn’t
going to just do the same
AGE hour 200 times. Plus, the
We’ll get through the age part right pilot is going to learn
now: If you haven’t moved up into what adverse aileron yaw
the airplane you really want to fly— is and what the rudder
and have insurance on it—by the pedals are for.
time you are 69 years old, you are Doug Rozendaal, longtime war- airplane you seek to buy is essen-
unlikely to be able to do so. Having bird owner and designated exam- tial. They recommended joining the
cubic money no longer means that iner, echoed the sentiment go get type club as most have significant
you can buy insurance in anything started with a Champ. “It’s cheaper online libraries as well as members
at any age. than a Cub, flies nicer and you can with expertise.
That should be kept in mind do an annual for $500 if you are Join the Experimental Aircraft
as we were told by the pilots we supervised by an IA.” Association (www.eaa.org). Your lo-
interviewed that it is potentially a As Stan Musick put it, “Once you cal EAA chapter can be a wealth of
20-year process of moving up the own the airplane and have insured information as members don’t just
pyramid in the vintage world to it, only the first hour is expensive, own homebuilts, they own vintage
ownership and doing airshows in after that it’s just gas and oil.” machines or will know people in
the very best of the airplanes: P-51s, Pilots we spoke with while the area who do.
Waco Taperwings and Extra 300s. researching this article also spoke Doing your homework will let
The path is not as long if you go highly of building time in a Lus- you learn what to watch for on a
the nosewheel route. That is simply combe, especially if your goal prebuy examination of an airplane
because pilots flying tailwheel air- is owning an all-metal vintage that has grabbed your interest as
planes—no matter how good those airplane. well as find an A&P who has exper-
pilots are—are two to three times Experienced tailwheel instruc- tise in the type to do the prebuy.
more likely to tear up the airplanes tors Derek DeRuiter, proprietor
in landing accidents. of Northwoods Aviation in Cadil- PREBUY EXAM
If you start out in the tailwheel lac, Michigan, and Paul Berge of By the way, when it comes time
world, it’s fairly easy to switch to Indianola, Iowa, spoke highly of for the prebuy exam of the vintage
nosewheel—not the other way obtaining significant tailwheel airplane you’ve chosen we think
around. If you start in the tube-and- experience in an airplane with heel that you treat any claim that it has
fabric world, it’s relatively easy to brakes, rather than toe brakes. Heel “no damage history” as nonsense. If
switch to metal aircraft. brakes are more challenging to use it’s an old airplane, particularly if it
In speaking with Stan Musick and usually less effective than toe has a tailwheel, it’s almost certainly
and Patty Wagstaff, former national brakes, so a pilot learns to solve been damaged at some point—even
aerobatic champion, we were told takeoff and landing problems with if it’s not reflected in the logbooks
that for someone desiring to go the the flight controls and not use the or Form 337s.
tailwheel route, the best thing to do brakes as a crutch. The task for you and your A&P
is buy an Aeronca Champ and fly it during the prebuy is to make sure
200 hours in the first year. Wagstaff DO YOUR HOMEWORK that if repairs have been done on
also spoke highly of the American All of the pilots we interviewed said the airplane at some time in the
Champion Citabria and Decathlon that learning as much about the past that they were performed cor-
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 9
SO YOU WANT TO FLY IN AIRSHOWS
You’ve finally made it. You’ve gotten the airplane Safety Team (FAST) card. FAST is an FAA-recognized
of your dreams—an Extra 300, Waco Taperwing or organization that provides policy and governance to 17
North American P-51—and you want to display it at FAST signatory organizations.
an upcoming airshow. Not only do you want to park it To obtain a FAST card a pilot must attend a formation
where it can be seen, you’ve been seriously practicing clinic presented by one of the FAST signatories (and
your aerobatics and you want a time slot in the show to become a member of that organization) and then fly
demonstrate what you can do. with a qualified instructor until trained to an acceptable
Fifty years ago the odds were that you could simply level of proficiency. This usually requires several flights.
arrive as things were being set up at a smaller show, You must have a FAST card for each type of aircraft that
talk to whomever was in charge and you’d be on the you intend to fly in an airshow.
program. The big dogs in the formation training world are the
Not surprisingly, that didn’t work well. Overconfi- Commemorative Air Force (CAF) (www.commerativeair-
dent, wealthy vintage aircraft owners too often demon- force.org) and the North American Trainer Association
strated that their egos wrote checks their skills couldn’t (NATA) (www.flynata.org). Every airshow pilot we spoke
cash. with emphasized the need to become involved with a
The FAA started regulating aerobatics by requiring FAST signatory organization to obtain not only train-
that anyone desiring to do them below 1500 feet AGL ing but find mentors to help safely immerse you in the
demonstrate her or his ability to an FAA inspector and airshow world.
receive what is now called a Statement of Aerobatic Not surprisingly, getting approved for other airshow
Competency or SAC card. If you didn’t crash, you got skill sets such as dogfighting, night shows and dynamic
one. The accident rate re- maneuvering requires further
mained high. By the 1980s training and approval.
the FAA was working with the With approvals in hand,
International Council of Air- well prior to participating in
shows (ICAS) (https://airshows. an airshow you’ll be required
aero) because its members to provide copies of all of your
flew airshows, understood the credentials to the airshow
risks and were determined to sponsor. Once you arrive, plan
improve the level of safety. on showing the aircraft paper-
ICAS took over the process of work, including logbooks, to
evaluating pilots and issuing the airshow safety personnel.
SAC cards. The accident rate Each day that you fly you’ll
dropped dramatically. be required to attend the
Now, ICAS issues cards for morning briefing and read and
progressively lower level aero- sign a copy of the FAA-issued
batics that require the pilot demonstrate not only her waiver for that day of the show.
or his ability annually but also engage in a minimum During the briefing you’ll review all of the show lines
number of practices in a recognized aerobatic box and (how far you must stay from the crowd in the type of
airshows each year. ICAS and the airshow world recog- airplane you’re flying), emergency procedures, escape
nize that airshow pilot safety depends on recency and routes, diversion airports, takeoff and approach routes
frequency of a pilot’s experience. and even where each fire truck and ambulance will be
For the non-warbird vintage aircraft set that want to parked. Violation of a procedure is considered very seri-
get into airshow aerobatics, Patty Wagstaff told us that ous and can result in the pilot being banned from flying
she recommends they immediately join the Internation- airshows and an FAA violation action.
al Aerobatic Club (IAC) (www.iac.org) and participate in The person in charge of the show is referred to as the
their competitions. That’s where they will upgrade their Air Boss—and not surprisingly being approved for that
skills and judgment in a structured, supportive environ- position requires additional training. The Air Boss is
ment and really learn how to allow for wind and master effectively the final authority for the show. The Air Boss
energy management. is in radio contact with each performer and can halt the
Among the several skill sets involved in airshow per- show at any time there is any question of safe opera-
forming beyond solo aerobatics are formation flights, tion. If you have an emergency, you declare it to the Air
formation aerobatics, circle-the-jumpers, dogfight and Boss and do what you need to handle things—the Air
dynamic maneuvering. To fly formation in an airshow in Boss will get everyone out of your way.
FAA waivered airspace (a formal waiver of specific FARs Bottom line—you can fly airshows if you’re willing to
for the airshow), a pilot must hold a Formation and put in the time, hard work and training required.

10 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January 2023

Part of a vintage aircraft purchase
decision is deciding if you have the
resources to handle the airplane.
Dr. Brent Blue decided that he
was willing to put up with the
inconvenience of having to store his
Noorduyn Norseman sideways in
his hangar and set up a system to
do so, above. The Cessna Bird Dog,
below, has spectacular short field
and slow flight capabilities and can
be pushed around on the ground by
one person.

rectly. Six months after you buy the

airplane you don’t want to be tear- umn on the insurance
ing into a wing to fix a poorly done application.
repair job that is coming apart. In speaking with
Scott “Sky” Smith and
RESOURCES NEEDED Mike Pratt we were
Meeting owners and spending some surprised to hear that
time with their airplanes will also not all pilots have
give you a feeling for the mainte- gotten the message
nance demands of the type—and about making sure that
whether there are resources in your they can get insurance
area that will allow you to main- before buying an air-
tain what you buy. If you’re going plane. Each told us that
tube and fabric, is there someone once or twice a year a
who can fix yours when something potential client calls up saying that and write down your personal
breaks or you damage it on landing? he’d just bought a new airplane, limits for them. Learn how much
Are their flight instructors in your wanted insurance and then the runway the airplane really needs,
area that are qualified and expe- broker couldn’t find an insurance especially on grass and on hot days.
rienced in the airplane you want? company that would insure that Toss a sleeping bag in back and just
Increasingly we’re hearing that own- pilot in that airplane. go. Get away from your local area
ers of vintage airplanes, particularly and learn all you can about differ-
smaller ones, cannot find qualified INITIAL EXPERIENCE ent airports and conditions. That’s
CFIs. After you’ve done your homework what makes a stick-and-rudder
Getting to know owners may on your first vintage airplane and expert, which is what you want to
also mean that you get a chance your due diligence before the pur- be if you want to fly funky, vintage
to fly examples of the type—and chase—title search, FAA file, prebuy airplanes.
you may discover that you don’t exam—it’s time to get to know your
like it. A high-time tailwheel pilot airplane well. SWING A WRENCH
friend who decided that he wanted Take dual with an instructor who Learn to do all of the owner-
a WWII Feissler Storch (STOL, knows the type—your insurance approved maintenance under the
German two-place liaison airplane) will probably require it—and start FARs and, if possible, spend time
bought one without having any learning the features and quirks of working under the supervision of
experience in the type. On the ferry your new airplane. Vintage air- an A&P so that you truly know
flight home he discovered that he planes are known for having screwy, the private parts of your airplane
hated the thing and decided to sell non-intuitive systems, particu- and what tools you should carry. If
it right away. Not surprisingly, he larly fuel systems. For example, an nothing else, flying vintage means
took a financial hit. Aeronca Chief has an aux fuel tank you’re going to have to know which
The other benefit of flying before behind the cabin that gravity feeds wrench to swing when something
buying was pointed out to us by the main tank in front of the cabin goes wrong—which it will—on that
aviation insurance broker Mike and requires positioning the fuel deserted, beautiful grass strip miles
Pratt of Louisville, Kentucky—you selector correctly in the air and on from anywhere.
are much more insurable and your the ground to avoid dumping fuel If your goal is tube and fabric,
initial premium will probably be overboard. learn to make repairs. Better yet,
less if you have at least a couple of Then, go fly. A lot. We weren’t get involved with covering an air-
hours in type so that you don’t have kidding about 200 hours the first plane—your EAA chapter will prob-
to put zero in the time in type col- year. Learn to handle crosswinds ably know someone who needs
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 11
 An open-cockpit airplane such as
the Boeing Stearman, above, may
not be ideal in a cold climate.
Because of its nosewheel, the Beech
T-34 Mentor, below, allows pilots
with less experience to get insur-
ance they might not be able to
obtain in a tailwheel airplane.

skills that you’ve polished will prob-

ably mean that you won’t embarrass
yourself during the checkout.
Oh, as Doug Rozendaal told us,
“It’s getting tougher to find CFIs
to teach in Champs, but once you
move into cooler airplanes such as
Part of the fun of the Boeing Stearman, or the larger
owning vintage is warbirds and antiques, it’s a lot
not only socializing easier finding people who will help
with like-minded you, including CFIs. They want to
pilots, it’s flying the be around those airplanes.”
airplanes together. At this level in vintage flying,
you’re going to have an airplane
MOVING UP that will attract attention wherever
According to the you go and may be appropriate for
pilots and insurance static display and fly-bys at fly-ins
brokers we spoke and airshows, so you’re going to be
help and would appreciate your as- with, once a pilot has at least 200 increasing your circle of people who
sistance. hours of tailwheel time and 500 can help you learn about your new
Get to know the airplane cold. If hours total time, it’s OK to scratch airplane, the display flying world
the engine quits at 500 feet at Vy, the itch to move up in the vin- and the next steps you want to take
what is your real radius of action? If tage world. While scores of pilots in the vintage world.
it quits at 3,000 feet, make sure that find that the “starter” airplanes—
you can spiral down and land on a Champs, Cubs, Luscombes, Cessna AIR MUSEUM
1500-foot-long clearing surrounded 120s/140s—are ideal for them for If you are tied in with an air mu-
by trees. the long run, many salivate over seum or vintage organization, your
If there is an air museum or more power, greater size, more Bird Dog or Fairchild 24 may be
organization that operates the sort speed and more capability. something they’ll want to display
of vintage aircraft you want to fly, In the tailwheel world we learned and your experience in it can help
join the organization as a volun- that stepping up to more power— you if you want to fly the more so-
teer—while planning to work hard. generally 300 HP or less—and up phisticated aircraft in the museum’s
It gives you a chance to learn more to six-place is going to be some- collection.
about the aircraft as you are build- thing that a pilot with 200 hours of This is a good place to again
ing the time and experience you’ll tailwheel time is going to be able to discuss the resources available to
need to be considered by the group do with a solid checkout. And that you at your home base as you make
to fly the airplane. checkout should be with an instruc- the decision to move up to larger
The downside is that there are tor with time in type. The Globe vintage airplanes. A Bird Dog is
always politics in human organiza- Swift may be a two-place airplane about the largest of the warbirds
tions and you may find that you with modest horsepower (unmodi- that you can count on being able to
don’t fit in with the organization or fied), but it has its own set of han- get in and out of your hangar with-
that it has a safety culture that you dling demands and non-intuitive out help or a tug. Will having to
are uncomfortable with. Patience systems that will bring someone at- rely on a tug or help mean that you
often pays off—you’re in this for the tempting to fly it cold to grief. “Oh, won’t fly your airplane as much as
long haul—and you may come to be that’s the flap switch.” you otherwise would? This is about
in a position where you can make If it’s a two-place World War II having fun.
positive changes. trainer that elicits airplane lust, We think of our friend Dr. Brent
Fly with others who have the your 200 hours in a Champ will go Blue who has to put his Noorduyn
same type or similar airplanes. Get a long way toward easing your tran- Norseman into his hangar sideways
to know who you are willing to sition. For some, you’ll be learn- using a tug and a sophisticated set
fly with—and who it’s wise to stay ing the care and feeding of a new of dollies. He’s happy with it.
away from. engine, but the stick and rudder Is there someone who can work
12 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January 2023
Owning and insuring some of the
most valuable vintage airplanes
such as the Vickers Supermarine
Spitfire, above, or Beech 17 Stag-
gerwing, below, require first build-
ing extensive time and experience
in smaller, less valuable tailwheel
airplanes.

on radial engines, if you go that

route? Are you still in shape enough
to do the climbing necessary to do a
preflight on some of the big vintage
airplanes?
Open-cockpit airplanes cre-
ate their own challenges. Are you
willing to fly a Boeing Stearman
in the winter where you live? Will
you fly the airplane enough to keep
it from that aircraft maintenance
villain—not flying and developing
corrosion?

WARBIRD STEP-UP
If you want to take the next step
in warbirds, the North American
AT-6/SNJ/Harvard has become the
coin of the realm. It is challeng-
ing to fly and has unconventional
systems and egregious stall behav-
ior—which has killed a lot of pilots.
However, it is hugely fun to fly, does checking them out are never avail- are through the museums, and you
decent aerobatics, the 600-HP Pratt able. In the past, that meant that are going to have to have substantial
up front is one of the best engines they flew their machines anyway, multi-engine time in “heavies.” For
ever built and it is the trainer that and usually wrecked them fairly years, the Beech-18 freight dogs ruled
must be mastered before flying early on. Now, with tough checkout supreme flying the C-47s, B-25s and
any of the tailwheel, piston-engine requirements to get insurance those B-17s of the museum world. It’s still
fighters. owners tend to give up and sell mostly professional pilots who have
Plan on getting 200 hours in an their airplanes. a great deal of multi-engine time, so
AT-6, including about 60 in the Finally, a nod to the nosewheel it’s tougher for the person coming up
blind rear seat, before any of the vintage airplanes. You don’t have as a nonprofessional pilot—yet we’ve
museums will let you step into to get 200 hours of tailwheel time. seen it done.
one of their fighters or you can get What you will need is the level of
insurance if you buy a fighter. experience and hours appropriate CONCLUSION
If you have the financial where- for a spam can airplane. A Navion We’ll wrap up with another warn-
withal to buy a WWII fighter there is a warbird; it’s also a civilian ing to be extremely careful when
are two things we learned while airplane that has retractable gear buying vintage—because some of the
doing our homework: One, they and a constant speed prop. Figure airplanes are so expensive, there are
have been solidly holding their on a couple of hundred hours total plenty of people out there who will
value at the least. We liked Doug time and a 10- to 25-hour checkout happily take your money and not
Rozendaal’s comment: “They are depending on your retract time. provide a service that you need. We
a place to store cash because they One of the most delightful flying like Stan Musick’s advice: Don’t seek
don’t go down in value. Insurance, of the warbird trainers is the Beech information from someone trying to
fuel and maintenance is the cost of T-34 Mentor. It’s a modified Bo- sell you something.
ownership.” nanza—total time and retract time Do your homework before buying,
Two—and we hear examples of requirements to get insurance in a have a prebuy done by an A&P who
this every year—wealthy individu- Bonanza should be the same for the knows the type well, assume there is
als who are not used to hearing T-34—along with a checkout to get damage history and approach flying
the word “no” and are devoid of used to the type. the airplane with a great deal of hu-
humility who buy a fighter rapidly In the multi-engine world, most mility. They are treasures, the pilot
find that those who are capable of of the opportunities to fly warbirds may not be.
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 13
 AIRCRAFT ACCESSORIES That’s the $3695 StartStick por-
table power supply plugged into
a Rockwell Commander’s APU
port. We think it’s built well and
convenient to use, but wish it were
available in a 14-volt version.

amps. They’re built from high-quality

components to ensure high-quality
power output, plus noise reduction
circuitry so there’s no comm radio
interference (you might use a GPU
when radioing for clearance). There
should be over- and under-voltage
protection and an amperage and
voltage meter are desirable features.
Weight and size will vary based
upon a variety of factors, typically

Portable Ground Power:

starting as little as six pounds to the
extreme size of requiring a small
truck to tow the GPU to the aircraft
(think turbine aircraft). Some avion-

Audio Authority Excels ics GPUs have removable cables,

both for the AC power connec-
tion but also for connecting to the
aircraft. When shopping for a GPU,
A portable GPU is an easy way to lengthen battery you should understand your require-
ments, beginning with your aircraft
life. Audio Authority and Start Stick get high marks make and model and voltage require-
for performance and design. ments, but also the use of the GPU,
e.g., aircraft start versus running your
avionics. Start with the POH.
by Phil Lightstone If your 14-volt aircraft is experi-

U
mental and does not have an exter-
pgrading to electronic flight erator to output DC voltage. You’ve nal power receptacle, a wiring kit
displays and a data-hungry seen or used them in the turbine and matching output cable might be
GPS navigator? Add a reliable world for ground starts or to run the available at additional cost. Contact
GPU (ground power unit) to the aircraft’s air conditioning. With the the GPU manufacturer for assistance
budget. That’s because you’ll have the advent of lithium batteries, engine- in selecting the correct GPU and
master switch on for extended peri- start GPUs have shrunk in size and cabling accessories.
ods while loading nav data, upload- weight, becoming conveniently
ing flight plans and fetching engine portable. Some weigh as little as 10 HOOK UP—WITH CAUTION
trend data. If those chores don’t kill pounds—tossable in the baggage Manufacturer’s instructions aside,
an otherwise healthy battery, mess- compartment. These are a reassuring you want to be familiar with the
ing around with the new avionics backstop when traveling because you basics. For the most part, GA aircraft
during a ground training session will. never know when you’ll flatten the external power connections come
The good news is that there are battery after leaving the master and in two flavors: an AN2551 three-pin
good ground power accessories for rotating beacon on when parked in oval connector (sometimes referred
feeding stable and regulated voltage the middle of nowhere, with no FBO to as a NATO connector), and a
to the electrical bus, and also for support. Aside from starting, the use two-pin round Piper 12- or 24-volt
starting the engine. Here are some case for GPUs focuses on avionics connector (a 11041 socket on the air-
top picks, but first an overview of the demonstration and testing, database craft). Pipers use a round connector
tech. and firmware updates, flight plan- that ensures that you cannot plug it
ning and cockpit procedures train- in backward and reverse polarize the
GPU 101 ing. There’s also maintenance and connection (creating a lot of sparks
There are two types of GPUs: small troubleshooting, powered preflight when you energize the GPU). Cessna
portables designed to power the inspections and battery top-off. and others use an AN2551 flat oval
aircraft’s avionics and higher-output Desirable aviation GPUs share connector, which is keyed (two large
GPUs for engine starts. Historically, the same characteristics, delivering pins and one small pin) to ensure
GPUs designed to start the engine continuous 14- or 28-volt DC power that the connector cannot be plugged
have diesel engines running a gen- output with a specific amount of in backwards.
14 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January 2023
 If there’s any doubt, it’s
worth leaning on
your maintenance
shop for some
advice on how to
use the GPU without
frying your aircraft’s
electrical system.
Plugging a 28-volt GPU into a
14-volt aircraft will create some inter-
esting YouTube content. Surprisingly,
the industry has not standardized on control the
different GPU power plugs for differ- devices with the most
ent aircraft voltages. current draw.
Engine starts using a GPU will
vary between aircraft type and you AUDIO
should follow the POH to the letter. AUTHORITY
And, some aircraft models are set Audio Authority of
up so that when a GPU is attached Lexington, Ken-
(and powered on), the instrument tucky, was founded
panel on the aircraft will be powered in 1976 and has
without the need for the battery been manufactur-
master switch to be turned on. A ing aircraft GPUs
good practice is to plug the GPU into since 2004 from its
the aircraft with the power to the Lexington plant.
GPU turned off, to prevent electrical Audio Authority
arcing while the power connector is has four aviation
attached to the aircraft. Before the product lines
GPU is connected to the aircraft, (while also manu-
confirm that the GPU is set to the facture automotive
appropriate voltage for your aircraft. audio technolo-
Once you’ve double-checked GPU gies): Enhanced
voltage and aircraft voltage, plug the Flight GPU, the
GPU into a 110-volt AC outlet and White Lightning
turn the GPU on. Most GPUs display GPU, aviation-
voltage and amps. You should see grade power cables
14 or 28 volts, depending on your and the Battery-
aircraft. MINDer—an
Some aircraft have a solenoid aircraft battery smart charger. That’s the Audio Authority White
designed to provide power to the The Enhanced Flight GPU is avail- Lightning line of GPUs at the top,
panel, without the battery master able in four models and can be pur- and the dual-voltage M1428-DV
turned on. If your aircraft is designed chased with an optional integrated plugged into a 28-volt Rockwell
this way, once the GPU is attached to BatteryMINDer. Enhanced Flight has Commander, bottom. It has a
the aircraft and supplying power, the two core models, 28-volt and either
aircraft’s electrically driven instru- 35- or 70-amp. I like that the label-
bright and simple display of volts
ments and avionics will power on. If ling on the Enhanced Flight GPU and amps.
not, as is the case with the Rockwell clearly indicates that it is a 28-volt
that I fly, you will have to turn on GPU. The 2800 Series GPUs achieve Audio Authority’s White Lightning
the battery master. You can then turn 89 percent electrical efficiency to line of GPUs are smaller and less ex-
on your avionics master switch and provide up to 2000W of power. Its pensive GPUs than the premium En-
aircraft lighting. switching-mode power modules are hanced Flight GPUs, with plenty of
Connecting a GPU to some designed to provide stable, noise-free versions—six different ones: There’s
aircraft may automatically energize power from a 90- to 230-volt AC the $475 35-amp 14-volt model
certain airframe systems (like motors outlet. targeted at experimental aircraft, a
for air conditioning or hydraulics) The 2800 Series GPU body has a $525 35-amp 14-volt model with
that could cause an overload condi- useful design with dual, removable 3-pin oval connector (for Cessna and
tion. A sustained overload will gener- cord/tool caddies, which are perfect others), a $525 35-amp 14-volt with
ally cause the GPU to self-protect for storing the GPU’s cables. The round Piper plug, a $1025 35-amp
and shut down, requiring discon- GPU weights 17.8 pounds without 12- and 24-volt model with 3-pin
nection from the aircraft and cycling cables. The 35-amp and 70-amp oval plug, a $645 27-amp 24/28-volt
the power switch to reset its internal models cost $995 and $1,445 respec- unit with 3-pin oval plug and a $995
protection. Help avoid an overload tively. Adding a BatteryMINDer to 50-amp 28-volt unit with 3-pin oval
by pulling the circuit breakers that the GPU adds an additional $350. plug.
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 15
 and the GPU. are color coded to voltage (red for 28
The White volts and yellow for 14 volts). The
Lightning GPUs are M1428-DV ships with two airframe
not designed for cables (six feet long), one with a yel-
long-term battery low SB50 connector and one with a
charging. They have red SB50 connector. The yellow and
no circuitry for red GPU connectors are keyed so
monitoring the bat- that a yellow connector cannot be
tery’s state of charge attached to a red port on the GPU.
or determining the Both cables have AN2551 3-pin oval
precise charging plugs that connect to the aircraft. If a
voltage for various six-foot cable is not long enough, an
battery conditions SB50 12/14-volt extension cable can
and ambient tem- be ordered (Model 802-864, $25). As
perature. However, a reminder, triple-check the connec-
for short periods tions and voltage settings to ensure
of time, the GPU’s that you don’t get a mismatch. If your
output can be used aircraft is 28 volts, the aircraft GPU
to “top-off” the cable is attached to the 28-volt con-
charge of a battery nector, but if the M1428-DV switch
that is not severely is set to 14 volts, the GPU voltage
discharged. This is display will read 14 and no voltage
particularly useful will be supplied to the aircraft—a
during a powered great safety feature to ensure that you
preflight without get things right.
depleting the start- A really cool feature on the White
ing battery. The Lightning GPUs is an automatic shut-
White Lightning down timer, located on the back of
GPUs have a two- the chassis. You turn the 10-position
color LED status rotary switch to the desired duration
indicator. In normal using a small screwdriver. To disable
operations, the the automatic shutoff feature, simply
LED will be a solid set the rotary switch to zero.
green. If the GPU is I also like that the White Lightning
shutting down (due units are made with high-quality
to overheating, as aerospace-grade components, plus
an example), the the cables are torch soldered with
The 10.6-pound StartStick model, LED will flash green. heavy-duty copper contacts and silver
top, has a 9.7 Ah capacity and If there is a fault condition, the LED plating. The wire is up to 0 AWG
utilitarian display. That’s the $449 will flash red. wire, which delivers 50 percent more
28-volt Schauer power supply (sold The White Lightning GPUs have power and up to 1600 amps (peak).
cable ports, with no cables hard- Audio Authority has a $163 aircraft
by Sporty’s) at the bottom. wired to the GPU. I really like this jumper cable (model 802-689B)
feature because it allows the cables to designed to use your car’s battery to
be stored in a separate bag for trans- jump start your aircraft. The cable
White Lightning GPUs include portation, helping to eliminate “cable supports 500 amps (600-amp peak)
an auto shutdown safety timer, USB spaghetti.” Audio Authority sells the and is 20 feet long with four-gauge
mobile device charger and six-foot 3-pin oval, round Piper and ex- wire and PVC-coated with insulated
power cables. The experimental perimental aircraft cables separately, copper jaw clamps. Audio Authority
aircraft model (M1435-EXP) ships allowing you to reuse the GPU on a GPUs can be purchased from Aircraft
with a six-foot output cable with variety of aircraft. Plus the company Spruce and Sporty’s and have a one-
yellow SB50 plugs on each end, used offers a variety of useful accessories year warranty. The company has new
to connect the GPU to the aircraft. for the GPUs, and there’s a prototype models on the drawing board includ-
An airframe interface kit containing carry bag in development, which ing a higher amperage unit to replace
another yellow SB50 plug, contact may be offered as a future option. the Enhanced Flight Model 2870A.
plugs and a protective cover is also I really like the new White Light- Visit www.audioauthority.com.
included with the product. Home- ning dual-voltage M1428-DV GPU.
builders generally mount this plug To safeguard supplying 28 volts to a START PAC
near the battery solenoid or airframe 14-volt aircraft, the M1428-DV has Otherwise known as Start Pac, Ro-
ground (not directly to the battery) two electrical ports (one for 14 volts torcraft Enterprises has been manu-
and wire a fused connection to the and one for 28 volts), controlled by a facturing GPUs since 1997, founded
plug. This provides a convenient con- switch on the front panel. Two SB50 by Jim and Judith Wurth. Jim was a
nection point between the aircraft connectors are used on the GPU and retired Eastern Airlines pilot who had
16 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January 2023
transitioned to flying helicopters, Jim
had a situation where his MD500
helicopter (and battery) had become
cold soaked overnight and he was
unable to start the engine until the
battery warmed up in the afternoon.
As an engineer, he designed ver-
sion 0 of Start Pac, for his personal
use. Judith recognized the business
opportunity and one year later they
had built 11 Start Pacs, selling them
to their friends. Fast forward to 2022,
and Start Pac has sold over 50,000
GPUs and has 22,000 customers,
operating in over 100 countries. You
might recognize Start Pac products
from their signature yellow-colored Start Pac says the lithium-
GPUs. The newer lithium battery-
powered portable starting units are ion pack in its starting
blue, while the lead-acid powered unit, top, is the lightest in
portable units are yellow. market. The Start Pac lead
GPU battery life is cycle, tempera- acid jump starter, bottom, is
ture and engine dependent, but with available in 14- and 28-volt
normal usage the lead acid users tend
to get from three to six years before
versions.
the GPU requires battery replace-
ment. Start Pac can refurbish pretty fan and weighs eight pounds. The model or a Piper (round) compat-
much all of its GPUs, but they have a 53025 is a 24/28-volt GPU (fac- ible connector.
quick-change design for one-minute tory set to 28.5) with a maximum There are three models to choose
battery changes in the field—no tools output of 25 amps, weighs eight from. The $3695 StartStick 10
or training required. pounds and is also priced at $695. weighs 10.6 pounds, has a 9.7 Ah
Start Pac’s GPU aircraft cables The battery-powered Start Pac Micro capacity and has a 2.8-hour charge
detach from the 53200, 53300 and is $1095 and the Start Pac One and time to full. The $4695 StartStick
53400 models only. The smaller Start Pac Pro are priced at $2737. 15 weighs 14.9 pounds, has a 14.7
GPUs are hard-wired in. When order- Start Pac products have a one- Ah capacity and has a 4.2-hour
ing a GPU, you can specify the type year warranty. However, the com- charge time to full. Weighing 20.2
of connector (e.g., NATO or Piper) to pany sees batteries as consumable pounds, the $5695 StartStick 20 has
be supplied. The company makes all items that can be damaged from a 19.4 Ah capacity, with 5.6 hours
GPUs and cabling in-house, and Start misuse and are not covered by the to a full charge. The time before
Pac battery-powered GPUs come warranty. The company does have complete discharge is 29, 44 and
with a charger and aircraft adapter a lifetime trade-in program for any 60 minutes, respectively. All three
cable kit. Start Pac recommends that older Start Pac GPU toward a simi- models should deliver more than
the Start Pac Micro (lead acid) and lar or greater valued unit. Start Pac 1000 charge cycles and between
Start Pac One (lithium) not be used is distributed by several distribu- 3000 and 4000 engine starts before
for avionics or compressor washes to tors including Aircraft Spruce. Visit they require overhaul. The way I see
prevent deep discharge damage to www.startpac.com. it, 10 pounds of extra weight in your
the GPU. It also recommends that an baggage compartment offsets the
engine start with the portable GPUs STARTSTICK hassle of trying to start your aircraft
be conducted at least once per month Founded in 2014, Battery Aviation in a remote airport with no services.
to exercise the battery chemistry. Systems makes the 28-volt Start- StartStick has a sunlight-readable
Priced at $2644, the 14-pound, 28- Stick portable GPU product line, screen that displays several messages,
volt Start Pac Pro delivers 1800 peak with more than 2000 units sold. including information about the
amps. In certain aircraft where the StartStick is powered by NanoPhos- battery. The product ships with an
generator can back-charge to a GPU, phate lithium iron phosphate cells A/C adapter for charging, a protec-
the Start Pac can be recharged in the manufactured by A123 Systems. tive ballistic nylon carrying bag and a
field without an AC source. StartStick has three models, es- laminated reference card. The carry-
Start Pac has several 110/220V- sentially the same, but with differ- ing bag has a zippered pouch for the
powered GPUs designed to pro- ent battery capacities and weights. AC adapter, a detachable shoulder
vide power for avionics work and StartStick is designed to plug di- strap and tiedown rings.
training. The $695 model 53050 is a rectly into the aircraft’s GPU NATO During winter operations, if
12/14-volt GPU (factory set to 14.2 port (oval), with no cables required. StartStick is left in the cold, there is a
volts) with a maximum output of Unfortunately, there are currently warmup procedure for temperatures
50 amps, has a continuous cooling no plans to introduce a 12/14-volt between 0 C and -20 C, using the
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 17
battery’s own energy to self-heat. For ing Aviall). Visit www.start-stick.com. aircraft-search/). The tool is easy
sustained low temperatures or for ap- to use. Simply select your airframe
plications where an engine motoring SCHAUER, RED BOX AVIATION manufacturer and model, which will
is not practical, the battery should be Sporty’s sells two aviation power sup- display a small table listing all rec-
warmed indoors. ply and battery chargers, either 12 or ommended Red Box products. You
When I tested StartStick, I 24 volts, manufactured by Schauer. can click the aircraft, which displays
was concerned about hanging a Both models (JAC2512, 12-volt, 25 detailed and resourceful information
10-pound mass from the Com- amp, and JAC2024H, 24-volt, 20 about it. Red Box has a wide variety
mander’s GPU port. The depth of amp), require a 115/230-volt power of continuous power GPUs ranging
the connector creates a mechanically outlet. Schauer power supplies have a from 25 to 600 amps.
balanced connection, which appears hardwired cable to the power supply Unfortunately, we reached out
on the surface not to put too much and the cable has an SB50 connec- to the company for samples and for
strain on the aircraft’s GPU port. The tor, allowing either a NATO or Piper more information as we did with
loads on the aircraft’s GPU connector cable or battery clips to be attached. the others, but they didn’t respond.
for StartStick 10, 15 and 20 are 7.7, These power supplies are manufac- That’s unfortunate because to that
12.4, 14.9 ft/lbs respectively. tured in the USA and are simple to end, we can’t make a recommenda-
Once attached to the Commander, use. tion. If you have experience with a
it automatically turned itself on and Begin with selecting the type of Red Box GPU—including the com-
began to supply power. Charging the aircraft battery, either Flooded or pany’s support quality—we want to
StartStick is a breeze, plus the unit GEL/AGM. Attach the power supply know about it.
is made well, with a water-resistant to the aircraft and turn the power
charging port equipped with a screw- supply on. The power supply has CONCLUSION
on cap to resist water. Plus, the AC two LEDs on the rear panel, labeled Portable GPUs are worth their weight
adapter’s connection will not allow Power and Equalizer. The Power in gold, especially if you’re stuck at
the connector to be attached back- LED will be red when AC power a remote airport lacking services.
ward. Charging takes a few hours, is connected. The Equalizer LED You know, the day that you left your
with the LED display displaying 100 is multicolor: Off, the charger is battery master and beacon on, while
percent when fully charged. Start- not connected to the aircraft or the offsite at a meeting or a $100 ham-
Stick has a red on/off button—and minimum aircraft battery voltage is burger.
you want to turn the unit off before not sensed; amber, the battery is low Battery Aviation Systems’ Start-
detaching it from the aircraft. The and is charging; and green, battery Stick hits all the checkmarks, and
LED display will turn off, indicating is charging in float mode. Of note, I really like the thought and little
that the StartStick is off. the battery clip pigtail connecter has extras put into the product. Starting
StartStick has a two-year limited a built-in fuse. If the fuse blows or is at $3700, they’re not inexpensive,
warranty and is not field serviceable, defective, the Equalizer LED will dis- but could pay for themselves quickly,
with a four- to 10-year time before play green, but the aircraft’s battery especially for flight school ops,
overhaul, which typically costs will not be charged. where time and dispatch reliability
$1500. Shipping internationally is While the power supply will is money. The downside is they only
not a big deal, but will be dependent charge a battery, it is not a smart work on 28-volt aircraft.
upon requirements of your spe- trickle charger and is not designed For owners who only want a GPU
cific country. StartStick is available to desulphate batteries (consider to run the aircraft’s electrical systems
through their distributor and dealer buying a product like a Battery- for avionics training and trouble-
network (including Mid-Continent MINDer). When the aircraft’s battery shooting purposes, Audio Authority’s
Instruments and Avionics and Boe- is fully charged, the power sup- White Lightning products easily get
ply will switch to a maintenance the nod. They’re high-quality and
float voltage. For charging, Schauer cost-effective GPUs that you can
That’s the White Lightning recommends connecting the power use regularly, especially during the
M2850 with detachable cabling. supply directly to the battery using winter months for preflighting the
battery clips, rather than the aircraft’s aircraft’s lighting or updating data-
external power connector. Schauer’s bases, while conserving precious bat-
optional adapter with ring terminals tery power. I like the versatility of the
provides a permanent connection to White Lightning line, with the ability
the battery. Contact Schauer to store the cables separately from
directly at 513-791-3030 and the GPU and adding other connector
see it at www.sportys.com. types later. It’s one of those products
Red Box Aviation has been that you only buy once.
manufacturing ground sup- I’m curious when GPU manufac-
port equipment since 1993, turers will add Bluetooth connectiv-
including solid-state GPUs. ity, electronics and apps to provide
To help size and select the more insight into the health of the
right GPU, Red Box has a aircraft’s battery, offering a proactive
good GPU sizing tool on its battery maintenance posture. We’ll
website (www.redboxaviation.com/ keep an eye on the market.
18 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January 2023
 PORTABLE AVIONICS C H E C K L I S T

With a built-in AHRS and

CO detector, plus solid
ADS-B In performance, the
Sentry and Sentry Plus are
good values.
We don’t see the G-meter
and FLARM traffic receivers
closing the deal on a Sentry
Plus.

The Sentry line of ADS-B
receivers only work with the
ForeFlight app.

battery voltage. The other source

Which Sentry ADS-B?

of battery drain is the brightness
of the Sentry Plus’s OLED screen.
This one was designed to automati-
cally lower the screen brightness

Choose For Features to save power, but not to the point

of sacrificing sunlight readability.
It did well in the cabins we tried
it in. Sentry’s Wi-Fi power is also
ForeFlight’s latest Sentry Plus is a solid performer dynamically adjusted and does not
require user control. As an observa-
with a generous feature set, but save some money if tion from our use, battery life went
you don’t need data recording and a G-meter. from 45 percent to 30 percent in a
1.2-hour flight, but given the some-
what approximate nature of battery
by Larry Anglisano and Kenneth Katz capacity measurements, we would

N
not extrapolate that data point to an
eed an ADS-B receiver with some other sensors/features that are estimation of actual battery life.
that ForeFlight subscription? standard in the higher-priced Sentry Aside from smart power manage-
That’s just what ForeFlight models. ment, the Sentry’s battery can be
has been offering, now adding a The Sentry and Sentry Plus charged while you use the device
third portable ADS-B receiver to its aren’t large portables, but the Plus at the same time—something you
Sentry line of traffic and weather is larger, as you can see in the lead can’t do with early-gen portables. It’s
receivers. image above. Part of that is to ac- charged by connecting the supplied
Made by uAvionix for ForeFlight commodate the built-in display and cable to any 5-volt USB-A port or
and sold through Sporty’s, the more sensors. There’s also more bat- power bank capable of delivering 2
Sentry line covers the top and bot- tery power. The Sentry was already amps of current. Worth mention-
tom of the portable ADS-B receiver good—with a 12-hour endurance— ing is that fast-charging ports won’t
market. There’s the compact $349 but the Sentry Plus is even better work. A full charge of a completely
Sentry Mini, the $599 Sentry and at 18 hours and the most of any empty battery takes between 10 and
$799 Sentry Plus—the later muddy- portable ADS-B receiver on the cur- 12 hours. Remember to plug it in
ing the buying decision. Let’s talk it rent market. But the extra six hours when you park the airplane on a trip.
through. of juice might not matter. On the other hand, panel USB power
You decide if you’ll fly more
SIZE AND POWER than 12 hours at a clip without With built-in G-meter and
Since they are so close on features external power. Still, to maximize integral OLED display, the
and design, we’ll concentrate on the the battery life, the Sentry Plus
Sentry and Sentry Plus. Compared, was smartly tweaked to streamline Sentry Plus is the one on the
the entry-level Sentry Mini is built and compress the communications left in the main image. The
to save space and as such is stripped between the ForeFlight iOS app display is also used to display
of an internal battery (it’s powered and the device, which ForeFlight
by external USB-C input), built-in says makes Sentry’s processors run CO status, cabin pressure and
AHRS, pressure altitude sensor and without gobbling large amounts of pressure altitude.
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 19
 tration. It’s pretty the Sentry Plus is powered on, and it
simple and elevated automatically records track logs con-
levels of CO are tinuously until powered off. When it
depicted as Caution has recorded 16 track logs, the oldest
or Danger. If either one is automatically overwritten
is displayed on with new track logs. Old track logs
the OLED screen, are overwritten even if they have not
the concentration been imported. We found the track
level (ppm) is also log files easy to download and ma-
displayed in a Fore- nipulate and think they can be use-
Flight Mobile app ful for training and flight planning.
alert.
A feature that’s FLARM TRAFFIC
not included in the While the Sentry Plus has an inter-
Sentry but stan- nal FLARM traffic receiver, we think
dard on the Sentry ForeFlight/uAvionix missed a good
Plus is the built-in opportunity to serve the United
real-time G-meter. States soaring community, where
In our estimation, air-to-air FLARM traffic receivers are
the feature might common in modern gliders. Unfor-
be nearly useless tunately, FLARM operates on differ-
for many (not all) ent frequencies in different regions
users because of of the world, and the receiver in the
human factors. The Sentry Plus operates on the European
Sentry Plus needs FLARM SRD860 frequency band
to be mounted in (868.2 MHz to 868.4 MHz). So for
the cockpit to have U.S. ops, the FLARM feature in the
a good antenna Sentry Plus is irrelevant.
field of view for
GPS satellites and WEIGHING THE OPTIONS
also to stay out of Our trials have easily proven that
the pilot’s field of the Sentry and Sentry Plus are high-
Both the Sentry and Sentry Plus view and flail zone quality, reliable and well-engineered
in case of a crash. In a Piper Archer, receivers that are well supported by
come with suction cup mounts. In
we mounted it on the front left side Sporty’s and ForeFlight. When placed
the photo they’re stuck to the side pilot’s window. To observe the G- properly in the cabin, the AHRS, GPS
pilot’s window in a Piper Archer. force display during a maneuver, we and ADS-B traffic and weather receiv-
They seem to offer the best ADS-B would have needed to turn the head ers work well, with a rich interface
and GPS performance there, but about 90 degrees to the left and then with the ForeFlight Mobile iOS app.
for the G-meter-equipped Sentry refocused the eyes on the Sentry But there’s a rub in there. These
plus—which was about six inches devices won’t work with any app
Plus, it’s not the best location for from the head. In our view, that’s not other than ForeFlight. So if you’re a
keeping an eye on G-forces. That’s what anyone would want to do be Garmin Pilot or other app user, you
the Sentry Plus ADS-B traffic data doing during a dynamic maneuver. can’t use the Sentry receivers.
shown on the ForeFlight app, bot- If you fly serious aerobatics, you’ll As we see it, existing Sentry users
tom. likely have a panel-installed G-meter, tempted to step up to the Sentry Plus
so we just don’t see a lot of value in simply need to decide if a G-meter,
this Sentry Plus feature, although in flight data recorder and longer bat-
ports are a common and conve- our use it worked fine. tery life is worth the $799. For us it’s
nient accessory. Consider having not. But if you fly gliders in Europe,
one installed during major avionics FLIGHT DATA RECORDING we think it’s worth the utility to get
upgrades while the panel is open. The Sentry Plus is equipped with a FLARM capability. If we didn’t have
built-in flight data recorder. The func- any ADS-B receiver and were starting
CO DETECTOR, G-METER tion automatically captures track, fresh, we’d probably pick the Sentry
We like that both the Sentry and altitude, attitude, groundspeed and Plus over the Sentry for the $200
Sentry Plus are equipped with a G-load data logged from Sentry Plus price delta for the CO level readout,
built-in CO detector. ForeFlight says for every flight. The recorder auto- flight recorder and better battery.
the expected life of the sensor is 10 matically starts a track log each time Visit www.foreflight.com and
years, which is typical. If you want to www.sportys.com.
keep an eye on CO levels rather than
relying on audible alarms, the Sentry See a video on the Sentry Plus Contributor Kenneth Katz is an aero-
Plus has a CO status feature that at http://tinyurl.com/j95ht2a. space engineer and an active instrument-
depicts carbon monoxide concen- rated pilot based in Connecticut.
20 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January 2023
 SAVVY OWNER make it a habit to look at the nose-
gear trunnion. Any dents indicating

Landing Gear Preflight:

over-travel of the nosegear steering
linkage are red flags, since this can
lead to a gear collapse.

Know How It Works Pilots aren’t the only nuts behind

the wheel. One thing every landing
gear has in common is a critical nut
(or nuts) for holding the wheel on.
Avoid gear collapses and extension problems by Considering the neglect wheel nuts
receive, it’s amazing that it doesn’t
putting a close eye on the system on every preflight. rain rubber as wheels fall off. They
Use the maintenance manual for guidance. deserve a hard look, perhaps not
before every flight, but on a sched-
Staff Report uled basis.

A
Keep a rag handy (wheel nuts are
s we sift through the NTSB incredibly complex—it pays to spend pretty greasy) and grab hold of it to
accident reports each month, some money on shop labor and see if you can turn it by hand. You
we’re consistently finding have your mechanic put the aircraft shouldn’t be able to. If the nut is so
landing gear mishaps that might have on jacks so you can observe a gear dirty it’s hard to see, use that rag
been avoided if the pilot spent a little retraction and extension. You know to wipe the dirt clean. Dirt should
extra time inspecting the gear during what it sounds like, but do you know equate with excess wear in anyone’s
the preflight, or simply knew how to what it looks like? mind, so keep that nut and the area
recognize potential problem areas Spend some time in the service around it clean. Cleaning will also
before launching. manual looking at the component allow you to check the condition of
In this quick-hitter tech article, breakdown and be familiar with any the cotter pin.
we’ll look at the things you and your ADs that apply to your system. Some One of the most neglected bolts
mechanic should be inspecting in aircraft have landing gear gotchas is the one that goes through the scis-
hopes that you won’t join the ranks that are ready to happen. sors, also called the torque link. It’s
of “those who have” landed gear up. For example, Piper Seneca op- easy to overlook, even for mechanics.
erators should be familiar with AD You should be looking for signs of
UP ON THE STANDS 2005-13-16, which affects the nose- wear around the head of the bolt and
Let’s be practical—we’re not suggest- gear/retract rod and bolt. Also, take the nut on the other side.
ing you learn how to completely dis- a close look at the nosegear shimmy Another critical nut-bolt combo is
assemble and reassemble the landing damper bolt. Even though it looks the one holding the shimmy damper
gear on the aircraft you fly. Instead, like it’s installed upside-down (with in place on the nosegear. These bolts
knowing what the system looks like the head facing down), knowing are notorious for snapping, which
when it’s stowed in the wheel wells that’s the way it’s supposed to be can in turn could cause the nosegear to
and fully extended will give you a prevent a nosegear-retracted landing fold from excessive shimmy—or you
better mental picture and help you if found the other way around. can lose control during takeoff or
spot something that’s out of place Fly a Beech Bonanza? A broken landing. The shimmy damper bolts
during your preflight. uplock cable can result in a gear-up should be checked for signs of wear
Since landing gear designs are all landing, but it’s an easy check on and excessive free play.
over the board—from stone simple to the ground. Savvy Mooney owners Grip the nosegear tire and give it
a gentle wobble or have someone in
the cockpit walk the rudder pedals
back and forth. There should be no
obvious free play, and the damper
should resist a wobbling motion.
Beyond wobbling the gear side to
side, try it fore and aft as well. Often,
the actual attachment of the gear can
start to work loose. Caught early, this

You don’t get to see the wheels

come up and down from your
perch in the cockpit, so it’s worth
observing a gear cycle on jack
stands in the shop. Image courtesy
of Aviation Safety Magazine.
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 21
can be relatively inexpensive to fix to dive into the manual or know by mon occurrences, including an issue
(relative to the cost when it pulls free memory what you’re looking at. on the Cessna 310 that was created
entirely, that is). Try this on both the Hydraulic actuators all share some on the maintenance floor. Cessna
nose and main landing gear. common problems, not least of which finally got the word out that you
While you’re shaking things up, be is leakage. Obviously, if you find one could not rig just one leg of the gear
sure to give the brakes a shake, too. spewing hydraulic fluid, you’ve got a system as it will screw up the others.
Grab the caliper and see if it’s just problem, but knowing where to look To rig the electromechanical gear on
slightly loose. If you don’t have either can be a challenge. Depending on the Cessna twins you have to follow the
Cleveland or McCauley brakes, any type of actuator you’ve got (single- maintenance manual (which is very
looseness could mean trouble. Parker acting or double-acting), it can leak well illustrated), start in the center
brakes should feel rock solid, so if from several places. of the system and work outward
they wiggle, look for loose bolts. On some models, it’s easy to check progressively.
If you do have Clevelands or Mc- the hydraulic fluid level, such as on It takes two people who know
Cauleys, they should feel slightly the Cessna 172RG. On others, like what they’re doing about eight hours.
loose. This shows that the calipers are the Piper Aztec, it’s impossible to In the mid-1970s Cessna built a full-
still free to slide on the anchor pins, check the hydraulic fluid level be- size working mockup of that gear in a
meaning both sides of the brakes are cause the airplane has to be on jacks structure that could be disassembled
working. Also, be sure the anchor and the gear has to be retracted. and wheeled through a doorway.
pins themselves are clean and free Double-acting actuators, which are Back when Cessna dealers sent
of rust (if not, make a note to clean fairly common in hydraulic landing mechanics to Cessna for classes, that
them up). Hit those pins with a shot gear systems, have three possible leak gear mockup was in constant use for
of LPS-1 or dry silicone lubricant. points: the actuating rod and the training. The word finally got around
You want to use a dry lubricant so it two hydraulic lines attached to the that you had to maintain that gear by
doesn’t attract dirt, which WD-40 or cylinder. Run a finger around each the book.
plain oil will. line attach point and see what comes The Cessna single-engine gear
back. Also, make sure the rod is clean system went through a bunch of
LANDING GEAR DOORS and not covered with grit or dirt, iterations—three distinct ones on the
Like the landing gear itself, gear which may lead to later leaks. And Cardinal RG—and Cessna finally
doors can be simple or complex. while you’ve got your head up there, got it right on the third one. Those
Regardless, they can tell you a lot take a look at the hydraulic lines and have to be maintained assertively. It’s
about the health of the gear. This is fittings. Flexible lines should not be always a little spooky to watch a gear
particularly true of clamshell-type twisted or kinked (this can indicate swing because they’ve got to jack the
doors that are typically found on the improper installation and, eventually, airplane up high enough to allow for
nosegear, but may also be used on could break). the mains to descend about 18 inches
the mains. Solid lines should be smooth and in the retraction cycle.
You should be looking at the free of dents. While you’re looking at We mentioned the system on a
edges of the doors for scrape marks all this stuff, pay attention to elec- Piper Aztec and the importance of
(possible misalignment of the doors), trical components including limit checking the fluid level with the
chafing or rubbing as indicated by switches, squat switches and indica- gear up. We remember when a shop
bare metal (possible loose doors), tor switches. You might be surprised checked the fluid level on one while
crimped or crinkled door edges to find kinked or frayed wires. These it was standing on its gear. Of course
(again, misalignment) and whether require immediate attention. We once it read low, so the tech filled it up. We
the door as a whole seems true and caught an unsecured squat switch took off, retracted the gear and flew
fair. Try giving it a little wiggle to floating in the wheel well after the 10 minutes to home base, landed and
check for excess slop or looseness. aircraft was released from annual taxied in. When we got out of the air-
Whether you’ve got an electric inspection. plane, we saw that most of the lower
retractable gear system, hydraulic Baron and Bonanza owners should half was covered with hydraulic fluid.
system or manual system, they’re also take this opportunity to check We don’t remember if any seals were
all actuated. In electric and manual the condition of the indicator cables blown out, but it sure was a mess to
systems, this will be by means of that run along the top of the wheel clean up.
pushrods and bellcranks. Hydraulic well. Make sure they’re free and Speaking of messes, even the best
actuators use a powerful electric mo- straight, have no cuts or dents and are maintenance practices and most
tor to power the hydraulic pump. at least reasonably clean. Now is also through preflight inspections won’t
Pushrods are easy enough to a good time to check the condition of always fight off landing gear failure.
check. You’re looking for bending or the uplock rollers and cable. Give it a Be ready for them by knowing the
breakage here. Breakage will usually spin (it should turn easily), and look exact procedures for manually ex-
be self-evident, but bending may for signs of wear or gouging and that tending the gear in the airplane you
not be. Here’s where having a good it’s lubricated. Make sure the protec- fly. Have you ever tried to manually
mental picture of what things are tive boots are in good shape. crank the gear down? Do it.
supposed to look like pays off. The Last, don’t let a landing gear failure
pushrods in some aircraft take con- REAL-WORLD GOTCHAS distract you from the most impor-
voluted shapes to work around other We remember a time when gear col- tant task of all, which is flying the
gear components. You’ll either have lapses on some models were com- aircraft to a safe landing.
22 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January 2023
 AVIONICS BOOTCAMP used for backup. The two-instrument
GI 275 portion of the installation was
quoted at $13,880.
Over in the avionics stack, it’s time
to remove the old stuff for current-
day real-world utility. But all is not
lost. The GNS 430 and GI-106A
indicator will serve as a second-
ary nav/comm/GPS system. While
Basmadjian, a former airline captain,
is more than comfortable flying into
big airfields where ILS approaches are
still the norm, it’s time to add RNAV
GPS approach capability to the panel.
“Just this week, the ILS went down

Panel Planner 101:

at my home airport (Lehigh Valley
International in Pennsylvania), and
the non-WAAS GNS 430 had me
relegated to LNAV minimums on the

Round-Gauge Bonanza RNAV approach,” he said. The path

of least resistance might be to remove
the GNS 430 and slide in an Avidyne
IFD440. That would require a GPS
Drop-in electronic round gauges avoid cutting a antenna (and antenna cable) change
and minimal wiring. Basmadjian
well-kept traditional panel. A WAAS navigator gets along better with buttons and
and audio panel upgrade add new utility. knobs when the air gets bumpy, and
Avidyne’s hybrid IFD has both touch
by Larry Anglisano and hard controls. Still, he’s comfort-

T
able with Garmin’s touch-only GTN
his month’s panel for plan- SETTING BUDGET LIMITS 650 and 750 touch navigators, but
ning is on a 1962 Beech P35 Wisely, owner Aram Basmadjian goes prefers the larger GTN 750 because
Bonanza. It’s a panel that was into this upgrade with a realistic view of more screen real estate. I’d suggest
once nicely reworked (before the of prices, plus a plan for future up- considering Avidyne’s IFD550 when
glass age) into a logical arrangement grades. A flagship Garmin glass, auto- deciding on which navigator to go
of traditional six-pack and round pilot and engine monitoring retrofit with. Basmadjian has time to sort it
engine instruments. will be an $80,000-plus investment, out because his shop told him it can’t
Top of the food chain in the late so he’s breaking this into stages. touch the project until May 2023.
1990s, there’s a first-generation, After a good demo at AirVenture last A worthy upgrade to the old Narco
non-WAAS Garmin GNS 430 GPS summer, he settled on Garmin’s GI audio panel and PS Engineering inter-
that feeds a UPS-AT MX20 MFD. 275 drop-in electronic flight instru- com is the PS Engineering PMA450C
ADS-B traffic and weather are on ments—one to replace the vacuum AI Bluetooth audio system. At $2600,
the standalone stack-mounted L3 and another in place of the DG. Out plus installation, it’s worlds ahead of
NGT9000 ADS-B transponder. comes the vacuum system. the old Narco. Add a good ANR head-
Audio comes from a Narco CP136 While the S-TEC 60-2 is a capable set—maybe a Lightspeed Delta Zulu
audio panel and PS Engineering autopilot, Basmadjian’s long-term with CO detecting or Bose A20—and
PM1000 intercom. A TKM comm goal is upgrading it with Garmin’s the result is a pleasing cabin audio
radio, Narco NAV122, King DME GFC 500. It’s a weight-saver over the experience.
and (an oldie but goodie) Avionics multi-box and aging S-TEC system. As for the old MX20 MFD that’s
West stereo/cassette player finish off For flight displays, the three-screen on the pilot’s panel, removing it will
the radio stack. It has an S-TEC 60-2 Aspen Avionics Evolution 2500 leave a big hole in an otherwise clean
two-axis autopilot with GPS steer- MAX PFD/MFD suite was an attrac- layout. But since it’s out of horsepow-
ing, a small-display engine monitor tive option (roughly $13,000) to the er, and Basmadjian just happens to
and Electronics International 2-inch $8800 Garmin GI 275 instruments, have a later-model GMX 200 display
digital tachometer, manifold pres- but the Aspen was a deal breaker that will fit in its location, it’s a good
sure and fuel totalizer instruments. because it won’t work with Garmin’s temporary solution with reasonable
There is good attention to detail, GFC 500. But it’s compatible with amounts of mapping utility.
plus useful accessories on the clean, the NGT9000 ADS-B transponder, Not counting a GPS upgrade, the
old-school instrument panel—a displaying traffic and weather on the proposal is just shy of $19,000, and it
huge upgrade from the one it had Aspen’s MFD. will be every bit of $30,000 with one.
in 1962—and one you might think In a future upgrade (likely a But that’s better than $80,000, while
twice about cutting into. Let’s go Garmin G3X Touch or Dynon HDX offering good utility and preserving a
shopping. big-screen suite), the GI 275 AI can be good-looking panel.
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 23
U S E D A I R C R A F T G U I D E

Mooney 231/252:
The turbocharged M20K is still a worthy choice for efficient
traveling. Refurbished models are premium priced.

S
peed and efficiency go hand still be a maintenance hog, and with altitude market. Beech brought
in hand with the Mooney a single door and small cabin, it may out the V35TC in 1966, but it was
M20-series airframe. But bolt not be the airplane for the flexibly never as strong a seller as the A36.
on a high-flying turbocharged engine challenged. But those are accepted Mooney wasn’t completely flat-
and the performance gets kicked up warts that have always tagged along footed during the 1960s, intro-
several notches. These days ducing the 310-HP M22 Mus-
there is tight competition in tang in 1967, a big brute of an
the used turbocharged single airplane that to some was as
market—mainly from Cir- At cruise, the Mooney 231 outstrips ugly as it was unsuccessful.
rus, a company that’s been Through the 1970s, Mooney
hugely successful with the the competition by nearly 20 knots. did well with efficient air-
fixed-gear turbo SR22T. And planes powered by Lycoming
though Mooney has stopped four-bangers. Mooney’s big
cranking out new airplanes, breakthrough came in 1977,
and the future is unknown, owners with a Mooney. Bottom line: If cruis- when the M20J 201 was intro-
love their 231 and 252s for the same ing fast and miserly is your goal, the duced as the fruit of a clever Roy
reasons they always have, accepting M20K models—the 231, the 252 and LoPresti-led aerodynamic cleanup
the potential for more upkeep than the Encore—are worth a look. In our of the venerable F model. The
normally aspirated 201 models. research in the fall of 2022, we found 201—named for its maximum
It took a bit for Mooney to get the that prices are way up, and upgraded speed in miles per hour—marked
M20K worked out. It didn’t get the and well-maintained models are a turning point for Mooney, even
turbocharging system right on the premium priced.
first try and the model developed a
reputation as a maintenance hog. At MODEL HISTORY The 1981 Mooney 231 in the
this point that reputation has been Mooney came into the turbocharg- lead image used to be an Avia-
mostly burnished and the fact that ing game relatively late compared tion Consumer workhorse. It now
the M20K bores along between 160 to other manufacturers. In 1966,
and 200 knots on relatively little fuel Cessna pioneered the market with
wears a handsome custom paint
has boosted the model’s appeal. the T210 and made a strong show- job with a design from Scheme
But that turbocharged engine can ing in the single-engine, high- Designers.
24 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January
August 2023
2019
 U S E D A I R C R A F T G U I D E

MOONEY 231/252
36 ft. 1 in.

25 ft. 5 in.

8 ft. 3 in.
Drawings courtesy
www.schemedesigners.com

MOONEY 231/252 MODEL HISTORY

MODEL YEAR ENGINE TBO AVG OVERHAUL FUEL USEFUL LOAD CRUISE TYPICAL RETAIL
1979-1980 231 (M20K) 210-HP TCM TSIO-360-GB 1800 $50,000 75 1100 191 KTS ±$135,000
1981-1983 231 (M20K) 210-HP TCM TSIO-360-GB 1800 $50,000 75 1100 191 KTS ±$140,000
1984-1985 231 (M20K) 210-HP TCM TSIO-360-LB1B 1800 $50,000 75 1100 191 KTS ±$160,000
1985 231 L/M (M20K) 210-HP TCM TSIO-360-LB1B 1800 $50,000 75 1100 191 KTS ±$130,000
1986-1987 252TSE (M20K) 210-HP TCM TSIO-360-MB1 1800 $50,000 75 1100 201 KTS ±$185,000
1988-1989 252TSE (M20K) 210-HP TCM TSIO-360-MB1 1800 $50,000 75 1100 201 KTS ±$205,000
1990 252TSE (M20K) 210-HP TCM TSIO-360-MB1 1800 $50,000 75 1100 201 KTS ±$220,000
1997-1998 M20K ENCORE 220-HP TCM TSIO-360-SB 1800 $55,000 80 1100 197 KTS ±$240,000

MOONEY 231/252 RESALE VALUES SELECT HISTORICAL ADs

1980 231 1990 252 TSE
$220K – AD 2009-24-52 INSPECT/REPLACE RECENTLY INSTALLED
DATA: AIRCRAFT BLUEBOOK HYDRAULIC VALVE LIFTERS
–
$180K – INSPECT AILERON CONTROL
– AD 98-24-11
LINKS FOR GUSSET OR CRACKS
$140K –
– INSPECT MAIN LANDING GEAR
AD 98-21-26
$100K – LEG BRACKET FOR CRACKS
–
$60K – INSPECT ROCKET CONVERSION EXHAUST
AD 95-17-06
AND TURBO MOUNT FOR CRACKS
2005 2010 2015 2020 2023
SELECT LATE-MODEL COMPARISONS
PAYLOAD/FULL FUEL CRUISE SPEEDS PRICE COMPARISONS
MOONEY 231/252 MOONEY 231/252 1985 MOONEY 231 M20K ($160,000)

PIPER TURBO ARROW IV PIPER TURBO ARROW IV 1985 PIPER TURBO ARROW IV ($105,000)

CESSNA TURBO 182RG CESSNA TURBO 182RG 1982 CESSNA TURBO 182RG ($175,000)

COMMANDER 114TC COMMANDER 114TC 1995 COMMANDER 114TC ($155,000)

SOCATA TURBO TRINIDAD SOCATA TURBO TRINIDAD 1992 SOCATA TURBO TRINIDAD ($155,000)
400 600 800 1000 1200 160 180 200 220 240 60K 90K 120K 150K 180K

August 2019
19
January 2019
2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 25
U S E D A I R C R A F T G U I D E

Mooneys are worthy of modern

IFR avionics and the panel at
the top sports a Garmin G500
flight display, GTN 750 big-
screen navigator and EI engine
and fuel system display. The one
at the bottom, courtesy of Aspen
Avionics, has an Evolution 1000
PFD.

where it still stands. Even with all

these faults—and they were con-
siderable—some owners achieved
impressive maintenance reliability
by obsessive attention to operating
technique. Specifically, that meant
careful leaning and attention to
cowl flaps and preventive mainte-
nance of the turbo. But not all own-
ers were so careful and premature
engine crumps were common.

IMPROVEMENTS
With a couple of years of experi-
ence under its belt, Mooney under-
took some improvements, adding a
split rear cargo seat in 1982, while
in 1984, a new variant of the en-
gine—the LB1B, which is approved
as a replacement for the GB—was
introduced with better cooling and
overboost protection. Mooney also
included some aerodynamic tweaks
if the claimed speed was somewhat aerodynamic refinements. The K that added 3 to 5 knots: sealed
optimistic. model’s fuel capacity is 10 gallons nosegear doors, a belly pan, a more
As early as 1977, Piper had the more than the J model, and both streamlined tailcone and removal
Turbo Arrow and Mooney real- empty and gross weights are 160 of one of the vent intakes. The
ized it needed to compete in this pounds higher. Design-wise, the alternate air intake system changed
market. The result appeared in 231 was exactly what the buyers to address reports of icing-induced
1979 as the 231—again, named for were looking for: a turbocharged power loss.
its top speed—or M20K. It was es- 201. While these fixes certainly
sentially a 201 with a six-cylinder, But if buyers were hoping for the helped, the improvements were
210-HP Continental TSIO-360- 201’s excellent dispatch rate, they hardly night and day. By 1986, fur-
GB in place of the 201’s 200-HP got something less. Problems with ther retooling produced the 252TSE
Lycoming IO-360. The airframe had the 231’s Continental engine were for Turbo Special Edition. The 252,
a lot going for it. It was strongly several-fold and hurt the model’s while still an M20K, is significantly
built of welded 4130 steel, the gear initial reputation. The new cowling different from the 231. Another
system was all but indestructible didn’t cool the engine adequately, variant of the engine was fitted, the
and the handling was mannerly, the fixed-wastegate turbo required -MB1. The induction and cooling
easily flown by a pilot with mini- constant attention and was easy to systems were reworked and a new
mal retract experience. By modern mismanage, overboosting and high intercooled, density-controlled,
standards, Mooney had a smash hit heat put undue stress on the en- variable wastegate AiResearch
on its hands. It sold 246 airplanes gine, and it was prone to cracking turbocharger replaced the original,
the first year, outdistancing the 201 cylinders and cases. The connecting fixed wastegate Rajay/Rotomaster
by nearly two to one. The fact that rods were prone to failure and the unit. Other changes included infi-
the two airplanes were so similar original magnetos were unpressur- nitely adjustable electric cowl flaps
simplified the build process and ized, and would arc at high alti- to replace the original dual manual
likely made the project profitable tude. On top of all this, the TBO of flaps. There was a vernier throttle
from the first year. the first engines was a miserly 1400 control, more elbow room and
The differences are in minor hours, later upped to 1800 hours, new-look radiused windows.
26 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com December
January 2022
September 2019
2023
 U S E D A I R C R A F T G U I D E

You wear a Mooney. To get

in the cabin, you sort of slide
down into the seats. Shorter
pilots might not reach the pedals
without extensions. You won’t
load large items through the rear
baggage hatch, bottom, but the
120-pound storage capacity is
more than adequate.

The 231’s original 60-amp, 14-

volt electrical system was upgraded
to a 70-amp, 28-volt system. This
was much needed, since a fully
loaded K model could max out
the electrics long before the days
of moving maps. An electrically
driven backup vacuum pump was
made standard equipment.
The 252 also got further aerody-
namic tweaking in the form of gear
doors that fully enclose the wheels
when retracted and cover the wells
when the gear is extended. The
252 also got an increase in gear-
extension speed to 140 knots, up knots for the 231, but
from 132 knots. Maximum speed 170 to 175 knots is
with gear extended is 165 knots for more like it. The 252 is
the 252. about 10 knots faster,
In all, 889 231s were produced thanks to intercooling.
between its introduction in 1979 Both M20Ks win the
and 1985. The 252, introduced in altitude battle as well,
the middle of the GA slump of the with a maximum oper-
1980s, is less numerous. Production ating altitude of 24,000
totaled, ironically, 231 airplanes. feet for the 231 and
The K model made a brief resur- 28,000 feet for the 252,
gence in 1997 as the Encore, versus 20,000 feet for
when Mooney was going through the Cessna and Piper.
yet another of its many reorganiza- The Mooneys outclimb
tions. But it was not to be and the the others by about 150
model was dropped again in 1998. FPM.
Meanwhile, the so-called long-body Due to physiological
models, specifically the M20M TLS considerations, how-
and later the M20R Ovation and ever, high teens to low
Acclaim, eventually came to domi- 20s are the airplane’s
nate the Mooney line. best envelope. At lower
altitudes, turbocharged
PERFORMANCE airplanes aren’t much faster than high altitudes, although the differ-
The K model lives in a league of its their normally aspirated siblings. In ence lessens the lower one goes.
own when measured against the fact, the 231 is actually slower than With 75.6 gallons of usable fuel,
narrow market segment of four- the 201 below 8000 feet, due to the 252 can climb to FL280 and
place, turbo retractables. At cruise, cooling drag. The J model will also operate a total of 4.9 hours, or just
the 231 outstrips its competitors— outclimb the K model below 8000 under 990 nautical miles still-air
the turbo Arrow, the 182 RG and feet. range with reserves. The 231 has
Commander TC—by roughly 20 Many owners operate 252s con- comparable range and endurance,
knots, despite the fact that the 231 servatively. One owner told us that but can’t fly as high.
MPH (196 knots) top speed isn’t 65 percent power yields 170 knots at
reachable under real-world condi- 10,000 feet and 200 knots at FL210, 231 VERSUS 252
tions and probably at all. burning 11.5 GPH. The 231’s num- The improved powerplant installa-
Realistic max cruise is about 190 bers are proportionately lower at tion makes for a significant opera-
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 27
U S E D A I R C R A F T G U I D E

tional difference between the 231

MOONEY M20K MISHAPS: ENGINE and 252. The engine still produces
As we completed our review of the gear switch, applied full power and 210 HP, but it does so at a markedly
lower manifold pressure: 36 inches
100 most recent Mooney M20K pulled up. Unfortunately, he stalled
for the 252 versus 40 inches for the
series accidents we were pleased the airplane. It hit on the nose- 231, thanks to the improvements in
to observe a low rate of landing gear—that had just locked into the tuned induction, cooling and
accidents. In fact, we combined position—broke it off and slid off turbo systems.
hard landing events with runway of the runway and into a sign. The 252’s induction and cooling
loss of control (RLOC) crunches and We were interested in one gear- air intakes are separate from
still only had a total of seven. In up landing that was due—as are so one another. Induction air enters
our opinion, that’s a tribute to the many—to pilot distraction. Here, through a NACA scoop on the side
handling of the aircraft during flare however, the pilot had deployed of the cowling, is turned 90 de-
and rollout. We did note, however, the speedbrakes so he was car- grees to minimize induction icing
that five pilots landed their M20Ks rying enough power during the through inertial separation and
passes through a larger, less-restric-
short of the runway or hit some- approach that the throttle position
tive air filter. It’s then compressed
thing on approach, two of which never triggered the gear warning. and run through a 42-square-inch
after going well below the MDA on We saw a disquieting number intercooler.
an instrument approach. of accidents that could be put at The result is dramatically lower
The big number was engine the feet of bull-headed owners— temperatures for the induction
stoppage events—23—although hopefully not a symptom of M20K air, from 60 degrees F at lower
that’s about par for all airplanes we ownership. Two were especially altitudes to 120 degrees F up high.
review. Not surprisingly with legacy notable: That means more power at higher
airplanes, where the cause of the Needing a GPU start because the altitudes and a wider detonation
silence up front was determined, it battery was dead, the owner of a margin. The 231’s critical altitude
was improper maintenance—often 14-volt system M20K didn’t flinch is only 14,000 feet, while the 252’s
critical altitude is 24,000 feet. In
failing to follow the manufacturer’s when the line crew told him the
practical terms, this means that the
instructions when assembling en- GPU was 28 volts and said things 252 can continue to climb at about
gine halves or improperly torquing would be fine. 1000 FPM into the mid-20s, can fly
cylinders. Upon switching on the juice, higher and is faster once up there.
We felt that the number of fuel- there was an explosion, and then a The most important difference
related accident—13—was high. fire that consumed the airplane. between the 231 and 252 lies in
Pilots ran tanks dry and didn’t fol- An owner who landed gear engine management. The revised
low published restart procedures. up provided a prop to the local powerplant installation in the 252
Two pilots mispositioned the fuel mechanic so that the owner could made an enormous difference and
selector and two detected water in ferry the airplane for the needed makes the 252 a more desirable air-
the fuel but didn’t act aggressively repairs and engine teardown. After plane. Because the 231 has a fixed
wastegate, the pilot must constantly
enough to remove it. having difficulty installing it, the
monitor manifold pressure and
To our amazement, 11 pilots technician discovered that it was fiddle with the throttle to keep it
lost control while flying in IMC, on the wrong prop. He refused to sign within limits. Bootstrapping and
an instrument clearance—that’s a ferry permit. After an argument, overboosting are constant worries.
enough to be concerning and may the owner took the airplane and Thanks to its automatic wastegate,
reflect on aircraft handling. One launched. Not long after takeoff, the 252 doesn’t suffer these foibles.
lost control after the HSI failed— the prop departed the airframe.
that should not be a big deal. In HANDLING
recovering from a diving spiral he The 231/252 series handle like
ACCIDENT SUMMARY
overstressed the airframe. typical Mooneys: relatively heavy
ENG/MECH (23%) in roll and pitch, with good stabil-
Five pilots landed gear up—
OTHER (18%) ity. The K models have greater pitch
about average for retracts. One
FUEL-RELATED (13%) authority, thanks to a slightly larger
pilot selected gear down, heard it elevator, and the longer engine
IMC LOC (11%)
start to extend but didn’t confirm makes it somewhat nose heavy.
BLOWN GO-AROUND (9%)
it had finished the task. The circuit That can make flaring a challenge
breaker popped while it was in HARD LDG/RLOC (7%)
with a forward CG, but nothing
transit. The landing did not go GEAR UP (5%) like, say, a Cessna 182.
quite as the pilot intended. STALL (5%) Pitch change with gear exten-
Another pilot got a radio call LANDED/HIT SHORT (5%) sion/retraction is slight, but flap ex-
that his gear was up as he descend- VFR INTO IMC (4%) tension produces a nose-down mo-
ed through 20 feet AGL. He hit the ment. Transition from full flaps to
trimmed for go-around takes heavy
28 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com September
January 2023
2019
2022
 U S E D A I R C R A F T G U I D E

READER SERVICES
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TO CHANGE YOUR MAILING OR

Will Stratton is sold on the In reality, however, the typical EMAIL ADDRESS, RENEW YOUR
safety of his 252’s steel roll cage 252 weighs more, simply because SUBSCRIPTION OR TO
and one-piece wing. it has more equipment. Neither CHECK PAYMENT STATUS,
airplane is a stellar load-hauler. VISIT OUR
Gross weight is 2900 pounds and ONLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE:
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To change your address by mail,
Speed control is essential when a useful two-place airplane, with attach your present mailing label to
approaching and landing any generous baggage. Thanks to its this form (or a copy of this form), enter
Mooney. Approach too fast and fuel efficiency and good endurance, your new address below and mail it to:
the K model will float. Try to plant however, there’s flexibility built
it on the ground and it will fight into the load-carrying equation.
back, porpoising vigorously and The latest M20K, the Encore, has THE AVIATION CONSUMER
striking the prop if uncorrected. about 200 pounds of additional P.O. Box 8535
This is a common accident for all load, thanks to beefed-up landing Big Sandy, TX 75755-8535
Mooneys, not just the K model. gear. Staying within the CG is easy
Because of its ability to fly fast, and there’s no worry of aft-tending
some owners say the best addition CG as fuel is burned off. Name______________________________
ever devised for Mooneys is speed- The baggage compartment Company___________________________
brakes. These are especially useful is large, with a capacity of 120
Address_____________________________
for the 231, which doesn’t have the pounds, although the high sill
252’s higher gear limits. (Speed- door makes it difficult to wrestle Address 2___________________________
brakes are standard on 252s.) large objects into the airplane. City________________________________
Ground handling isn’t great. Baggage capacity can be increased
State____________ Zip:_______________
The airplane is low slung and by folding the rear seatbacks down
the Mooney’s stretched-out seat- together or individually. Email_______________________________
ing position hinders visibility on Mooneys are fast and efficient
the ground. It also makes gaining because they have low-drag air- To order or renew a subscription,
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check the subscription term you prefer:
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radius of 41 feet, makes negotiat- quite different from that of most [ ] 6 months (6 issues) $34.50
ing a crowded ramp challenging. airplanes. It’s more of a sports-car [ ] Check enclosed [ ] AMEX
One other caution: Many Mooneys posture than an upright seating re- [ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa
suffer damage to the nosegear trun- gime. There’s plenty of legroom fore
Card #______________________________
nion when towing turn limits are and aft, but less lateral room. Those
exceeded via power towing. Own- of below-average height may find Expiration Date______________________
ers learn to watch the ramp rats that they can’t reach the rudder Signature______________________
carefully. pedals without a booster cushion
behind their backs or pedal exten- YOUR RENEWAL
CABIN, PAYLOAD sions. IS JUST A CLICK AWAY!
On paper, the 231 and 252 have Early Mooneys tended to be www.aviationconsumer.com
the same loading characteristics. spartan in interior arrangements.
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 29
U S E D A I R C R A F T G U I D E

That’s an M20K’s Continental

TSIO-360 fitted with the Tur-
boplus aftermarket intercooler
system, top. Two-blade propellers
are common on the 231/252, but
there’s an STC for an MT four-
blade composite prop. That’s a
three-blade composite on the one
shown below.

systems in general are simple and

robust. The steel gear legs gear have
no oleo struts, relying instead on
rubber donuts for shock absorption.
These need to be replaced periodical-
ly. There’s no complex electrohydrau-
lic system driving the gear as is found
on Cessnas—Mooneys are electrome-
chanical. The flaps, too, are electric;
both are relatively trouble-free.
The powerplant, however, is
another matter. Difficulties fall into
several categories: magnetos, con
rods, cylinders and turbos. Most
airplanes have been retrofitted with
pressurized mags but check any used
model to be sure. The same applies
to connecting rods. The suspect rods
are Continental part number 626119
and have a C logo with a circle
around it. Only a barn dweller would
still have the old ones.
Many turbocharged models
encounter mid-run cylinder prob-
lems of some sort and the K model
is no different. These include the full
litany: worn valves and guides, bro-
ken rings and cracked jugs. Midtime
turbo and magneto replacements
aren’t uncommon, but they aren’t a
But by the time the 231/252 ap- and, in the 252, cowl flap controls. sure bet, either. The 231’s fixed wa-
peared, Mooney recognized the The power gauges are on the far stegate means the turbo is working
need for more modern if not luxuri- right and angled toward the pilot. constantly and the engine is suscep-
ous appointments. Thanks to a bit Engine gauges are well-placed, right tible to overboosting.
more elbow room and somewhat under the glareshield in front of The 252 doesn’t suffer these
plusher finish, the 252 is arguably the pilot. The panel also has a good problems, although it had trouble
more comfortable than the 231. selection of annunciator lights at with cracked tubes in the induction
The 252 is also quieter and many the top of the radio stack. system before Continental came up
feel it’s the quietest of all Mooneys, with flexible tubing. Even though
thanks in part to the induction sys- MAINTAINING IT the 252’s engine installation is less
tem and the fact that things quiet From an airframe standpoint, troublesome than the 231’s, tempera-
down the higher you fly. Mooneys are relatively trouble-free. tures and stresses on turbocharged
The panel layout is quite good, Long-standing caveats include the engines are greater than on normally
with one seemingly obvious feature potential for corrosion of the cabin aspirated engines. Regular inspec-
that has probably averted many in- frame tubes—particularly if the tions and proactive maintenance are
cidents: The gear selector is located windows develop leaks—and the a must for reliable dispatch rates.
high in the middle of the panel so typical fuel tank leaks that plague
it’s hard to miss. The flap switch is all Mooneys. Keep it hangared— CURRENT MARKET
located low on the center console, and covered when outside—to keep Like most other piston singles, the
along with the trim/flap indicators the trouble to a minimum. But the used Mooney market has seen a
30 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January 2023
2019
 U S E D A I R C R A F T G U I D E
AVweb_Vrt_BlvrAvtnAd_final_4C 12/13/06 8

AVweb’s
TOP FIVE
• Podcasts – Biweekly
podcasts with aviation
newsmakers
A lot of the Mooney 231’s ef- an STC for the M20K and it flies the • Brainteasers – Put your
ficiency comes from a clean airplane like it’s on rails, plus there’s aviation knowledge to the test
also the G3X Touch integrated with these interactive quizzes
airframe. A larger elevator gives avionics. If you’re considering a
the airplane more pitch author- 231/252 and don’t plan to upgrade • Video of the week –
ity than other Mooney models. the autopilot, pay close attention Some of the most interesting
Thanks to Craig Barnett at to the performance of the existing plane and pilot videos around
system, which is likely the King
Scheme Designers for the photo. KFC150. Earlier servos are extinct • Picture of the week –
and flat-rate repair for the system A showcase for our readers
components is hefty. S-TEC has a keen eyes an impeccable taste
sharp rise in values, with well-cared- multitude of STC approvals for the in aerial photography
for and upgraded models fetching a M20K and you might find one with
sizable price increase. For starters, the an S-TEC 55 series. Again, pay at- • The Pilot’s Lounge –
Fall 2022 Aircraft Bluebook says a 1979 tention to the performance during Need we say more!
M20K 231 has an average retail price the prebuy.
of $130,000, but we think that’s a lot There are fewer speed mods
lower than typical asking prices. We for the K model than for earlier All this and more
found a 1979 231 on Controller.com Mooney types, such as the C, F and
listed at $210,000, with 800 hours
on an overhauled engine and over
J models. Single-piece belly skins,
minor speed mods, rudder and
FREE
3000 hours on the airframe. It’s well elevator hinge covers and oversized at AVweb.com
equipped with speedbrakes, Garmin bushing kits for the nosegear are
avionics long-range fuel tanks and available from Lake Aero Style and
updated interior. Repair (www.lasar.com, 707-263-
A 1987 252 TSE, according to 0412). The company, an FAA repair
Aircraft Bluebook, typically retails station, also advertises that it does
for $190,000, and clean ones with ADS-B retrofits for Mooney models.
low-time engine, avionics, paint and Whelan (www.flywat.com) has
interior upgrades might sell for closer an HID landing light for the K
to $250,000 or more. model and hubcaps with filler valve
access holes, while Precise Flight
AVIONICS AND MODS (www.preciseflight.com) has speed-
The 231/252 is worthy of modern brakes and the Pulselite system.
avionics and a market scan shows A big-dollar mod, the Rocket
some owners go to town with major
upgrades—we’re talking packages
conversion replaces the TSIO-360
with a 305-HP Continental TSIO-
SUBSCRIBE
that near $100,000 including all-
in-one digital engine monitors and
520-NB, yielding 220-knot-plus
cruise speeds. Although the conver-
TODAY!
new panel fabrication. Others make sion is discontinued, these turn up at
do with original King Silver Crown on the used market and you’ll pay a
radios, but we don’t think this is a premium for it. AVweb.com/register
long-term solution. Perhaps the most desirable mod
Garmin’s GFC 500 autopilot has for a 231 that makes it more like a
January 2023 w w w. avi at ion con sumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 31
 BARON 58 SERIES

We’re taking a look at the Beech

Baron 58 market in an upcoming
Used Aircraft Guide in Aviation
Consumer. We want to know what
it’s like to own these twins, how
much they cost to operate, main-
Used Mooney 231 tain and insure and what kind of
mods make sense. If you’d like
(continued from page 31)
your Baron to appear in the maga-
252 is an intercooler. One system— feet and 65 percent power, with zine, send us any photographs
the Turboplus—has been highly the added benefit of lower cylinder (full-size, high-resolution please)
recommended by M20K owners head temperatures. The STC’d kit you’d like to share to the email be-
and it comes from Turboplus Air- for the Mooney M20K is $5995 and low. We specifically need feedback
craft Systems (www.turboplus.com) the estimated installation labor is
in Gig Harbor, Washington. around 18 hours. on support, operating expenses or
Turboplus says it was the first “My conclusion is that the Tur- any other comments that can be
company to bring intercooling for boplus intercooler provides much helpful for buyers considering one.
GA singles and twins in the early improved intake manifold cool- Send correspondence by Jan. 20,
1980s and there are thousands of ing and an increase of 3 inches in
Turboplus intercoolers and induc- available manifold pressure at alti- 2023, to:
tion systems in use today. tudes above the 13,500-foot critical
The company says its M20K in- altitude, while providing significant Aviation Consumer
tercooler kit can yield a max speed performance benefits across the Email at:
of 241 MPH at 24,000 feet, and board to the hot-running, non-in-
170 knots true airspeed at 10,000 tercooled engine in the 231 M20K,” ConsumerEditor@
reader Geoff Lee said of the system. hotmail.com
With turbocharging, the
231/252 makes for a good CHECK INSURANCE, UPKEEP
Senior (and inexperienced) pilots
mountain-flying airplane. But should get an insurance quote must-join for anyone serious about
it’s far from a backwoods single, before making any deals on these buying and owning any Mooney.
and you generally won’t be in airplanes. Retracs and high-perfor- There’s also www.mooneyspace.
mance models have been red flags com, plus the 9600-member private
and out of unimproved strips in the insurance world and the Mooney Pilots group on Facebook.
with it. 231/252 fits the profile. Moreover, When it comes to maintenance,
plan on finding bring the 231/252 to a shop that
quality transition has experience with the model.
training from While not overly complex, not all
an instructor mechanics are versed with Mooney
who knows the systems, and you’ll want a mechan-
airplane well. ic who knows what they’re looking
A good place at.
to start is the Last, before buying any Mooney,
Mooney Aircraft look carefully at the maintenance
Pilots Associa- records and arrange for an expert
tion, or MAPA, at inspection by a mechanic who
www.mooneypi- doesn’t have a stake in the deal.
lots.org. We
think MAPA is a
32 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av iat ion con sumer.com January 2023