In the Air: Flying First Class
02/02/2004
In general aviation, there are many classic designs. Timeless beauty, utility, reliability, and excellent performance continue to drive demand for long-established aircraft from Beech Piper, Cessna, and Mooney. Just as the collector of fine watches might prefer the mechanical movement of a vintage wristwatch to a more modern quartz timepiece, many pilots and aircraft manufacturers prefer the familiarity, performance, and utility of hand-set rivets, machined wing spars, and carefully formed aluminum to more modern construction.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
The Mooney Bravo2 DX combines superlative performance with the finest
craftsmanship from second- and third-generation fabricators. (Click image to enlarge)With its long, tapered laminar flow wing and unique tail, the
sleek Mooney design has always been the benchmark for light aircraft
performance. Handbuilt by second- and third-generation aircraft fabricators, the
basic airframe of the Mooney 20 has been around for half a century. Continuous
development of this well-engineered aircraft has given it increased strength,
interior space, reliability, safety, and that most important commodity—speed.
The Bravo2 DX is the latest in a long line of proven Mooney 20 series
aircraft. A variation of the earlier Bravo2, the DX uses the 270 hp Lycoming TIO
540 engine to achieve a top speed of over 220 knots (253 mph), and a range of
just over 1,000 nautical miles. Still, after years of production, it remains the
fastest four-seat retractable-gear production aircraft available. For those not
needing high-altitude turbocharged performance, Mooney also offers this airframe
in two other versions, each featuring the improvements of the DX: the 244 hp,
180-knot (208 mph) Eagle2 DX and the 280 hp, 192-knot (220 mph) Ovation2 DX.
Both of these aircraft use the efficient, smooth running Continental 550 cu in
engine.
Since the Bravo2 DX’s predecessor already possessed speed and range
superior to any aircraft in its class, the cockpit environment and electrical
system received the focus in this latest Mooney iteration. Nicolas Chabbert,
executive vice president of sales and marketing, took charge of the DX’s cockpit
makeover. “We wanted to improve visibility for all pilots, and sometimes a
better design is found in the past. We were able to lower the glare shield
height by two inches and improve visibility by using the earlier 252 model glare
shield.” When combined with Mooney’s six-way fully adjustable seats, even a
pilot with a short inseam, such as myself, can find a very comfortable position
behind the redesigned instrument panel.
“We took the lessons learned
designing the cockpits of the Falcon jets to make a better, more logical
arrangement of the switches and indicators,” says Chabbert. “The circuit
breakers are lined and marked for the essential circuits, as they are in the
larger jets.” A further improvement to the Mooney panel is the grouping of all of the trim indicators, controls,
electrical system masters, and TKS de-icing system switchgear with air transport
category logic. The fuel-consumption and engine instruments are located at the
top of the panel directly in front of the pilot. The engine instruments are the
accurate analog type with digital readout. Distinctly aircraft in nature, this
cockpit is designed for experienced pilots and long hours in instrument
conditions. Mooney’s marketing data shows that Mooney pilots fly for business,
and that 65 percent of the flights are in rigorous instrument flight (IFR)
conditions. With this in mind, the Bravo2 DX received a new, fully redundant
electrical system with dual alternators, dual batteries, two separate buses, and
an emergency bus to ensure fail-safe operation of the essential IFR flight
systems. Both batteries are independent, as are the alternators. Any combination
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Mooney has included a vast array of avionics in its new
panel. Moving map GPS navigation and communication radios from Garmin are
standard, and include TCAS traffic avoidance systems, METARs weather uplink
service, and terrain avoidance and Stormscope weather avoidance systems.
Bendix/King supplies the excellent three-axis autopilot, with altitude preselect
and hold, yaw damper, flight director, and fully coupled instrument approach
capability. The turbocharged Bravo2 DX also has a large oxygen system for
extended flight at high altitude. (Click image to enlarge)
For the pilot who has had to compromise to
find a comfortable seating position in a light aircraft, the Bravo will be a
revelation. The seat height and angle can be adjusted to achieve a comfortable
sight line over the nose. Additional comfort comes courtesy of fatigue-free grip
on the padded, leather-covered yoke and an armrest to support forearms. For the
short of leg, Mooney has an extended pedal set that allows even pilots under 5
feet 6 inches to find a comfortable position without receiving a nose massage
from the instrument panel or a control yoke imprint on the pilot’s midsection.
For the long-legged, the long Bravo cockpit will still accommodate pilots of
over 6 feet 5 inches.
The aft baggage compartment is quite long, and the
rear seats may be folded down individually, making a space suitable for skis.
With the rear seats occupied, golf bags may be easily accommodated for all on
board.
The big Lycoming turbocharged six starts easily. The boost pump is
automatically engaged by pushing the throttle, and a high-speed starter snaps
the engine over quickly as it settles into an authoritative, smooth idle. Ground
handling is exemplary, as the Bravo retains a steerable nose wheel linked to the
rudder pedals, rather than the inaccurate, castering type of brake-guided
steering employed in some newer designs. The aircraft goes where it is steered,
and no lurching or untoward pumping of the brake or throttle is required to exit
a parking space or turn onto the active runway.
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The unusual design of the Mooney’s tapered laminar flow wing and tail has always
set the standard for light aircraft performance. (Click image to enlarge)The Bravo enjoys strong
acceleration on the takeoff roll, breaking ground and quickly establishing a
1,000-foot-per-minute rate of climb that it can hold all the way to 20,000 feet,
where it can sustain a 220-knot speed for more than four hours and 1,000
nautical miles. The turbo system’s manifold pressure controller is automatic and
accurate.
Mooneys have always had a solid feel to the push rod–linked
controls, and this aircraft takes a tenacious grip on heading, attitude, and
altitude. These attributes make the aircraft a fine instrument platform, greatly
reducing fatigue over a long IFR flight when the only view is of the instrument
panel.
Standard-equipment speed brakes offer quick descents without shock
cooling the engine, and landings will always be smooth once the pilot gets used
to the signature low-slung Mooney landing gear. I found that my old Mooney trick
of buzzing the nose up trim during the flare worked perfectly, providing
landings of airline-transport quality.
The Mooney is certainly a
mature design with all the advantages that maturity offers. Its airframe is
unbreakable, proven, and gives nothing away in speed. With thousands of Mooney
aircraft on the registry, service and repair hold few mysteries. The interior,
with its fully adjustable seats and logical instrument panel layout, make it a
pilot’s choice for those long instrument flights. And the Bravo DX and Ovation
are still the only single-engine aircraft in production that are certified for
flight into known icing conditions when equipped with the optional, TKS wet-wing
system of ice protection.
Mooney Airplane Co.
800.456.3033
www.mooney.com