[Stan Crader]

Just purchased my first Mooney…2006 M20R Ovation 280 HP.
Was expecting TAS of 190+…am only seeing 175+
What is normal?

[TomKowalczk]

what flight conditions and engine settings. ?

[Robert Statius-Muller]

My O3 does 175kts on 13.5gph at around 9k ft when 50 LOP. Obviously FF varies with altitude and temperature. If I don’t lean I’m looking at 182-185kts (forgot the FF) but I never really explored that flight regime as LOP is so much better for the engine. Past discussions on Mooneyspace affirm that 175kts is the usual cruise speed for Ovations.

[TomKowalczk]

Robert,

curious to know what your EGT and CHT temperatures are when running LOP ?

[Robert Statius-Muller]

Tom, again on a typical flight, the EGTs are right around the white range bar with the lowest  around 1400F and the highest around 1490F. The CHTs on a recent flight ran from 256F to 328F. My #6 always runs the coolest. I was at 6500ft, TAS 178kts and 14.0gph.

On another flight I was doing TAS 176kts, 13.7gph at 8500ft MSL and slightly lower temps.

Gotta love the Savvy Analysis diagrams and the ability to upload all the data from the G1000 🙂

Hope this helps.

Robert

[Tim Slotover]

I run up to 50 LOP at most altitudes (2400 RPM) and my TAS seems to be in the region of 170kts – sometimes more, sometimes less depending on weight and even how recently the aircraft has been washed and waxed! I have FIKI TKS and vortex generators and I reckon I’m slowed down a bit by those. I saw a few knots of additional speed when I had my engine mounts replaced (and fixed my sagging engine/prop) and I picked up a good 5kts after my first professional wash and wax. I’ve had all the rigging checked by a MSC as well as items like the landing gear doors.

[Jeff Schlueter]

To the OP…you can get 190+ TAS but it’s not economical.  I race my O3, and the sprint settings are WOT, 2600 RPM and 27 GPH fuel flow.  This has given me an average 194 KTAS over a 150 mile race.  The engine temps are fine doing this, but of course you’re sucking down so much gas that you wouldn’t fly it that way normally.  The 190+ TAS that Mooney advertises is possible under very specific conditions but not ones you would expect to see regularly.  But flown LOP at 13.5 GPH and still cruising along at 175KTAS the Ovation is still the best travel combo you can get!

 

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