Opinions on a M20J

"AJW" wrote in message
...

What Mooney jocks learn pretty quickly is that landing the thing is a bit
diferent than say a 182. It's clean, so going from 1.3Vso to stall takes
more
distance than in an aiplane that isn't as aerodynamically clean. It has a
very
low wing, so if you get into ground effect going just a little faster than
you
should, you'll have increased the needed landing distance a lot.

Agreed. While I'm not an instructor, I have sat in the right seat while at
least 4 different pilots got to know the Mooney. That makes 5 pilots I know
of who learned about the need for precise speed control the looooong way.

As for taking off in a crosswind, I'm not sure what technique is being
used for
rolling along on one wheel, but in my airplane I keep it on the ground --
all
three wheels -- until I have the airspeed I want for liftoff in a
crosswind,
and then I lift it off. There's nothing to be gained by having the yoke
back,
even on a short field, until you can lift off.

Well that's what I do too. The problem seems to be that at about 45 to 50
kt, the wing, low and clean, starts producing substantial lift, taking the
weight off the wheels. At that sort of speed, the side force on the
fuselage from a strong crosswind can get to the level at which the wheels
can't maintain enough grip on the runway to resist. In flight (and for
landing) it's easy -- you just stick the upwind wing down. But unless
you're prepared to do that on take-off, you (I) can't stop the thing moving
sideways, particularly if the runway is wet, or uneven.

Aerodynamics dictates that this limit must exist, and it certainly kicks in
earlier than full rudder travel on the M20J. But it may differ for
different circumstances, and I'm sure that careful handling and lots of
practice allows you to get closer to the absolute limit.

Julian Scarfe