Loading luggage in other than Mooney

The other day I saw a guy drive up to his Bonanza with a car load of
bags. This is something I've done for years in my Mooney but many
years since I've flown a Bonanza or Cessna. In my Mooney, the baggage
door opens at the top of the cabin (the door is long enough that it
goes down to the middle and opens like a clam shell, much like a car's
trunk). I can easily load heavey bag on top of heavy bag in the Mooney
by dropping them down on top of each other. How did I do it back in
the Bonanza days? It looks like I must have had to load a bag in the
bottom door , reach in, hold that bag up and then slide another bag
under it. Or perhaps I climbed in through the back seat and loaded the
bags that way.

How do most of the Bonanza/Cessna pilots here do it? Why would anyone
put a baggage door on the bottom of the baggage area. Its like loading
your truck though a little hole near the license plate on your car.

-Robert

Why would anyone build a plane with manual gear and hydraulic flaps, like
many Moonys? Why would anyone build a plane with only one door like
Cherokees, Moneys, and most Beechcraft? Why would anyone build a plane
with the wing on top? Why would anyone build a plane with the wing on the
bottom? Why ... ?

Look, I think your question is probably a tounge-in-cheek jab at Bonanza
drivers. But it comes off as pretty close to being a troll. It would be
pretty impractical to put a top hinged baggage door on a Bone because the
top of fuselage is several feet higher off the ground than a Mooney. Maybe
Cessna could have done it, but I suspect the engineering and production
costs of such a feature would result in a higher price.

By the way, why do they stick the tail on backwards on Mooneys?

Steve Robertson
N4732J 1967 Beechcraft A23-24 Musketeer Super III

"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

The other day I saw a guy drive up to his Bonanza with a car load of
bags. This is something I've done for years in my Mooney but many
years since I've flown a Bonanza or Cessna. In my Mooney, the baggage
door opens at the top of the cabin (the door is long enough that it
goes down to the middle and opens like a clam shell, much like a car's
trunk). I can easily load heavey bag on top of heavy bag in the Mooney
by dropping them down on top of each other. How did I do it back in
the Bonanza days? It looks like I must have had to load a bag in the
bottom door , reach in, hold that bag up and then slide another bag
under it. Or perhaps I climbed in through the back seat and loaded the
bags that way.

How do most of the Bonanza/Cessna pilots here do it? Why would anyone
put a baggage door on the bottom of the baggage area. Its like loading
your truck though a little hole near the license plate on your car.

-Robert

Look, I think your question is probably a tounge-in-cheek jab at Bonanza
drivers. But it comes off as pretty close to being a troll. It would be
pretty impractical to put a top hinged baggage door on a Bone because the
top of fuselage is several feet higher off the ground than a Mooney. Maybe
Cessna could have done it, but I suspect the engineering and production
costs of such a feature would result in a higher price.

By the way, why do they stick the tail on backwards on Mooneys?



Didn't you know? We Mooney jocks like our tail backwards.

AJW

That's easy cause your 201 won't hold much. A couple of tooth brushes and
underwear maybe!

I don't remember my Mooney 1977 201 (N201MW), other than it didn't hold much
weight. Everything in aviation is a compromise. In my Cessna 185 I give up a
little speed to my Mooney. But after I load 8 hours of fuel (92 usable), and
four FAA passengers (170#) I can still load 180 pounds of baggage.

Try that in your Bonanza! Further, my 185 is a PIG, as far as weight. Dual
IFR GPS, G330-TIS TXP, KX-165A, HSI, DME, ADF etc etc. OK, so I can only go
140 knots. But at least my stuff comes along with.

Best,
Karl


"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
m...
The other day I saw a guy drive up to his Bonanza with a car load of
bags. This is something I've done for years in my Mooney but many
years since I've flown a Bonanza or Cessna. In my Mooney, the baggage
door opens at the top of the cabin (the door is long enough that it
goes down to the middle and opens like a clam shell, much like a car's
trunk). I can easily load heavey bag on top of heavy bag in the Mooney
by dropping them down on top of each other. How did I do it back in
the Bonanza days? It looks like I must have had to load a bag in the
bottom door , reach in, hold that bag up and then slide another bag
under it. Or perhaps I climbed in through the back seat and loaded the
bags that way.

How do most of the Bonanza/Cessna pilots here do it? Why would anyone
put a baggage door on the bottom of the baggage area. Its like loading
your truck though a little hole near the license plate on your car.

-Robert

Well, Mooney/Bonanza discussions are a little out of my league ... a bit
below me if you will.

But I'll bet the real reason has to do with Mooney's steel tube cabin cage
versus what I think is a stressed skin (monowhatever) structure on the
Cessna's and Bo's. I think that steel tube structure is what tends to be
corroded on older Mooneys.

My Maule has a cargo door almost as big as the other 3, yes 3, passenger
doors. Tube and fabric allows that easily.

We pile 4 in there, 70lbs of luggage in the back, another 20 with the
passengers, and 4 hours of fuel. It's just going so slow that we need the 4
hours to get anywhere.

But put 2 in and *anything* you could possibly want with 4.5 hours. It's a
clean machine!!

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
m...
The other day I saw a guy drive up to his Bonanza with a car load of
bags. This is something I've done for years in my Mooney but many
years since I've flown a Bonanza or Cessna. In my Mooney, the baggage
door opens at the top of the cabin (the door is long enough that it
goes down to the middle and opens like a clam shell, much like a car's
trunk). I can easily load heavey bag on top of heavy bag in the Mooney
by dropping them down on top of each other. How did I do it back in
the Bonanza days? It looks like I must have had to load a bag in the
bottom door , reach in, hold that bag up and then slide another bag
under it. Or perhaps I climbed in through the back seat and loaded the
bags that way.

How do most of the Bonanza/Cessna pilots here do it? Why would anyone
put a baggage door on the bottom of the baggage area. Its like loading
your truck though a little hole near the license plate on your car.

-Robert

Stand down there Steve. Why are you so harsh? I think Robert had a
legitimate question and it partially applies to Cherokee drivers (although
putting very heavy bags in the baggage area of many Cherokee models isn't a
great idea). Also, I'm sure he would have thought up a better subject in
which to slam Bo and Cessna models.

BTW, I heard--probably from this newsgroup--that the Mooney tail design was
for better handling at higher angles of attack (say in a flare).

Marco


"Steve Robertson" wrote in message
...
Why would anyone build a plane with manual gear and hydraulic flaps, like
many Moonys? Why would anyone build a plane with only one door like
Cherokees, Moneys, and most Beechcraft? Why would anyone build a plane
with the wing on top? Why would anyone build a plane with the wing on the
bottom? Why ... ?

Look, I think your question is probably a tounge-in-cheek jab at Bonanza
drivers. But it comes off as pretty close to being a troll. It would be
pretty impractical to put a top hinged baggage door on a Bone because the
top of fuselage is several feet higher off the ground than a Mooney. Maybe
Cessna could have done it, but I suspect the engineering and production
costs of such a feature would result in a higher price.

By the way, why do they stick the tail on backwards on Mooneys?

Steve Robertson
N4732J 1967 Beechcraft A23-24 Musketeer Super III

"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

The other day I saw a guy drive up to his Bonanza with a car load of
bags. This is something I've done for years in my Mooney but many
years since I've flown a Bonanza or Cessna. In my Mooney, the baggage
door opens at the top of the cabin (the door is long enough that it
goes down to the middle and opens like a clam shell, much like a car's
trunk). I can easily load heavey bag on top of heavy bag in the Mooney
by dropping them down on top of each other. How did I do it back in
the Bonanza days? It looks like I must have had to load a bag in the
bottom door , reach in, hold that bag up and then slide another bag
under it. Or perhaps I climbed in through the back seat and loaded the
bags that way.

How do most of the Bonanza/Cessna pilots here do it? Why would anyone
put a baggage door on the bottom of the baggage area. Its like loading
your truck though a little hole near the license plate on your car.

-Robert




Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com

"tony" wrote in message

By the way, why do they stick the tail on backwards on Mooneys?

Didn't you know? We Mooney jocks like our tail backwards.

LOL! There HAD to be a comeback 'cause I'm sure Steve isn't the first
person to look at a Mooney tail and think "wtf is up with that?"


-c

"Robert M. Gary" wrote:
Or perhaps I climbed in through the back seat and loaded the
bags that way.

How do most of the Bonanza/Cessna pilots here do it?

I use a hydraulic ram, a chainsaw and vaseline to make suitcases fit
through the baggage door on the Cutlass.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

On 25 Jun 2004 09:12:25 -0700, (Robert M. Gary)
wrote:

The other day I saw a guy drive up to his Bonanza with a car load of
bags. This is something I've done for years in my Mooney but many
years since I've flown a Bonanza or Cessna. In my Mooney, the baggage
door opens at the top of the cabin (the door is long enough that it
goes down to the middle and opens like a clam shell, much like a car's
trunk). I can easily load heavey bag on top of heavy bag in the Mooney
by dropping them down on top of each other. How did I do it back in
the Bonanza days? It looks like I must have had to load a bag in the
bottom door , reach in, hold that bag up and then slide another bag
under it. Or perhaps I climbed in through the back seat and loaded the
bags that way.

How do most of the Bonanza/Cessna pilots here do it? Why would anyone
put a baggage door on the bottom of the baggage area. Its like loading
your truck though a little hole near the license plate on your car.

My Cherokee has the bottom opening door that is only ~2" tall. It is
a pain to load luggage. I usually fly without the rear seats, so will
load bags from the front door.

How do most of the Bonanza/Cessna pilots here do it? Why would anyone
put a baggage door on the bottom of the baggage area. Its like loading
your truck though a little hole near the license plate on your car.

I've helped a guy load his Mooney (on his final flight, but that's another
story), and was appalled at how truly difficult it was to load suitcases and
other luggage through that dinky little hole cut into the TOP of the
fuselage.

You have to do a virtual dead lift, straight up, then over, and then down
into the cabin -- preferably without scratching the paint. A truly bad
design.

My Cherokee, on the other hand, has a side baggage door that opens wide and
tall, and allows me to load 200 pounds of luggage without lifting any higher
than the very bottom of the fuselage.

The designers of the Cherokee got this one right. Mooney, however, did not.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"