Decisions, decisions... Which plane should I get???

Kestrel452

New Member
Ok, the Turbo Arrow is definitely a no go. It's just too complicated for what it is. The remaining candidates are the: Piper Arrow III, Piper Dakota, Mooney M20J. Please vote for which one you think is the best, and then post why you chose it. Thanks for the help everyone!

The plane is going to be used mainly for 200-300 nautical mile trips/the occaisonal chicago-florida/$100 hamburger run/ and hometown aerial tour for the family. The main factors we are looking at in a plane are: performance, stability in-flight/ease of flying, and seating comfort both in front and back.

We are also considering a Piper Saratoga, but that's a whole different ball game. I'm mainly concerned with what you guys think about these 3 since they are essentially in the same boat.
 
"Cramped Mooney's" is nothing short of a myth passed the E model when they increased the size of the cabin. The only thing really different between a Nanzer and a Mooney is all that wasted space for unusable headroom. Even if you're 6ft 4 you can fit in a J model with ease and be very comfortable.

It's no different than sitting in a Corvette, the difference is they can carry your friends and the bags.

Get the J-model.
 
Well, here are the pros and cons that are lurking in the back of our heads.

Arrow III: Really only a 3 person plane if you expect to be hauling full fuel and luggage i.e. vacationing far away. It's not as fast as it should be. BUT, it is a tried and true airplane that is reliable/safe/easy to fly. It is also a retractable gear which is nice. And a Piper is a Piper, anyone anywhere will be able to service it if need be.

Piper Dakota: This plane hauls like a mule. 1000 pounds left even with full fuel. Easily accommodates 4 adults, full fuel, and a good amount of luggage. Nice big 6 cylinder IO-540. Cruise speed is slightly faster than the Arrow. Although, it's not retractable and eats up a little more gas than the other two airplanes.

Mooney M20J: It's 35-40 knots faster than the Arrow III, and they both have the same engine! Mooneys are also known for being very well built and holding their value. They're very sleek looking planes too (if it's painted tastefully). Downsides are that they more expensive and their useful load is pretty much the same as the Arrow. I keep hearing claims from people that the Mooney is more roomy than the Pipers and I also hear people say it's less roomy; I don't really know for sure on this since I have yet to actually sit in one.
 
Well, here are the pros and cons that are lurking in the back of our heads.

Arrow III: Really only a 3 person plane if you expect to be hauling full fuel and luggage i.e. vacationing far away. It's not as fast as it should be. BUT, it is a tried and true airplane that is reliable/safe/easy to fly. It is also a retractable gear which is nice. And a Piper is a Piper, anyone anywhere will be able to service it if need be.
That is true of every airplane in existence when you add weight to it.

Piper Dakota: This plane hauls like a mule. 1000 pounds left even with full fuel. Easily accommodates 4 adults, full fuel, and a good amount of luggage. Nice big 6 cylinder IO-540. Cruise speed is slightly faster than the Arrow. Although, it's not retractable and eats up a little more gas than the other two airplanes.
Two more cylinders means that much more Mx in addition to burning more gas.

Mooney M20J: It's 35-40 knots faster than the Arrow III, and they both have the same engine! Mooneys are also known for being very well built and holding their value. They're very sleek looking planes too (if it's painted tastefully). Downsides are that they more expensive and their useful load is pretty much the same as the Arrow. I keep hearing claims from people that the Mooney is more roomy than the Pipers and I also hear people say it's less roomy; I don't really know for sure on this since I have yet to actually sit in one.
I flew an M20 once for only an hour, and I felt very cramped. I'm 5'11" and about 210 pounds.

I am wondering why a Cessna is not in the running here? you can get a slick 177 for cheap these days.
 
Really? I have to chose between these three? I feel like Nancy Kerrigan..."WHY? WHY? WHHHYYYYYY?"

Take off the panties, slip on some boxers and step up to this:

StinsonV-77.jpg
 
You wish, Waco...

No no...I don't have anything personally at stake here. I just hate to see you limit yourself to those three sucky nosewheel airplanes. Seriously - before you spend money on a plane, at least get a TW endorsement. You will thank me later and it opens up an incredible array of airplanes, all of which are cooler than the three you suggest.

Also - please look at the C-177 (if you insist on training wheels). It looks cooler than any of the three, they are nice flying airplanes, and I reasonably efficient on 200 hp (assuming the RG). I like Dakota's, but don't understand why you would "much prefer" them to the C-182.

Doesn't matter anyway...a Cessna 180 is what you need. Seriously, it will put some hair on your flavored tobacco - trust me.
 
I am still very curious as to why the Mooney has such a higher cruising speed than the Arrow even though they both have the exact same engine and are pretty much the same size. Anyone care to explain this?
 
I am still very curious as to why the Mooney has such a higher cruising speed than the Arrow even though they both have the exact same engine and are pretty much the same size. Anyone care to explain this?

Probably has something to do with aerodynamics. I'm not an engineer, but that would probably be my first guess! Wing shape, drag...all that stuff.
 
Probably has something to do with aerodynamics. I'm not an engineer, but that would probably be my first guess! Wing shape, drag...all that stuff.

That was my first guess. Maybe Mooney just engineers their planes that much better. I read that Mooney hired Roy LoPresti to clean up the M20's design, and his design tweaks resulted in what we now know at the M20J.
 
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