Mark takes a look at the Mooney M20E and the Cessna Cardinal 177RG, which are two very similar planes. This was Skywagon University's first, full length feature film. We really don't know how we managed to make it 47 minutes long!
I never watched any video for 30 minutes, let alone 47 minutes...until this one. First time I see your video and it will not be the last. Congratulations on a superbly made video and a well delivered, full of real knowledge, job. From Orlando, Florida...best wishes from a retired Science College Professor, who flies for fun.
I'm an A&P and a Pilot. I've never felt so engaged and enthralled about these two baby birds as when this Gent from across the puddle talks about them. Well done, sir. I'm now subscribed with ALL notifications. If only all people could talk about planes like this guy. He doesn't come across as pompous, he doesn't have a "Radio-voice" like so many do, I just enjoyed his presentation.
Thank you for noticing that I just talk normally. I really dislike the "news reporter" voice or talking differently because there is a camera. There is no need. I always wonder if the newscasters talk at dinner parties or at home to their partners like they do on camera. It is annoying to watch.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 nobody on the planet has a more formulaic News cadence as the people from Skynews Australia. You know what I'm talking about, it's the same pattern repeated over and over again.
I own a 75 Cardinal. It took me 3 months to decide between the Cardinal and a Mooney. The cabin and my wife's opinion made the decision. Never looked back. This was brilliant. Thanks.
I'm a Mooney guy (M20J) who has also owned a Cessna 172 and has flown several Piper models. Cessna's generally don't get my blood flowing. However, recently, one of my friends...who's fairly tall...bought a Cardinal and I have to say, it's a pretty impressive and capable airplane.
The Cardinal door is a blessing and a curse. Easy to get in and out of, but don't let it go in the wind. We did a comparison video on the two aircraft. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EBvU3-eSfX4.html
@@skywagonuniversity5023 LOL...that was one of the first things my friend told me when we did a walk-around! I also find the gear up kind of funky. Very bird-like.
I appreciate the entertaining video Mr. Mark and Mr. Don. I am planting corn tonight, and I listened to the whole presentation, and even caught a few glances because my tractor is on autopilot.
That is excellent, you have a video or at least a computer on internet in your automatic piloted tractor. Or your phone. Anyway, I'd like to see a video on that.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 I am using a Trimble TMX autopilot on my John Deere 8420. The Trimble autopilot recieves radio signals from stationary GPS base stations around my county that calculate GPS position corrections. The base stations broadcast that correction signal (over the air via radio) to the Trimble in the tractor. The Trimble uses the correction signal information to refine the GPS location of the tractor to within a fraction of an inch many times a second. The Trimble autopilot uses sensors (accelerometers, angle sensors, and gyros) mounted on the tractor to further refine the other variables: instantaneous heading, steering angle, and tilt of the machine (which moves the roof mounted GPS reciever). The autopilot compensates for all those variables in realtime and steers the tractor. Autopilot has many uses for the farm, but in a nutshell, it helps us reduce overlap, reduce chemical/fertilizer/fuel/seed waste, and increase productivity. It's nice to have something that makes it easier on the operator, saves money, and helps the environment a little too! How rare is that?!
@@skywagonuniversity5023 and you don't carry them to Telluride in August, to be sure, not without turbo-normalizing. Man, when I can scrape together enough rubles to buy an airplane, I'm coming to you. Even though you're out of my way, you're an absolute riot!
Mark is a great guy. When I was shopping for a Mooney I called him up to talk financing. Mark had a beautiful little M20C for sale that I was eyeing. Mark steered me in the right direction for financing and while I didn’t end up buying him C I ended up going with an M20J with another broker. 10 years later I still love my Mooney but I always appreciated Mark’s help by talking to me and his excellent customer service.
Just recently began flying an M20C for my complex endorsement and I absolutely loved it. Your videos on the Mooney had very me very excited and the plane delivered!
I rode along as a student in a Mooney M20C Ranger many many years ago having a few hours in a 150 and loved it. I asked the instructor in confusion "why doesn't everyone have one of these"?
I came this close to getting my complex endorsement in a Mooney. My flight school had one on the line, but no instructors were checked out yet in it. Soon the Mooney moved away. Maybe because no one flew it? In any case, the Mooney with the manual retractable landing gear is at the top of my airplane shopping list for when that magical time arrives. The 177RG however is in the number two slot. Now, on with the show!
I’ve often wondered about this tendency to hyper focus on the “complex” part of transition which scared me to the point of procrastination to get it done. I finally confessed my anxiety, to my CFI and he understood. Think of it as a natural transition to a slightly more competent version of the plane you’ve already been flying. Maybe it’s only a constant prop. Then add some retractable gear to start.
Outstanding, thorough review. I’ve owned my fixed gear Cardinal for 10 years. I have a few things to add: The Cardinal fuel system is stone simple: Left/Right/Both. Mine lives in Both 99% of the time. The prop clearance on the Cardinal is greater than the Mooney’s, something to consider for grass field ops. Cardinals come with 3 point shoulder harnesses. I retrofitted mine with the B.A.S. 4 point, inertia reel system. Not sure if shoulder harnesses are an option for Mooneys. The Cardinal Flyers Online, the type club for Cardinals, is one of the best run, informative, and active groups out there, despite the relatively small fleet size. As a result, there are many after market mods available for Cardinals. One of the most popular is the tuned exhaust by Powerflow. The Powerflow exhaust adds “bolt on” horsepower, which is most noticeable on takeoff and climb, but will also add a couple of knots in cruise. My fixed gear Cardinal has several additional speed mods and I typically see true airspeeds between 130-135 knots (150-155 mph) at 10.4 -10.8 GPH between 6000-8000 feet, 75% power. Not bad for an airplane built in 1970 with the gear down and welded. The Cardinal’s front seats adjust fore/aft, up/down, and the seat back angle can be adjusted. The up/down feature is great for shorter pilots/pax. No need for cushions or phone books (millennials & younger may need to Google that 😜). In the end, both are excellent airplanes. Having to choose between them is a very 1st world problem. I’m a lucky man to be the caretaker of my Cardinal. I plan to leave it better than I found it.
still laughing a.e.i.o.u. are vowels and it must be dam early in the morning when mark does not know every rivet on a plane another great video thanks skywagon university 👍
One of the best side-by-side comparisons I've seen. You have a knack for this. I've never flown a Mooney, but have quite a few hours in a 177 identical to that one, & I loved flying it. Thx for doing the video.
Started in Cessna 172's, then went to Cherokee Warriors. Love them both but always longed for a Mooney. I picked up a low time 68 M20C that needed a lot of TLC and a restore job. Its almost done and can't wait to fly it. Your Video and the flight in your Mooney was very inspiring and helpful. Thanks!
Bought my 76 Cardinal RGII in 1987 with 1600hrs on it for $18,000 ; )' It had sat for 4yrs without flying and had 3mths left on the annual. Changed the tires and battery when I bought it. It has been the perfect airplane for my family of 4 over the years. I still have it today and it has been the best investment I have ever made! Only a couple of minor unscheduled mx issues over 35yrs of ownership. I highly recommend the Cardinal to anyone still on the fence! They were made from 71 to 78 and the best models to get are the 76 and 77 the 78 is 24 volts.
I have a G model Mooney and love it. It is almost impossible to get out of CG. One day I was playing around on foreflight to see what it would take and 120lbs in the baggage and two 250lb passengers in the back seat and only me up front is what it took to get it past the aft CG limit.
The first time I was allowed some stick time was on a Mooney m20e was my bosses when I was 16 loved it he used to say it seats 2.5 adults lol I went everywhere I could in it
Excellent video comparison Mark, thanks for putting these superb info videos together, they take a lot of work... and did you say "that's why I've got 6" after landing the Mooney? haha great!
I love your presentations -- very interesting and informative. And the demo that follows is great too ! ! Will definitely be looking out for more -- Thanks
two wings each! Who would have guessed!! Thanks for the video brings back great memories. My dad had a 76 177 RG, loved flying in it! Great visibility in the 177 and easy to get in and out of may be the only advantages for me
I have a Mod Squad 63 M20C under restoration. Some advice if your looking for a Mooney make sure you inspect the tubing in the cabin structure for rust. Especially near windows & doors where water can leak in. Also those instrument inspection panels can leak if not sealed properly. Some Mooney's mostly later ones have poor paint adhesion on the tubing & are completely bare steel. Requires pulling the interior, hand sanding rust & painting with a brush to get to the blind side against the skin. If it's bad, tubing has to be cut out & new tube welded in. I was lucky with my bird someone had Dinitroled the whole airframe. The aluminum inside the wings was like a mirror, Dinitrol saved it from sitting outside for years. ACF & Boesheild don't last & are inferior products to Dinitrol. Make sure you get a mechanic thats a real expert on Mooney's for the prebuy. Alot of great pretenders out there.
Another comprehensive and very enjoyable video. If I had my choice I’m not certain which I would choose. I have flown the RG years ago during flight training and it was a joy to fly. I loved the sleek appearance. It just looked fast. Great access through the doors and the visibility through that big windshield.
I’m all about “bringing fold up bikes” to the destination for two people and not calling Uber. The Cardinals handle that mission perfectly with ease, the Mooney forget it. Being able to see the guy landing next to you on parallel runway with your wing up as you turn to final is a God send. Cirrus nightmare as everyone remembers.
Thanks for your evaluation. I have 700 hrs in the Cardinal RG from my flight instructing days. I owned a Mooney G for 20years. Obviously, my preference is the Mooney. The Cardinal will carry more with decent speed but the Mooney will fly faster, stronger, better economy and ramp appeal.
Thanks. I try to make the videos not about sales, but I see your point. The exact equivalent Mooney would me a 1977 201 and as far as pricing goes, those two would be very similar. The E is older (1965) and therefore cheaper, but that does not make it go slower.
Great side by side comparison. Years ago when I was in university, we did a road trip down to Eugene, Ore with my Prof. who belonged to a flying club there. The 4 of us piled into a mooney and flew it back to YVR. I was 6’2” at the time, and very comfortable in the back seat..
Hmmm… well I flew a ‘65 Mooney for a few years and ended up with a ‘75 Cardinal for the last 20+ years. With my two bladed prop (a three bladed is slower in cruise), I cruise at 150ktas. I measure my cabin width at the shoulders and it is 48 inches. I am certain it is wider than the mooney. I would be shoulder touching shoulder with my flight instructor in the mooney but in the Cardinal there’s a good five inches between our shoulders. Plus I have a center console between the two seats that is 4 inches wide. Nothing beats the Cardinal doors and there are after market door stops to keep them from becoming wind sails. At any rate, the Mooney is a wonderful aircraft but I find the Cardinal to be a much more comfortable aircraft with great range and about the same fuel economy and speed. I also thinks it’s the prettiest single piston aircraft Cessna ever produced. I would love to redo this presentation with my two bladed Cardinal, beautiful paint job, mint interior, and, of course, let my bias towards the Cardinal shine thru.
Great comparison video on these two aircraft. I've flown the Cardinal a number of times when my friend owned one. He was working on his IFR rating at the time. We found it to be quite capable as an IFR platform. When I flew a Mooney years ago, it did well as an instrument ship and was fast too! Thanks for your informative content!
Many thanks for your bringing back my deep-seated nostalgia for Mooneys. I bought an M20A at the end of my AID tour in Chile and flew that baby back to DC, taking seven weeks to visit friends and sightsee en route, a trip of some 6,900 miles. What a fast, comfortable long-legged beauty that flying marvel was. Sniff, sniff...
6,900 miles but a wonderful adventure, taking 7 weeks, with 3 in Mexico. I am sorry, I didn't find your response 'tol just now. Great nostalgia...thanks
Very nice Mark.. my instructor was a Mooney advocate.. Reinhard Jarshke.. if I remember his story correctly, he ferryed the first Mooneys to Germany.. 6 aircraft in total I believe. And yes, he was biased.. but his instruction was first rate, as tho he owned the Piper and Cessna we used. Thanks for your objective comparison. Always a pleasure watching.
I used to 'help' a guy fly his '65 E. Oh dear god was that a fun time in my life! However finances have changed, and so must my playthings. I have to relate one of my last BFRs in that Mooney. For the 'unusual attitude' portion I put my head down to my knees, Jim put it in a shallow, full powered descent, and then slooowly pulled back back back. At stall speed he kicked left rudder, throttle to idle, and said, 'your airplane'! So I look up, and we have no airspeed, no vertical speed, stall horn screaming, staring straight down at the ground - we're just hanging there in a perfect hammerhead stall. It was hilarious. 'course, I didn't have to do a thing - just don't pull the wings off. LOVE tha 'E'.
I really had hopes for going to Telluride in August with my anvils 🤣🤣. Seriously though, great video! Your knowledge of these airplanes is much appreciated .
Thanks for the tip on hot starts! I fly a Super Decathlon as a rental and I'm never quite sure how it's supposed to work (do a lot of cold starts but rarely hot start), it as an AEIO-360.
Excellent “unbiased” overview. I have a 75 Cardinal RGII and you covered everything in a very factual manner. Thanks for the additional hot start technique. I will definitely be using that though I have the STC’d Lycoming IO390. I had done a prebuy on a 1980 Mooney M20K 231 model but there were too many squawks and it had been sitting out on tie down for a couple years in Maine coastal weather. Mooneys are great planes and the designers captured the essence of what pilots wanted in a true commuter plane. It is interesting that the popular RV aircraft use the same pushrod style controls and captured that crisp accurate responsiveness that you describe in your narrative.
Thanks. Yes, the early K model Mooneys (M20K-231) has the problematic IO-360 GB six cylinder Continental in them. Upgraded to the IO-360 LB1B which is a bit better.
I flew a Mooney with extended range tanks for an 8 hour leg, followed by a 5 hour leg. I slept in the plane between legs. Never ever said Mooney's were too small or uncomfortable again. Ended up buying a Mooney for myself! - Don the Camera Guy.
Loved the comparison! One day a 177 FG is in my future. However, I have always been enamored with Mooney aircraft. Just not the best choice for me due to arthritic knees. Great presentation and comparative detail.
We operated a Comanche 400 for a few years delivering newspapers to country Victoria in the late 60s. In summer, after refuelling, doing a hot start involved purging the air from the lines by flooding and then flogging the starter, mixture lean and full throttle. What a pia it was !
When hot, add no fuel and give it full throttle and no fuel at all (mixture out) crank it, it starts and quickly mixture in and throttle out before it rev's up. The 720 in a 400 is literally two 360's, so same process.
Really appreciated the comparison! Have always wanted a Cardinal, mainly for the ease of entry and getting in and out of planes at my age has become a limiting factor. Just now getting checked out in an intercooled M-31. It is very comfortable once I'm in. Have to say I really like the way it flies and lands. I will be giving the owner instrument training.
I owned a "G" for about 10 years and loved it. Put on every speed mod available except the "J" cowl. Installed a Garmin 530/430 comm/nav combo plus JPI fuel flow and a few others for the panel. Fuel bladders and manual gear solved lots of issues/ADs. If there was a way to kill recurring inspections, it was done. I eventually sold her to a guy that really seemed to appreciate her. The Cardinal is a great aerial SUV but the Mooney is pure FUN.
177 RG, 1976 owner since 2008. Still in love. Best SEP aircraft handlingwise and very reasonable performance and economy in that power-range. Just a super aircraft.
Got to fly a Mooney a bit when I was 12 (mid '60's) and it was tight. Then I found out years later a school buddy bought a Cardinal - but I've never been in one. Being tall, I really like the twin doors of the Cardinal. But dang, Mooney's are cool.
I have .5 unlogged (riding right seat) in a 20E, what a blast that was.It's my potentially-attainable dream plane. The 177 is a fine aircraft in its own right, but something about the M20 just speaks to me.
Lot's of jokes in this one. I always see you as a serious guy, so enjoyed all the humor! Thank you for the comparison. I am currently looking for a 210 to get a true 4-place aircraft that is high-wing and actually checked one you "had". I really want a 2-door and so rare to find a low-wing with 2 doors. Also, large people getting into a low-wing tend to "fall in" and then have to climb out. While getting into the high-wing is stepping up into it and stepping down out of it. Thank you for the new video Mark!
@@skywagonuniversity5023 I enjoy your depth of knowledge on the subtleties of the variations. Your video was long because it was full of information. I did not feel like there was anything else you could have speed up or trimmed as it seems the pace was very well done and there was no superfluous content. I think that people that don't like long videos are probably more turned off to that and not that it is "chocked full of" good content!
This is easily the best Mooney video on the internet. To get the real Mooney measurements I had to find one and do it myself. I bought a Comanche but I still do have love for the Mooney.
I have flown and liked both aircraft. My first landing done in the M20E with 4 onboard was a forced landing due to the failure of the fuel injection pump. Although it was into a short grass strip with a gorge on the threathhold on the approach and lake at the other end and a strong crosswind l managed to do a copybook forced landing due to its ease of control. Appart from the inconvidience this landing did have a very happy ending for me. One of my passengers that l had met for the first time 3 days before became my wife and the mother of my two sons.
Great adlib at the 10:09 minute mark with the alphabet soup fest ending in the vowels 😂! You sure do know your Mooney's and Cardinals but especially the Mooneys! Wow, 1st video of yours I've seen, kept me interested! Being so used to seeing struts on almost all the small cessnas it always makes me think id feel better looking down from 1 with the strut there! Theyre handy for hanging onto also, had 2 jumps from a 182 way back in the day! A cardil wouldnt work for that purpose i guess, but i sure love those big doors! Liked & subscribed!
Grew up flying with my father, who owned two different Mooney. If I was ever buy a plane I would be purchasing a Mooney, probably a J model. Plainly, just a helluva sexy plane.
Great video! I was torn between buying the Mooney, the Cardinal or the Arrow, when I flew with a salesman to look at a plane in his TR182. This year I will now have owned my TR182 for 20 years and love it more each and every year.
Very good comparison , I am interested in the Cardinal love the big doors. I have a very fast 150 you would enjoy flying, but a bit limited with two seats.
