Mooney M10, model J

Edit: link removed at the request of some Mooney folks. Google is your friend.

THREE (?) seats?

Someone had to do it. The FAA would make this a 10 year and 100 million dollar plane before it gets certified.
It's also retractable that makes it a complex aircraft so I wonder if it's meant to transition to a faster plane from this trainer.

Third seat is for an observing student. Seems to be common practice among the large 141 academies serving Asian customers.

I can't say I'm surprised if this is indeed something coming soon. New Chinese ownership, and apparently they're maintaining a new engineering office in the LA vs. Kerrville, as well as new entities in China for sales/marketing. Perhaps training will be added soon. It does make some sense. I'll be curious to see where it is built, and what cert path they choose...if they're smart they would do it entirely over there and not bother with export to the US. Yes, I'm cynical.

Being 100% speculative of course but Perhaps the experienced engineering skill set is here so design and maybe testing occurs in the US with sales in China and 3rd world where markets don't have the bureaucracy and where the middle class or at least younger people with money live.
Could they design and test this in the US under the experimental rule?

They could design it, build it, and fly it all they want here... the question becomes where they want to sell it, and perhaps then the cert path would be clearer. If it is to be sold here too, then it will need US certification (obviously) but it might be wiser to pursue a European or Chinese certification first, and I'm not even sure IF there is a Chinese cert authority for general aviation, and then pursue a reciprocal cert approval here. That is what some of the Euro manufacturers do.

Most likely it will be built and have an Asian certification only, there is talk that Piper is going to do the same thing with a Piper Cherokee version.

Chances are they'll just get all the engineering figured out over here and then high tail it. Seen them do the same with other systems. And it makes sense.

Did they really design an all-new composite airframe and accidentally put the tail on backwards AGAIN??

Everyone ELSE has the tail on backwards! Al Mooney got it right.

thats not a bad looking airplane. Much better than the many new trainers.

Looks like the teenage child of a Mooney 201 and a Cessna TTx. I like it.

What I want to know is whether they built it with enough shoulder room for two adults.

I will go ahead and ask what's on everyone's mind - does it have a chute?

There now I feel better.

Peace,
Don

That is a good looking "trainer". So because our FAA is such a overgrown inept government bureaucracy all manufacturing and sales (marketing) will be done in China. Boy, that is a classic example of how government overreaching will kill an economy.