Try this - it is accurate through 2006:

"Mooney Model Chronology (1948-2006)
A page with a table summarizing all Mooney Aircraft models, starting with the first Mite in 1948. Includes number built; serial number range; description; pricing; and photos. Also: links to other resources on Mooney models."

https://www.mooneyevents.com/chrono.htm

Note: The various model photo links unfortunately no longer work.

The Lycoming TIO-540-AF1B is indeed found in the long body Mooney M20M. This was was originally in 1989 called the TLS (Turbo Lycoming Sabre) and then in 1996 it became the TLS Bravo and then eventually just the Bravo.

The E model is probably the biggest bang for your buck Mooney out there. I had a F model and it is probably the best/heaviest load hauler. The E has the same engine but a few hundred pounds lighter though. Thus 5 or so knots faster at 10gph =155 knots TAS.

Corrosion will kill a Mooney! So always check your spar.

Get an early one. Wood wing and wood tail. As I remember the AD for the vertical stabilizer was just a single paragraph that required imposing a side load with a rope and weight. If it didn’t break you were good for another year!!!!

It is not easy or cheap, but there have been cases of replacing the rear spar.

I am loving my 252/Encore. Especially 170-175 KTAS on 10.1 GPH. That is in the teens, but the turbo makes that easy.

I really want a Mooney. Use to fly an F model a long time ago, but I have a need now for a good 2 person (wife, me and 2 small dogs) and economical plane and I think a Mooney would be perfect. Main mission is from Sarasota area to Tallahassee and Charlotte.

Been looking at 201's as they seem in the price range. There's a local 231 for sale or partnership, but I can't really use the turbo due to the dogs. Would love an acclaim, but thats not as economical as a 201.

Is there much of a difference cabin wise between an acclaim or 201? Is the 231 comparable maintenance wise to the 201? Are there any other differences between the 201 and 231 (Mx, etc)?

Thanks

The cabins are essentially the same throughout the years, except the mid bodies (F/G/J/K) added 10" of fuselage length that got +5" rear leg room and +5" baggage room. Widths are the same, although the later models in the mid 90s and on got nicer fiberglass interior panels instead of plastic/royalite.

The most flexible Mooney cabin would be an '82+ that has split & removable rear bucket seats so you can convert easily to a flat cargo floor for dog loading. I retrofitted those seats to replace my fixed rear bench seat in my '77 and it adds tremendous utility & flexibility with loading. A 201 would likely suit your mission perfectly, IMO. I still love mine after 18 years! Our dog climbs right in and settles down nicely with all that room, and I can arrange multiple dog crates in there for Pilots n Paws flights.

A 231 (M20K) would be very similar, although less efficient (MPG) due to the lower compression pistons + turbo and typically lower useful load compared to a comparable J. Maintenance will generally be the same, except for the turbo-related components and perhaps a built-in oxygen system that is likely on a K. The later model K (252, 1986+) offers a lot of incremental improvements AND the ability to upgrade to the last K configuration (Encore 1997-98) that enables + 230 lb gross weight increase. Most K's can or be made to run LOP to help with the efficiency. The original 231 didn't come with an intercooler or Merlyn wastegate controller, but many have them added. The 252 and Encore had them from the factory.

The Acclaim is a long-body turbo speed demon so I'm not sure that's the airplane you're thinking of if you're cross-shopping with a 201. I only have about 25 hours in a 201 but it would likely be a great cross-country machine for that kind of mission. I'd love an Ovation - long-body NA 6-cylinder - but, again, that's in a higher price bracket for both acquisition and operating costs.

Hopefully adding some detail here thats as accurate as I can get by cheating with Grok:

Exact size specs for every Mooney model are tough to pin down because the company’s produced so many variants over the years, and detailed dimensions aren’t always consistently documented across sources. I’ll give you what’s clear from what I know about the Mooney M20 series, which is the main family of aircraft they’ve built since the 1950s. They’re grouped into short-body (M20 to M20E), medium-body (M20F to M20K), and long-body (M20L to M20V) models, based on fuselage length.

Short-body models, like the early M20 through M20E, have a fuselage around 23 feet long, wingspan about 35 feet, and height roughly 8 feet. They’re compact, designed for four seats but snug, with less legroom.

Medium-body models, like the M20F, M20G, M20J, and M20K, stretch the fuselage to about 25 feet, keeping the same wingspan and height, giving a bit more passenger space.

Long-body models, like the M20L to M20V, including the Acclaim and Ovation Ultras, extend to around 27 feet long, with a wingspan closer to 36 feet and height still near 8 feet. These offer the most legroom and comfort.

All M20s are low-wing, single-engine aircraft with tricycle gear. Wing area stays around 174 to 178 square feet across models. Gross weight ranges from about 2,400 pounds in early short-bodies to 3,368 pounds in later long-bodies like the M20V. For precise numbers, you’d need to check specific model manuals or manufacturer data, as slight variations exist even within model groups due to engine or gear differences.

That's a great source for information on all the models up to 2006. If you've narrowed it down to just the J models (201's), then try this link for comparisons between the various years of J model: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/vie ... BROWSELINK

Mike, all the Mooneys from the F model forward have the same legroom and width (the long bodies added all their extra length in the baggage area). Most have around 900# UL (+/- 100# or so) and all fly the same wing (with or without wingtips, those add about a foot of wingspan), so you basically just have to decide what engine you want to fly behind.

And as we all know, the IO-360 is the best engine for the airframe, so the J model is the one to get

Flew 550 hrs in an M20M that I bought from another BT'er (Ken Reed) in 2007. Really liked that plane and that engine.

Enroute to Florida one afternoon somewhere over south Georgia I heard Neal Boortz check in with Atlanta northbound in his Ovation. Unmistakable voice. He was friendly to another Mooney.

The long body Mooney’s were made so in order to have enough arm on the horizontal stab to offset the heavy TIO540 engine in the Bravo and subsequent Ovation and Acclaim Continentals.

The extra baggage seems at 1st blush to be a bonus, but I never found the 231 to lack baggage space, and the forward extent of the baggage compartment can be a stretch to grab stuff out of with the Acclaim.

For your 2+bags mission, they (mid body) are a great choice, just choose your adventure: turbo or not.
-dan

The mid body Mooney is a good choice for a lot of two people travelers. You just gotta pick if you want a turbo at 231 or a regular 201. Also, you can inspect the spar caps and you can inspect all of the spar pretty easily for a pre-buy, and you definitely want to do that. They're difficult to work on some areas and they're easy to work on others, but they're pretty straightforward simple honest airplanes. And they return the best fuel economy of anything, 17 nautical miles per gallon for a 201. Nobody else can really do 159 kn on 10 gallons like that.
159 or 161 kn is kind of the limit for a four-cylinder Mooney.
And then I find myself wanting to go faster than that pretty much all the time, so I think it's time to buy ourselves an IO550R A36.

We take care of Bonanza and Mooney's, I know a Bonanza takes about 35 hours to do an annual inspection per the factory service manual checklist, and the mooney is about 28-30. Pulling for the floorboards, for example, is a real pain in the ass. And unscrewing those panels from the bottom of the mooney is a pain in the ass, but about 50% of the bonanza plywood job.

Mid bodies have more front seat leg room also. Unlike Beechcraft, when they stretched it, they moved the fuselage forward on the wing too...

Loved my E. Love my K even more. But for personal travel in the SE, I'd skip the turbo. The TSIO-360-XBXX takes a lot more maintenance than my 360 Lycoming did. It's great if you need it, not worth the hassle if you don't.

For 2 people and gear, and E, F, J is hard to beat.