It would be a better business for Mooney because they might be able to actually STAY in business, which I believe is one of the first things you need to do to be a success in the business world. They could still make their old, err, I mean “Legacy”, models for people who want them. And parts for the fleet, too. As it is people don’t, on a sustainable scale, want them. It’s hard to stay in business making things people don’t want. And “going out of business” every few years doesn’t give people a warm, fuzzy feeling about future support for their 700K investment.

Future of Mooney at this point would be customer support, not building aircraft. Same as the Bellanca Viking, and many others. We all want to see them build new airplanes, but the overhead to do so is a losing battle I'm sure if your only delivering a handful a year.

He may have a soft-spot for the marque. Mike's first plane was a Mooney. I flew it a couple times.

M

He may have a soft-spot for the marque. Mike's first plane was a Mooney. I flew it a couple times.

M

I hate to say it but Mooney is done. They should just support the parts and warranty end of the business and leave it at that. The model is just not viable anymore.

Split the business into 3 parts -
1) Parts and support existing fleet
2) Maintenance / upgrade / refurb shop
3) R&D for maybe not so clean sheet design.

They have the same problem as the boeing max's - they're trying to stretch a 60+ year old basic design into another century without doing much in terms of actual innovation.

Creature comforts and "marketed safety" is why Cirrus wins. There's still a Niche between an SR22 and a Vision jet / SETP.

Remember the 301 started as a piston and ended up as the TBM. 301 with a diesel up front / pressurized / air conditioned with appropriately stout trailing link gear could satisfy a market niche; integrate a turbine upgrade path. Sounds a lot like a Malibu/Meridian. They'd have to price it to compete with the SR22's and that wouldn't happen. Plus they don't have the capital to undertake a TC project.

Roy LoPresti is literally narrating the issue with competition that is putting Mooney on a path to demise in this 301 first flight video. That's such a cool plane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj_dlyDpxQQ

Looking back, this could have been a market leader in its class.

Vince

Report on Mooneyspace this afternoon that the factory is closed again...

I just saw that and came here to take my BT beating

I guess negotiations to buy the company fell through. Can’t be too many potential buyers out there.

Mooney sold 14 planes in all of 2018. 11 units in first three quarters of 2019. Hard to run an aircraft company on a dozen or so units a year.

But I bet they had the staffing and overhead to support 120 units a year. The company attracts owners who are just terrible at math.

January 6, 2020 - furloughs again - only fluctuations are certain. https://dailytimes.com/promotions/artic ... DwxVaThrCE

Long time Mooney employee and legend Bill Wheat, who passed not all that long ago, said when Mooney went to the long body they should have used the wing that was used on the pressurized M22. Don't know why they didn't. Maybe the tooling was long gone. I'm a big fan of Mooney airplanes but they do seem to be in a rut as far as something new to attract buyers. I wish them all the best but like several others have said, you can't keep the doors open selling one new airplane a month.

Bring back the Mooney Mustang.