Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra - Price, Speed, Fuel Burn & Specs

Joe Haygood

March 8, 2023

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‍ Key Takeaways

  • The Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra is a four seat, general aviation aircraft, and the most recent member of the Mooney M20 family to roll off the production line.
  • Still in production, a brand new Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra costs between $760,000 and $900,000 depending on the options chosen
  • By contrast, a used Acclaim Ultra costs between $700,000 and $800,000 depending on age, condition and other factors
  • The Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra has a top speed of 242 knots, a cruise speed of 175 knots and has a maximum range of 1275 nmi
  • Its single Continental TSIO-550-G engine burns approximately 18 gph on average

‍ The Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra is the fastest single-engine four-seater plane on the planet. This guide looks at its features for prospective buyers.

The Acclaim Ultra rolled out in 2016 and currently costs between $780,000 and $900,000 new or $700,000 to $800,000 used. It has a max speed of 242 kn, a cruise speed of 175 kn and a maximum range of 1275 nmi. It is powered by a single Continental TSIO-550-G that burns 18 gallons of fuel per hour.

As an experienced flight instructor who teaches in single and multi-engine airplanes and a corporate pilot, I frequently fly various members of the Mooney M20 family, including the Acclaim Ultra,in addition to other GA and corporate aircraft.

Table of contents

‍ mooney m20 acclaim ultra background.

It is easy to mistake the fastest single-engine four-seater Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra as just the latest iteration of the M20 line that began in 1960. But it's not. Mooney Aircraft, the manufacturer of the Acclaim Ultra, changed enough of the structural design and the production process that it had to undergo recertification with the FAA.

The Acclaim Ultra, which rolled out in 2016 and remains in production, has been redesigned to be aerodynamically refined, structurally robust, and ergonomically superior. The changes resulted in production cost savings, reduced weight, and better performance.

The final result is a plane that is quicker to build and flies further faster while carrying more.

Based on the long body airframe of the M20 lineage, the Acclaim Ultra uses a welded steel tube cage combined with a semi-monocoque rear fuselage to deliver added strength and reduced weight. Aside from aerodynamic considerations that drive the new design, ergonomics of egress and ingress changed how structural designers reimagined the fuselage and cabin.

With two doors now, one for each front-row occupant, the steel tubing in the previous fuselage had to be redesigned to transfer stresses and force distribution around the brand new second door. The significantly larger doors meant that the force-carrying members of the fuselage had to be repositioned and strengthened to handle the torsion and bending moments of the airplane that is meant to go faster and carry more.

The steel structure is covered with a single-piece composite shell that was clipped to it, resulting in a smooth, aerodynamic outer layer that allows the Mooney to slip through the air with a lower drag coefficient. This is further enhanced by the practice of flush riveting in areas where they still use sheet aluminum.

The result of the new doors and the extra rear windows, combined with the new version of previously-popular paint schemes, resurrected the race-bred aesthetics of Mooney’s heyday.  But all the structural and aerodynamic changes do affect how the plane feels in your hands.

The Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra is fast, no doubt, but it's also not as agile as its predecessors. To keep the CG within range, the engine was hung a little farther forward, changing the feel of the airplane, especially noticeable when pulling back the yoke on rotation. Compared to the older M20 variations, the M20V Acclaim Ultra needs a positive yank to unstick it from the ground.

This is by no means a bad thing. The older Mooney’s tended to leap into the air before they were fully ready. That didn’t matter so much on cold days, but on high-density-altitude days, it used to be a problem. Setting the trim for take-off helps considerably.

Roll sensitivity remains solid. With enough practice, course corrections just require you to think it for the plane to bank one way or the other. That’s how sensitive they can be. And up at altitude doing 240 knots, that’s how you want it if you are hand-flying the speedster. Don’t be ham-fisted with this plane.

Pitching up for a 120-knot cruise climb can get the deck angle pretty high, but it will result in an over-1000 fpm climb rate. It is possible to get up to 1,800 fpm depending on how cold it is outside and how light you are.

Even being one of the heavier of the variants, the M20V still manages to be the fastest, and that’s because of its streamlined lines and clean surfaces. You have to fly this aircraft by the numbers, otherwise, it will get ahead of you.

What most forget is that they have two things working against them on the way down. Unlike a normally aspirated piston engine that is aerodynamically dirty, the Acclaim Ultra takes a long time to bleed off its speed. That’s made worse on the descent phase of the flight. The first problem is that you can’t just pull the power back to idle. It will shock cool the turbos and the engine.

The second problem, as with all M20 variants, the Acclaim Ultra is as slippery, if not more so, than other Mooneys. This is where the speed brakes come in handy. They have no limitations and you can deploy them at any time, even with your cruise power still engaged. Just don't engage them too close to the ground if you haven't already stabilized the plane.

A good practice for the descent is to pull back the MAP by an inch and let the nose drop at the top-of-descent, then deploy the speed brakes. Keep reducing the throttle by an inch every thousand feet and the temperature will drop gently. The speed brakes that come with the Ultra are a good way to save your engine and bleed the excess energy to set yourself up for a stable final approach.

The larger cabin now features increased leg and shoulder room for all four passengers while converting the once-steam gauge-driven dash into a glass cockpit with full avionics and coupled autopilot.

The Mooney M20V, like its predecessors, is not pressurized but has the capacity to effortlessly climb to its ceiling of 25,000 feet. This is because of Continental’s turbo-supercharged engine that delivers 280 horsepower for much of the climb phase.

Both the M20V and the M20U Ovation Ultra that was released at the same time have had a somewhat tumultuous production history. First put into production in 2017, production of the types ceased in 2019 due the company having financial troubles, though production restarted before the year was over. Since then, Mooney has struggled to gain new orders of both types, even if deliveries continue to be made to willing customers.

What Are The Specifications of Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra?

How much does the mooney m20 acclaim ultra cost.

There are three price categories for the Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra. The first two are ascribed to brand-new airplanes, priced by the factory. The low end of the price range is $760,000. For this price, you still get the full glass cockpit and the autopilot.

The upper end of the price range gets you the factory's full spec version which runs close to $900,000. This includes factory air conditioning, long-range tanks, long-range oxygen systems that will allow you to stay up at 12,500 feet or higher for longer, and de-ice systems that will get you FIKI-certified.

The de-icing system that does raise the factory price considerably allows you to fly up to three hours in known icing conditions. Its unique design, not following the typical bleed air heating or the inflatable boots, glycol that is pumped out to the prop, the wings, and the empennage through tiny holes and spread across the surface. This prevents ice from forming.

The third price category is for a used Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra. It’s not always easy to find between $700,000 and $850,000. There are two reasons for the high price in the secondary market. The first is that there just aren't many of them on the market, but that could change as the lower serial numbers begin to show up in the secondary market as their tenth anniversary rolls around.

Operating Cost

To calculate the costs to operate the Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra, we will assume that the average fuel burn is 18 gallons per hour and that the price of 100LL is $6.50.

Direct operating Costs, DOC, for the Acclaim Ultra include hourly fuel and oil burn. Hourly fuel costs are (18 GPH x $6.50) $117.00 per hour.

Most Acclaim owners reckon that they burn oil at a rate of about a quart every five hours. At $10 per quart, the hourly cost for oil is $2.

Consider oil changes every 25 hours to keep your engine in good shape. With an 8-quart sump, a new oil filter at each oil change, and workmanship, it will cost $250 every 25 hours, or $25 per hour.

With these three items, the Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra’s Direct Operating Cost is $144.00 per hour.

In addition to DOCs, you will also have fixed costs that accrue regardless of the number of hours of flight time you place on the aircraft.

The largest fixed cost item you will face is the insurance premium. Assuming you purchase the Acclaim for $900,000 and you are a qualified pilot, as far as the insurers are concerned, then your premium for hull and liability will be $22,500. It could go up as high as $30,000 if you are less than fully qualified.

Assuming you flew the Acclaim Ultra 500 hours a year, your insurance cost breaks down to $54 per hour.

Hangaring the airplane will add another $7200 for a typical T-hangar or maybe a shared spot in the main hangar on your field. That adds up to $14.4 per hour.

In addition to the direct and fixed costs that you will incur when you own the Acclaim Ultra, you will also have to create a kitty for the maintenance and work that will have to be conducted over the course of usage.

The biggest line item to think about is the engine. The engine on the Acclaim Ultra has a recommended TBO of 2,200 hours. Across a wide range of aircraft owners, the Continental  TSIO-550-G costs $48,000 to overhaul and $68,000 to replace.

The first two TBOs can expect a simple overhaul while you should expect to replace the engine at the third. That’s a horizon of 6.600 hours that will see two overhauls and one new engine. This will result in a total cost of $164,000 over 6600 hours of use. That’s $25 per hour.

The prop will also need to be overhauled every two years or 2,000 hours. The Hartzell scimitar prop costs $9,000 for a brand new one, and $3,000 to overhaul. Assume having to change out a new prop every 4,000 hours while overhauling it every 2000 hours. As such, over 4,000 hours you will purchase one new prop and overhaul it once.

However, since you will fly only 500 hours a year, while the prop needs to be overhauled once every two years, you would have only flown 1000 hours before timing out. As such, figure overhauling the prop three times and replacing it once every four years. This costs a total of $18,000 for 2,000 hours or $9 per hour.

Whether you rent the aircraft out, you should consider getting a mechanic to do a 100-hour inspection as well. It will be a good time to have the oil changed and look around and take care of anything that comes up.

A typical hundred-hour for a Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra will cost $600, including the oil change. That’s $6 per hour.

While we are talking about maintenance, set aside $1,500 for unscheduled maintenance every year. That’s $3 per hour.

To keep the aircraft airworthy, Annual Inspections are required and it has to be signed off by an IA. Annual Inspections which will include any Service Bulletins or Airworthiness Directives can cost up to $2500 a year. That’s $5 per hour.

Also, put aside $500 for subscriptions and charts. That’s $1 per hour.

Consider painting your airplane once every five years. This is approximately $15,000 and works out to be $10 per hour of flight time.

In total, your hourly cost to operate the Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra is $271.40 (this includes DOC, Fixed Costs, and maintenance reserves.)

How Fast is The Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra?

The Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra is the fastest plane in the Mooney lineup, and the fastest piston engine aircraft on the planet flying at a max speed of an impressive 242 knots and a cruise speed of an impressive 175 knots. The Mooney relies on its powerful Continental TSIO-550-G engine to develop the most power it can while using the three-bladed scimitar prop to convert much of the 280 horsepower to thrust.

In slower single-engine airplanes that use the same six-cylinder engine, much of the speed loss results from the poor conversion of power to thrust that uses a two-bladed conventional prop. This is in addition to the aerodynamic efficiencies that have already been mentioned.

The power of the twin-turbo with double intercoolers provides 35 inches of manifold pressure at sea level when the throttles are fully advanced, so be careful not to over-boost. There are no wastegates on the Mooney so you could damage the internals if you make it a habit of over-boosting.

Instead, advance the RPM to full forward, hold the brakes, and advance the throttle to 30.5 inches of MAP before releasing the brakes for the take-off roll. When it gets to FL250, it can still maintain 30.5 inches of manifold pressure, allowing for its max speed of 242 knots or cruise speed of 175 knots in standard conditions.

For the climb segment, with the power at 30.5 inches and the RPM at 2500, the Acclaim Ultra will climb at 1200 fpm if you pitch for 120 knots. With that kind of performance, it is hard to think of the Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra in the same way you think of most GA aircraft.

It takes about 10 minutes to get to 12,000 feet and, with a fuel flow of 22 gallons per hour, achieve 210 knots (true). If you just want to go fast and are not willing to go through the trouble of hooking up the oxygen, then you can still tap into the speed, but you will have to accept the high fuel burn at lower altitudes. For economy and speed, the Mooney demands that you fly it at FL250.

At the ceiling, you can bring the fuel flow back to 15 gallons per hour at 50 degrees lean of peak and still get 218 knots. You can take it up to 240 knots at FL250 if you set it to 2500 RPM and 30 inches MAP and lean it out to 18 gph.

How Much Fuel Does The Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra Burn?

The M20V Acclaim Ultra comes with tanks that you can top off to 100 gallons. There are long-range tanks that you can opt for that will extend the legs of an already respectable maximum range of 1,200-plus nautical miles.

However, the Acclaim Ultra is already a little thin as far as being able to load all of its four plush leather seats. With full fuel taking up 600 pounds from its 3,280-lb MTOW, that leaves 2,680 pounds of aircraft, passengers, and baggage.

The Mooney Acclaim Ultra weighs 2,225 empty. It’s a little heavy compared to its predecessors due to its factory air, the de-ice tanks, the added steel tubing to accommodate the pilot’s-side door, and so on. As such, what’s left is just 435 pounds that you can use for people and bags. This is not enough to take four people on a twelve-hundred-mile trip.

With two average-size adults, weighing a total of 380 pounds, that gives you 55 pounds for luggage if you decide to carry full fuel.

With 100 gallons of fuel, only 92 gallons are usable. This is where the Mooney’s high ceiling comes in handy. The take-off and climb phase that gets you to 12,000 feet has a typical fuel burn of 12 gallons. For this, you will have to be running the mixture at full rich with manifold pressure at 30.5 inches and RPMs at 2500. When you level off at 12,000 feet, setting the MAP to 30.5 inches, you will get a fuel burn of 22 GPH.

Figure that the descent and landing phase will take up about 8 gallons of fuel. That’s 20 gallons out of 92. Assume also that 16 gallons will be your IFR reserve, and that’s what you should have, at the very least, when you land. That leaves you with 54 gallons of fuel for your en route phase. Flying at 12,000 feet and burning 22 gallons per hour giving you 2.45 hours of endurance with IFR reserves.

At 210 knots (true) you will only be able to get 515 nautical miles, assuming still air conditions.

The endurance and maximum range picture is significantly different, however, if you fly the Acclaim Ultra at FL250. It gets you to 241 knots for the same payload while the fuel burn can be leaned back to 18 GPH.

Taking into account the extra 6 gallons it would take to get you to FL250 and the slightly longer descent time on the back end, you would have 50 gallons for cruise, giving you an endurance of 2.8 hours at a fuel burn of 18 GPH. This will result in about 588 nautical miles in still conditions.

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Mooney Acclaim Ultra: Tops in Raw Speed

Mooney found a few more knots in the ultra and gussied up the long body with a second door, nxi avionics and a posh interior..

mooney m20 acclaim ultra cruise speed

A nerdy parlor game for aviation obsessives is to ponder how much further Mooney can stretch its decades old tube-and-sheet design into yet another new product. In this report, we’re looking at the M20V Acclaim Ultra, and that leaves four more alpha designators for something new.

Although it’s really an incremental upgrade to the long-body M20 series, the Acclaim Ultra was a major certification project for Mooney at a time when we’re not seeing many of those—from anyone. The results inarguably make the Acclaim Ultra the fastest four-place certified single-engine piston airplane and not just by a little. The Acclaim goes head to head with both its normally aspirated sibling, the Ovation Ultra (see February 2018 Aviation Consumer) and both Cirrus models, the SR22 and SR22T which, together, constitute the current market leaders. That puts the Acclaim into a niche within a niche—a slice of buyers who want speed, but care less about cabin size or payload. Pricewise, at $789,000 base, the Acclaim invoices below the typical Cirrus models.

Long Bodies

The M20V traces its DNA to Mooney’s first all-metal models that then and now combined a hell-for-strong welded-steel cabin cage with a traditional riveted monocoque after section. The Ultra twins owe their stretched cabins to one of Mooney’s ill-starred dead ends: the Porsche-powered PFM. Although the engine was disastrous, the airframe endured and became what’s known as the long-body airframe.

That design matured into the Lycoming-powered Bravo and, in 1994, the more successful M20R Ovation. A combination of market timing, a good economy and credible performance made the Ovation a hit for Mooney. But the company’s 1997 attempt to follow that with a revival of the turbocharged short-body M20K, the Encore, was another anemic seller.

Front view two doors

In 2006, Mooney addressed that by essentially turbocharging the Ovation with Continental’s 280-HP TSIO-550-G. This became the Acclaim and a couple of years later, with drag cleanups, it morphed into the Type S, which Mooney rightfully claimed was the fastest piston single.

The 2008 downturn ended Mooney production and, except for parts support, the company once again went into stasis until the China-based Meijing Group bought it in 2013. An infusion of cash funded another soon-to-be stalled project, the M10 trainer, a major redo of the long body and modernization of the factory.

Cosmetically, the airframe doesn’t look much different, save for the new door on the pilot’s side. But this proved a major certification project for Mooney, requiring two years to massively rejigger the welded cage to carry flight loads around the new door opening. And thanks to the composite experience gained through the M10 project, the forward cabin is now skinned with a fiberglass composite shell that may eventually evolve to carbon fiber.

The shell, which is clipped to the steel cage, has implications for assembly efficiency because it allows technicians unrestricted access to install wiring, hardware and fixtures before the cabin is enclosed. That squeezes hours out of the build time and chips away at production costs.

For pilots, the new cage and shell offer stiffer composite doors whose openings are four inches wider and an inch-and-half taller. The doors also get new latching mechanisms and tasty brushed aluminum handles.

Acclaim Panel

The Same But Different

The airplane sports dozens of less obvious improvements, including a carbon fiber cowl, gear doors and wingtips and drag cleanups, including a gap seal for the flaps. Mooney has always been obsessive about flush riveting and still is. Lee Drumheller, who sells Mooneys for Fort Lauderdale’s Premier Aircraft Sales, likes to point out the flush-riveted aerodynamic housing around the fuel vents. “No one else does that,” he says.

Mooney’s production chief, Rob Dutton, says the company has nicked hundreds of hours out of production time, but the airplanes are still a complex build. The wing is a giant, single-piece assembly with a riveted spar that would do a suspension bridge proud. The M20s still have wet-wing fuel tanks, but now they’re sealed with improved compounds intended to last longer before resealing.

The control circuitry is the same steel tubes Mooney has always used, yielding a precise if occasionally stiff control feel. The gear system is similarly tube driven via an electric motor in the cabin center section. Along with the Beechcraft design, this system has proved to be the most reliable in general aviation and is tolerant of less-than-perfect maintenance. Same for the flaps. They’re electrically activated with a ready-to-the-hand flap-shaped toggle on the panel with presets for takeoff and landing.

Interior

And while we’re on the panel, both Ultras have a new version of it that includes reorganized switchology with rockers rather than toggles. Critical items—master, alternator field and emergency bus—have red rockers on the far left, while everything else is black. Exterior lights are on the overhead; not my favorite. The panel is well organized, but because of its limited size, some switches are obscured by the yoke.

As does about every other new airplane, the Acclaim Ultra has Garmin’s G1000 NXi. (See February 2017 Aviation Consumer for a full review.) This system has faster processing for a quicker startup and almost instant graphics refreshing. The displays are brighter and crisper and Garmin seems to have simplified the operating logic.

The NXi is fully coupled to the GFC700 autopilot, with a vertical control panel situated between the two display screens. The autopilot has envelope protection for overbanking and overspeed, but it doesn’t have the blue bail-me-out righting button pioneered in the Cirrus Perspective version of the G1000. The GFC700 has a reputation as the best new autopilot in GA and it’s deserved. It allows flexible aircraft control and the ride is silky smooth.

The Ultras are so loaded up that there aren’t many options, avionics wise or otherwise. For ADS-B In and Out, the airplane has the GTX345R along with the GDL69A for XM data. For $16,720, a buyer can add the GTS800 active traffic system, but Drumheller says few buyers do because ADS-B traffic performs so well.

Also on the option menu is FIKI-approved TKS and air conditioning. But because of the weight hit, that’s an either/or, not both. The AC is a $28,900 option with a 66-pound penalty. TKS weighs 95 pounds fully charged and adds $64,990 to the invoice. Surprisingly, Drumheller says neither option is particularly popular, especially in his southeastern territory where icing is less of a concern. And with the second door, holding it open for a cooling breeze during taxi may be a suitable alternative to AC. For an additional $10,000, Mooney offers what it calls Fill and Fly. It covers all the maintenance and consumables except fuel for three years or 300 hours, whichever comes first. That includes annuals and adding up the numbers, it strikes me as a good value. Even a new airplane can easily have a $3000 annual.

No Heavy Hauler

Mooney’s turbocharged models have never been payload workhorses and neither is the Acclaim Ultra. With AC, the demonstrator I flew had an empty weight of 2511 pounds for a useful load of just 857 pounds on a max weight of 3380 pounds. Fill it with 89 gallons and the airplane has a payload of 323 pounds. Without the AC, it would be 389 pounds. That makes it a two-people-with-baggage airplane. Down fueled to, say, 50 gallons, you can put three people into the airplane, with moderate baggage. That’s three hours at middling power settings or four at economy speeds.

Obviously, this is a significant compromise against the Cirrus SR22T, which claims best-case useful loads of 1248 pounds. In the real world, it’s less than that. But with three hours of fuel, plus a reserve, the Cirrus can carry four people. The tradeoff is the Acclaim gets there a little faster and/or goes a little farther because of its higher cruise speed.

Oxygen—a 77 cu. ft. system from Precise Flight—is standard equipment on the Acclaim, while it’s an option in the Ovation. That assumes owners will want to climb into the high teens or even up to the airplane’s maximum certificated altitude of 25,000 feet. Some owners clearly do that, but on our trial flight, Drumheller pointed out that the Acclaim speeds along handily at 12,000 feet, sans sticking a plastic tube up your nose. There’s something to be said for that.

The M20V gets that performance the same way the Ovation does, with Continental’s IO-550 engine, the de facto standard these days for high-performance aircraft. The Acclaim’s TSIO-550-G has two intercooled Kelly Aerospace turbochargers. The specs claim the engine is turbonormalized, but I’d call it ground-boosted, delivering up to 34 inches of boost.

While the Ovation gets 310 HP from the IO-550, the Acclaim’s version is derated to 280 HP. If that sounds like the Ovation will out-climb the Acclaim, it will at sea level on a standard day, by a couple of hundred feet a minute. That advantage fades when the density altitude gets to about 7000 feet. The Acclaim maintains its rate; the Ovation doesn’t.

Flight Impressions

Cowling

Lee Drumheller says the Ultra’s pilot-side door is a potent sales tool and it’s easy to see why. It eases ingress and when both doors are open, the cabin is airier and more comfortable, even if a little contortion is still necessary. The back seats are tight until the front seats are slid forward to the normal flying position. The new seats—built and upholstered in-house—are done up in leather similar to luxury sedans.

Flight handling of Mooneys hasn’t changed much since the Bravo days. Compared to a 201, the long bodies are stiffer in pitch due to the engine hanging so far forward. It takes a tug to pop the airplane loose on takeoff and a touch to keep the stall lady from squawking.

For landings, Drumheller reminded me that the way to land a long body is to neutralize the heavy forward pitch moment by running the electric trim full up during the flare. That produces near-perfect touchdowns every time.

The Acclaim climbs briskly at about 1100 to 1200 FPM to as high you want, with good visibility over the nose at 120 knots cruise climb speed. Although Mooney lowered the glareshield in the new models, the view forward isn’t as expansive as a Cirrus or a Diamond. That’s a consequence of the small frontal area that gives the airplane its speed.

And the speed is impressive. We climbed to 13,500 for a speed check—about 10 minutes—and noted 206 KTAS, leaned 50 rich of peak at 21.9 GPH. That’s a little slower than the POH numbers, but also not a practical fuel burn. On the economy side, at 50 degrees lean, the Acclaim trued at 172 knots on 11.1 gallons. That equates to seven hours of endurance and nearly 1200 miles of still-air range, with reserve.

If you want speed and economy, you’ll have to take the Acclaim high. At 25,000, it can do 216 knots on 16 GPH, for a still-air range of 1000 miles-plus. But only with two people and light bags. That’s probably the buyer Mooney will have to find for this airplane and/or people who just don’t like the Cirrus for whatever reasons. The Mooney offers a $100,000 lower price tag for comparably equipped airframes, but for someone who can afford to write a check for these aircraft, I’m not sure if price sensitivity is an issue. Drumheller says it is not between the Ovation and the Acclaim. Buyers who want to go fast just want to go fast and they’ll pay for the hardware to do that.

Speed Graph for Ovation CMYK REVISED

Acclaim: Faster At All Altitudes

The Acclaim’s performance profile, top chart, is nothing if not flexible. It’s faster at all altitudes than anything in the four-seat high-performance class, although it gives up some climb performance to the Ovation at lower altitudes.

With tanks full, it’s a two-place airplane with a moderate baggage load. Three people will be a push, leaving payload enough for about 720 miles of still-air flying with a 45-minute reserve, as shown in the chart below. Those numbers assume best economy cruise below the oxygen altitudes.

For owners who don’t mind using a cannula or mask, the Acclaim’s performance reward is 230 knots-plus in the flight levels, where it leaves the competition far behind.

Ovation

More Investment In Kerrville

Given Mooney’s string of bankruptcies, fire sales and musical CEOs, a buyer about to write a check for most of a megabuck for a new airplane might logically ask: Are these guys gonna survive?

The answer may reside in an unlikely place: A fenced-in cage at the back of Mooney’s main assembly hangar in Kerrville. From within comes the parts support for a fleet of more than 11,000 Mooneys, back to nearly day one.

Although that parts flow has been better in some years than others, support for the fleet has never dried up entirely and Mooney sales manager Jeff Magnus says the Meijing Group wants to keep it that way. Meijing, a China-based real estate developer, along with other investors, bought Mooney in 2013, renaming the company Mooney International.

The company admits to a capital infusion of at least $150 million, to include development of the now-shelved M10 project, factory improvements and the certification of the M20U and V models. It also funded a Chino, California-based design and development shop, which has since been shut down.

Magnus says the company is in the aviation business for the long haul and sees a profitable future when the long-awaited Chinese general aviation market potentiates. This remains an aspirational goal. A couple of M20s prepped for shipment to China were turned back into the U.S. market simply because China couldn’t readily process the certifications.

Shell better

For the time being, the company is sustained by multiple revenue streams from spare parts and support, outside contract manufacturing for other aerospace companies and its own aircraft manufacturing.

In the current flat market, production at Mooney is about one airplane a month, but it hopes to reach as many as 30 a year within a year or two. “We think 50 a year is doable. The market can absorb that and that’s a sweet spot for us,” Magnus says. The longer view sees demand in China, if not for the M20 then for something else.

One something else was supposed to be the clean-sheet composite M10, a program that envisioned a fixed-gear trainer and a retractable cruiser. Mooney has indefinitely shelved that project in the face of weak potential demand.

The positive offshoot was that composite capability was moved to Kerrville and leveraged into building the composite cabin shell for the M20U and V. And Magnus says work done at Chino may yet find applications. “From the Meijing Group’s point of view, it just didn’t make sense to introduce three new airplanes. In a couple of years, you may see something similar to the M10 coming back,” Magnus said.

Meanwhile, he says the factory will begin supporting upgrades of older models with glass panels—Dynon is under consideration—and modern interiors provided as kits. Such packages, he says, would be provided to Mooney service centers for field installation.

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Mooney M20 (Everything to Know on the Low Wing Speedster)

Mooney M20 (Everything to Know on the Low Wing Speedster)

“Make it strong. Make it simple. Make it fast.”

To this day these are the Mooney Airplane Company’s words to live by as they design their legendary aircraft. The Mooney mentality has developed quite a following with Mooney aficionados - self-described as “Mooniacs.”

One of the Mooniacs’ aircraft of choice is the Mooney M20 because what pilot would say no to a plane that promises and actually delivers increased speed with a fuel-sipping appetite? This is the hallmark of Mooney’s well-loved low wing speedster which still had two variants in production more than 65 years after the original model debuted.

Thanks to modern technology and ceaseless innovation, Mooney Airplane Company remains devoted to its core values, making certain that each M20 model embodies robustness, straightforwardness, and tremendous speed.

Today we will look back at how the Mooney M20 got its beginning, what makes it so distinctive, and how you too can be the owner of one of the many M20 variants.

History of Mooney Airplane Company

Mooney M20

Mooney in 1929

The Mooney Airplane Corporation was founded by brothers Albert and Arthur Mooney who had worked for another aircraft manufacturer and wanted to branch out on their own. Unfortunately, the company filed for bankruptcy a year later thanks to the Great Depression. The brothers went back to work for another aviation manufacturer until after World War II.

Mooney in 1948

The brothers restarted the company as Mooney Aircraft Incorporated. They started out with the single-place Mooney Mite M-18 before branching out to the four-place M20 which would generate multiple variant spinoffs.

The M22 Mustang was next up although it was unsuccessful. The subsequent MU-2 and Aircoupe production rights also failed to generate significant income, and the company went bankrupt in 1969. During the early 1970s, the Mooney line was continued through a series of sales to various other entities.

Mooney in 1976

The new M20J 201 and its turbocharged version, the M20K 231, were released and generated the financial success that Mooney had been hoping for. Then the recession of the early 1980s hit and sales fell again though the design team continued to improve the 201 and 231 aircraft. With the company in trouble again, it was sold to from buyer to buyer with the M20M TLS and 201AT trainer being produced in the late 1980s.

Mooney in the 90’s & Early 2000’s

The ‘90s were another slow decade for Mooney with not much traction although the M201J 201, M20R Ovation, M20M Bravo, and M20K Encore were all in production. Mooney went through bankruptcy yet another time in 2001 and its assets were again shuffled through a series of buyers. Eventually in 2004, Mooney became a publicly traded company and Gretchen L. Jahn became Mooney’s CEO – the first female CEO of a United States aircraft manufacturer. The new M20TN Acclaim, the Ovation2 GX and Bravo GX were all released between 2004 and 2006 with the M20TN Acclaim Type S following in late 2007.

The 2008 recession called for extreme cuts and layoffs. By April of 2010, Mooney had gone 18 months without producing a single aircraft thanks to a backlog of unsold planes. Throughout the next decade, Mooney continued to be in a state of flux. It was sold several more times and produced limited aircraft during this period although it did release the new M20V Acclaim Ultra and M20U Ovation Ultra. As of January 2020, Mooney’s future is again uncertain, and it is said to be seeking investors.

The company itself may have experienced plenty of ups and downs, but despite that, many of its aircraft, especially from the M20 line have excelled. To date, Mooney Aircraft Company has been awarded 21 type certificates, has produced 12,000 aircraft, and holds 130 world speed and altitude records.

A Mooney M20J Airplane at Kemble Airfield Photo by Adrian Pingstone

(source: wikipedia.org   )

Designing the mooney m20.

The 20 th Al Mooney aircraft design was appropriately christened the Mooney M20. It became his most successful design and included many variants spanning over 65 years.

The Mooney M20 got its start as an expansion of the M-18 Mite – a single place low-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear. The M-18 was marketed as a personal airplane for World War II fighter pilots following the war. Those pilots may have appreciated flying the Mite, but the single seat nature of the aircraft inherently limited the market. The Baby Boom was on, and these pilots were having families. If they wanted to take their wife and kids on an airborne adventure with them, they would need a bigger plane. Production of the M18 Mite wrapped in 1954, and the new M20 made its first flight the following year in 1955.

The premise of the M20 was to provide a four-place private plane capable of fast speeds with limited fuel consumption. The original M20 and the first variant, the M20A, both included wooden construction in the wings and tail. Following multiple in-flight breakups of water damaged wood tails, Mooney issued Mooney Service Bulletin M20-170A which corresponded to FAA Airworthiness Directive 86-19.10. All existing M20s would have their wooden components replaced with metal, and going forward, future M20 aircraft would utilize an all-metal construction.

Distinctive Design Features of the Mooney M20

Mooney M20

The Mooney M20 line is known for including features that optimize speed and fuel efficiency. Here is what to look for in the latest Mooney designs.

Laminar Wings

The laminar wings of the M20 are inspired by the P-51 Mustang fighter planes. They are engineered for decreased drag and optimum fuel efficiency.

Carry-Through Wing Spar

Both the structural stability and the ride quality get a lift with the M20’s unique to its class carry-through wing spar. A single spar runs from wingtip to wingtip offering strength and a smooth ride.

Steel-Tube Cabin Frame

Safety is another tenant of Mooney construction and it is apparent in the 4130 Chromoly high-strength steel cage that encloses the cockpit of current M20 models.

Lowest Flat Plate Drag Area

One of the keys to Mooney’s fuel efficiency is maximizing the aerodynamics of the aircraft. The M20 has this down to a science with the current models’ flat plate drag area being roughly the equivalent to a typical computer screen.

All-Trimming Tail

From the start, the M20 has had a rather unique tail for its class. The all-trimming tail, Mooney notes, is a “strong and efficient design [that] is usually found only on turbine aircraft.” This tail configuration maximizes aircraft controllability in high angle of attack situations while eliminating trim tab drag.

Flying the Mooney M20

Mooney M20

In real life operations, pilots have overall been very pleased with the performance of their Mooney M20s. Pilot Don Lojek owns a 1965 M20C which he has logged over 1,950 hours in. Don estimates that his M20C burns an average of just 8.1 gallons per hour. Don notes that the low seats in the M20 make you “really feel like you are a part of the airplane or vice versa.” Don’s longest non-stop flight was a 690-mile jaunt from Burbank to Boise which he made in 4.5 hours. Maintenance has been minimal, and Don continues to enjoy his M20. The only caveats he notes is that the CG loading “is a little tricky.”

Other pilots have commented that the M20 tends to float down the runway on landing and that without large flaps, the M20 is not really designed for short-field operations. The low seat can take some getting used to, especially for shorter pilots.

Variants of the Mooney M20

The original M20 was produced from 1955 until 1958 when the first variant was released. Since then, the M20 series has given rise to seventeen different variants. The M20 series has come in three fuselage lengths throughout its production run. The short body and medium body models are no longer being made, but two long body models were still in production through 2019.

The first M20 variant, released in 1958 and produced through 1960, upgraded the original 150 horsepower engine to a more powerful 180 horsepower model.

Marking the shift away from wooden components, the M20B was an all-metal aluminum construction released in 1960.

The M20C (also called the Mark 21 or Ranger) debuted in 1962 and was produced until 1978. The M20C included multiple significant improvements over previous M20s, and it became the most produced variant in the M20 series of aircraft, accounting for over a third of the pre-M20J model aircraft.

The M20C modified the existing control surfaces to allow for greater deflection control. The maximum flap angle was increased to 33 degrees. The M20C’s engine cooled more efficiently than previous variants thanks to reduced cowl flap openings. Other highlights of the M20C included a lighter empty weight paired with an increased gross weight thanks to a lightweight floor design.  

The M20D was a modified M20C designed to be marketed as a trainer plane capable of competing with the Piper Cherokee 180. The M20D, released in 1963, featured a fixed-pitch propeller and fixed landing gear, though it could be upgraded with retractable gear. Production on the M20D lasted until 1966.

Mooney M20

The M21E or Super 21 was modeled after the M20C but housed an upgraded 200-horsepower Lycoming engine when it made its 1964 debut.

The Executive 21, as the 1966 new model M21F was called, marked the first increase in fuselage length. That additional 1 foot of length was used to add 10 inches of legroom plus a third window to the cabin. The extra length called for 12 additional gallons of fuel capacity and corresponded to a 165-pound increase in gross weight.

The M20G Statesman extended the length of the M20C and included a carbureted 180 hp engine. A year after its 1968 release, Mooney started making electric landing gear and flaps standard for all planes. The M20G was produced until 1970.

1977 saw the release of the M20J also known as the Mooney 201 to denote its top speed of 201 mph. The M20J featured an improved aerodynamic shape and a 200 hp engine that earned it second place in the M20 series popularity contest, coming in right behind the M20C. The M20C was produced until 1998 and is sometimes also referred to as the Mooney 205.

A Mooney M20K-231 Aircraft Landing on a Runway by Robert Buchel

The M20K, also known as the Mooney 231, was produced from 1979 until 1998. This turbocharged model housed a Continental TSI0-360-GB engine. The substitution of an intercooled engine in 1986 fixed temperature problems inherent to the original M20K and allowed the aircraft to achieve a 252-mph top speed. This sub-variant was called the Mooney 252.

The first long-body M20 arrived in 1998 with the M20L. This variant housed a unique Porsche PFM 3200 N03 217 horsepower engine. The Mooney PFM was produced through 1990.

The M20M, also called the M20M TLS (Turbocharged Lycoming Sabre) was produced from 1989 until 2006 had a 270-horsepower turbocharged engine and 3-blade propeller.

Mooney M20 Instruments by Michal Orlita

The 1994 M20R was awarded the distinction of being named Flying Magazine’s single-engine plane of the year upon its debut. The Ovation houses a 280-horsepower normally aspirated Continental IO-550-G engine in a long body fuselage.

The Eagle, as the M20S was called, was introduced in 1999 with a 244-horsepower Continental IO-550-G engine. Its partner, the Eagle 2 arrived in 2001 with a 3-blade prop and 100-pound increase to gross weight.

The Predator was a canopy-equipped single prototype plane built in 1991 for the USAF Enhanced Flight Screener competition. This variant was never developed or certified for production.

The Acclaim was released in 2006 with a turbonormalized Continental TSI0-550-G engine as a replacement for the retiring M20M.

The Ovation Ultra debuted in 2016 and is a spin-off of the M20R. It has a pilot-side door and the forward fuselage is made of a composite shell rather than the aluminum skin that has traditionally been used. Soft motor mounts dampen the engine vibration for a more comfortable ride.

The Acclaim Ultra has many of the same new features as the M20U, but it was developed from the M20TN. When it was certified, the Acclaim Ultra officially became the fastest piston single in the world .

Pilot on Mooney Flight Controls

Purchasing a Mooney M20

Mooney owners are a proud and dedicated group who enjoy getting together with other “Mooniacs.” They network through a members-only Mooney Aircraft Pilots Association . Of the over 11,000 Mooney M20s produced, more than 6,700 are still FAA-registered. A few hundred M20s have migrated to other countries like the United Kingdom and Canada.

There are plenty of online listings for available used Mooney M20s, with the M20C being the most prevalent due in part to its higher production numbers. Expect to find an M20C for $30k - $50k.

The latest models – the Ovation Ultra M20U and the Acclaim Ultra M20V – were available new directly through Mooney until they suspended operations in January 2020. The Ovation Ultra was retailing for $689,000 and the Acclaim Ultra was listed at $769,000.

Since the current models both went into production in 2016, there are a limited number of used planes on the market with prices just slightly below original retail.

Mooney M20C Specifications

  • Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D
  • Horsepower: 180 hp
  • Propeller: Hartzell 2-blade constant speed
  • Length: 23 feet 2 inches
  • Height: 8 feet 4 inches
  • Wingspan: 35 feet
  • Wing Area: 174 square feet
  • Empty Weight: 1,526 pounds
  • Gross Weight: 2,575 pounds
  • Maximum Takeoff Weight: 2,575 pounds
  • Maximum Landing Weight: 2,575 pounds
  • Useful Load (with full fuel): 750 pounds
  • Maximum Useful Load: 1,050 pounds
  • Baggage Capacity: 120 pounds
  • Fuel Capacity: 52 gallons

Mooney M20C Performance

  • Takeoff Distance Ground Roll: 815 feet
  • Takeoff Over 50 ft. Obstacle: 1,250 feet
  • Rate of Climb, Sea Level: 800 feet per minute
  • Top Speed: 174 kts
  • Cruise Speed: 158 kts
  • Stall Speed: 50 kts
  • Fuel Consumption: 8.5 gallons per hour at 75% power
  • Max Range: 659 nautical miles
  • Service Ceiling: 17,200 feet
  • Landing Ground Roll: 595 feet
  • Landing Over 50 ft. Obstacle: 1,550 feet

Mooney M20U Ovation Ultra Specifications

  • Engine: Continental IO-550-G
  • Horsepower: 310 hp Normally Aspirated
  • Propeller: Hartzell Scimitar 3-blade
  • Length: 26 feet 8 inches
  • Wingspan: 36 feet 6 inches
  • Maximum Ramp Weight: 3,380 pounds
  • Maximum Takeoff Weight: 3,368 pounds
  • Useful Load: 1,026 pounds
  • Fuel Capacity: 100 gallons

Mooney M20U Ovation Ultra Performance

  • Takeoff Over 50 ft. Obstacle: 1,600 feet
  • Rate of Climb, Sea Level: 1,300 feet per minute
  • Top Speed: 197 kts
  • Cruise Speed: 197 kts
  • Max Range: 1,450 nautical miles
  • Service Ceiling: 20,000 feet
  • Landing Over 50 ft. Obstacle: 2,500 feet

Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra Specifications

  • Engine: Continental TSIO-550-G
  • Horsepower: 280 hp Intercooled twin-turbo
  • Wingspan: 36 feet, 6 inches
  • Empty Weight: 2,380 pounds
  • Maximum Gross Weight: 3,368 pounds
  • Useful Load: 975 pounds

Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra Performance

  • Takeoff Over 50 ft. Obstacle: 2,100 feet
  • Rate of Climb, Sea Level: 1,375 feet per minute
  • Top Speed: 242 kts
  • Cruise Speed: 175 kts
  • Stall Speed: 56 kts
  • Fuel Consumption: 20.3 gallons per hour
  • Max Range: 1,275 nautical miles
  • Service Ceiling: 25,000
  • Landing Over 50 ft. Obstacle: 2,650 feet

Thinking about buying a plane? Check out our  Flight Training Material: Maintenance & Ownership   collection.

Flight Training Material: Maintenance & Ownership

Are any mooneys mite have adjustable rudder pedals,,had to ask ??

Daniel Wall

Daniel Wall

@ Bruce, that is a typo but funny thing… many sites have that listed.

This is from another site:

Operating Weights Max T/O Weight: 2575 Lb Max Landing Weight: 2575 Lb Operating Weight: 1800 Lb Fuel Capacity: 312 lbs Lb Payload W/Full Fuel: 463 Lb Max Payload: 775 Lb

Bruce Ponder

Bruce Ponder

M20C specifications: Empty Weight: 1,526 pounds Gross Weight: 2,575 pounds Maximum Takeoff Weight: 2,575 pounds Maximum Landing Weight: 1,525 pounds Is the Maximum Landing Weight really 1 pound less than the empty weight?

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Explore the Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra: A Pilot's Dream

Discover the high-performance mooney m20v acclaim ultra. speed, efficiency, and luxury in one of the fastest single-engine piston aircraft.details.

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Explore the Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra: A Pilot's Dream

Introduction to Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra

The Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra represents a pinnacle of modern engineering in the realm of private aviation. This high-performance single-engine piston aircraft has been turning heads since its introduction, offering pilots remarkable speed, efficiency, and comfort. Manufactured by Mooney International Corporation, the Acclaim Ultra is the latest and most advanced in the legendary M20 family, continuing the legacy of speed and performance that the Mooney brand is known for.

Performance and Specifications

The Acclaim Ultra's aerodynamically refined design and powerful Continental TSIO-550-G turbocharged engine propel this impressive aircraft to a top speed of over 242 knots, making it one of the fastest in its class. With a service ceiling of 25,000 feet and a range of up to 1,275 nautical miles, it can effortlessly soar above weather systems and cover great distances with ease.

Avionics and Cockpit Design

At the heart of the M20V Acclaim Ultra’s cockpit lies the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite. This cutting-edge system provides pilots with enhanced situational awareness, detailed GPS navigation, and synthetic vision technology. The G1000 NXi also integrates seamlessly with the aircraft’s autopilot system, reducing pilot workload and increasing overall safety while in flight.

Comfort and Customization

The Acclaim Ultra's cabin, accessible through its distinctive forward entry door, boasts premium leather seats and advanced soundproofing for an exceptionally quiet ride. With a variety of interior options and customizations, owners can tailor their aircraft to reflect their personal style and comfort preferences.

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What is the top speed of the Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra?

The Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra has a top speed of over 242 knots, making it one of the fastest single-engine piston aircraft on the market.

What avionics suite does the Acclaim Ultra feature?

It features the advanced Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite, which provides comprehensive flight information and navigation aids.

Can the interior of the Acclaim Ultra be customized?

Yes, the Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra offers a range of interior options and customizations to suit the owner's personal style and comfort.

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Mooney unveils flagship M20V Acclaim Ultra

By Kate Sarsfield 2016-02-12T11:24:34+00:00

Mooney International has unveiled a redesigned and upgraded version of its flagship M20 Acclaim piston single. The launch of the $780,000, high-performance aircraft marks the first major upgrade for the Kerrville, Texas-based company since its acquisition in 2013 by China's Meijing Group.

Speaking at the roll-out ceremony in Kerrville, Texas on 10 February, Mooney’s director of sales and marketing Jared Absher said, when designing the M20V Acclaim Ultra, the airframer “focused on changes that will broaden [its] appeal to those looking for a latest generation interior, improved cabin access and professional flight deck”.

Mooney M20V

Mooney International

The upgraded Acclaim incorporates a number of enhancements including a pilot door, composite-wrapped cabin, a clean-sheet interior and a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit. “Not a switch, jack or control has escaped scrutiny,” says 87-year-old Mooney.

The Continental TSIO-550-G-powered M20V also has a maximum take-off weight of 1,820kg (3,370lb), a range of 1,275nm (2,360km) and a maximum cruise speed of 240kt (2,790km), “making it the fastest production piston-engined aircraft in the world”, the manufacturer adds.

Certification and service entry of the four-seat type are scheduled for the second quarter.

Source: Flight International

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2017 - 2018 MOONEY M20V Acclaim Ultra

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Single engine piston aircraft with retractable landing gear. The M20V Acclaim Ultra seats up to 3 passengers plus 1 pilot.

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mooney m20 acclaim ultra cruise speed

Performance specifications

Horsepower:

Best Cruise Speed:

Best Range (i):

Fuel Burn @ 75%:

Stall Speed:

Takeoff distance over 50ft obstacle:

Landing distance over 50ft obstacle:

Gross Weight:

Empty Weight:

Maximum Payload:

Ownership Costs 2018

Total cost of ownership:.

Total Fixed Cost:

Total Variable Cost:

Total Fixed Cost

Annual inspection cost:

Weather service:

Refurbishing and modernization:

Depreciation:

Total Variable Cost ( 91.4 Hrs ) Cost Per Hour = $165.71 Cost Per Mile = $0.95

Fuel cost per hour: (20.3 gallons/hr @ $5.40/gal)

Oil cost per hour:

Overhaul reserves:

Hourly maintenance:

Misc: landing, parking, supplies, catering, etc

Engine (x1)

Manufacturer:

Overhaul (HT):

Years before overhaul:

mooney m20 acclaim ultra cruise speed

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Mooney m20m tls (1989 - 1998).

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Typical Price: $191,626.00 Total Cost of Ownership: $23,936.81 Best Cruise: 223 KIAS ( 48 ) Best Range: 1022 NM ( 78 ) Fuelburn: 18.0 GPH ( 2.3 )

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Acclaim and Ovation Ultras FAA Certified, Deliveries to Start Soon

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NTSB Issues Update on American Airlines Flight 383 Engine Failure

Mooney expects to build 50 of the ultras during 2017.

Mooney International has received FAA certification for the Ultra versions of their Acclaim and Ovation models, the M20V Acclaim Ultra and M20U Ovation Ultra. Both of the aircraft models feature a variety of improvements and new features and the company plans to start deliveries of the new Ultras right away. If you’re interested in scoring an Acclaim or Ovation Ultra, however, Mooney is saying that they’re only planning to build 50 units in 2017 and that the order book is starting to fill up.

Sun ‘n Fun, which starts tomorrow and runs through the 9th, will see the public unveiling of the first fully certified Acclaim Ultra.

New Features for the Acclaim and Ovation Ultras

Here are some of the improvements the new Acclaim and Ovation Ultras will be showing off:

  • Pilot Side Door : For the first time in Mooney’s history, they’re introducing two doors. And just to make things that much more convenient for pilots and passengers , they’ve also widened the doors on both sides by more than four inches.
  • Composite Canopy : Mooney has wrapped the tubular cabin roll cage in an integrated, composite skin which not only “ reinforces the Ultra’s sleek aerodynamic lines, ” it also provides for a quieter interior during flight.
  • Newly Designed Interior : The interior has undergone some nice improvements as well, including more ergonomic design and hand-stitched Italian leather. They’ve also added some nice integrated technology features, including conveniently placed USB outlets and a center console with keypad, cabin environment slide controls, and lighting.
  • All New Avionics : Mooney’s also outfitted both Ultras with Garmin G1000 NXi avionics, which describes as “ a user-friendly, contemporary interface that enhances the flight experience and helps reduce pilot workload. “

According to Dr. Vivek Saxena, President and CEO of Mooney International, the new Ultra models have been designed specifically to raise the bar for general aviation aircraft. “ The significant product enhancements inherent in these new airplanes, combined with latest avionics technologies, demonstrate Mooney’s goal of bringing to market the very latest generation high-performance piston- singles – which is in keeping with our promise of differentiating ourselves on technology and customer experience rather than simply ‘me too’ products. ”

And if speed is your game, they’re right on target. AOPA is saying 1 that with a 242 knot top speed, the Acclaim Ultra is the current fastest single-engine production piston aircraft, just edging out the Cessna TTx, which has a published max cruise speed of 235 knots.

Mooney M20: More Speed, Less Fuel

A Mooney M20 in flight

M20V Acclaim Ultra and M20U Ovation Ultra Specs 2

General specs, perfomance specs.

A1 –  45 min reserve, isa, no wind, 25,000 ft

A2 –  45 min reserve, isa, no wind, 16,000 ft

O1 –  45 min reserve, isa, no wind, 8,000 ft

O2 –  45 min reserve, isa, no wind, at gross weight unless noted

Featured Image: courtesy of Mooney International

Footnotes and Sources:

1 – New Mooney Ultras Certified , AOPA, Jim Moore, Retrieved 4-3-17

2 – Mooney Models , Mooney International, Retrieved 4-3-17

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The Mooney M20U Ovation Ultra is a Product of Big Investment

A new breed of piston singles is emerging out of the storied manufacturer’s kerrville, texas, factory..

mooney m20 acclaim ultra cruise speed

Named the Ultra models, Mooney’s modernized Acclaim and Ovation are now FAA-certified and rolling out of the factory at an increasing rate. As a Mooney pilot and owner, I was excited to evaluate the M20U Ovation Ultra in conjunction with Mooney Aircraft Pilots Association’s annual Homecoming Convention, which was held in late September 2017 at the Inn of the Hills in Kerrville.

My Mooney gal-pal Jolie Lucas and I piled into my 1974 M20C at my home base in Camarillo, California, and headed east along Interstate 10 to meet up with Richard Simile, a Mooney sales representative from Delta Aviation, at his home base in Chandler, Arizona. After a quick lunch, we transferred our luggage from my airplane to the stellar new Ovation Ultra — N197CV.

The Ovation, like many Mooney models before it, has its roots in the M20, a four-seat airplane that was first developed in the early 1950s with wooden empennage and wings. After suffering from wood rot in moist climates, the design was metalized in 1961 with the introduction of the M20B. Though the metal design is a few knots slower, the M20 series has come to be well-regarded for exceptional speed and efficiency. Today, the Ovation’s turbocharged sibling, the M20V Acclaim Ultra, is capable of cruising at 242 ktas in the flight levels.

Of course, it is easiest for me to compare this new airplane to my airplane, which Mooney introduced in 1962. The C model originally had the Johnson bar landing gear retraction system — a simple manual system that many Mooney owners still prefer. But the Johnson bar was replaced with electric gear before my airplane rolled out of the factory, and there has been a continuous evolution through the decades. While the heritage is still evident, there are many letters between C and U, and the changes and upgrades are evident throughout.

Similarities and differences became immediately apparent when we began to transfer our bags. The general shape of the airplane, the straight tail and the landing gear, with gear shock disks on the main and nose gear legs, are basically identical to my airplane. The luggage door is still in the same location and about the same size as mine. It would be nice to have a larger opening to load gear through. But this isn’t possible because of the airplane’s steel safety cage, which is made of high-grade chromoly steel similar to that used to manufacture rifles. Personally, I prefer safety to convenience.

While my M20C has an all-aluminum shell, the Ovation Ultra has a hybrid composite and metal airframe. Both airplanes have four seats, but the Ovation is 3 feet 6 inches longer, providing more rear-seat legroom and space for luggage. The engine cowl and cabin section of the fuselage are composite, and so are the winglets and fairings, allowing for optimized aerodynamic shaping with the light yet strong material. The remainder of the airframe, including the wings, is made of steel and aluminum. Like its predecessors, the Ovation retains pushrods for controls, making the airplane ultra responsive.

There are air vents in the ceiling, just like on the M20C, but the Ovation’s are much more modern and effective. N197CV didn’t have air conditioning, but I didn’t miss it. The temps were typical Arizona hot in Chandler — about 90 degrees — but with both doors cracked there was plenty of air on the ground, and once in the air the seven air vents and two exhaust vents kept us comfortable. Other than the $28,900 additional cost, a good reason not to add the AC option is to retain more useful load.

Another commonality between the Ovation Ultra and my 42-year-old beast is the location of the manual trim wheel between the seats. Of course, the new model has electric trim as well, activated through a switch on the yoke, but having the manual trim capability eliminates any issues associated with runaway trim. Rudder trim is also available with a switch on the panel, a luxury I don’t have in the C model.

Switches are designed to use the pilot’s tactile senses to minimize confusion. The rudder switch is a knob with a vertical handle, and the flap switch, which is located right of the rudder trim, is shaped just like a flap. Most electrical switches are oversize rocker switches, which I really liked. The Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite can be controlled with an alphanumeric keypad located within easy reach of the right hand, so there is no need to reach up to the MFD to enter a flight plan, change frequencies or make other modifications.

Mooney M20U

One of the things I dislike most about my airplane is the fuel selector. It is a small lever located under my right foot, making it nearly impossible to reach. Mooney has clearly listened to customer feedback, and now the fuel selector is right behind the center section of the instrument panel, within easy reach from both the pilot and co­pilot seat. The Ovation’s fuel selector also has a much larger and more ergonomic handle. In addition to digital fuel gauges on the MFD, there are analog gauges on top of each wing.

Loaded with full fuel, N197CV weighs in at 2,907 pounds, leaving only 473 pounds to play with. With Richard, Jolie, me and several bags, we had to leave a few gallons of fuel behind to stay below gross weight. However, with a capacity of 100 gallons of fuel we could have flown for several hours even if we had to drop to half tanks. On our return trip from Kerrville, we simulated a full-fuel scenario, which would have allowed the airplane to fly nonstop all the way to Camarillo at max cruise power, burning about 17 gph. The enormous fuel capacity gives great flexibility if you want to get somewhere without landing. You just can’t do it with a full load of passengers and bags, a common quandary in most light GA airplanes.

The addition of a door on the pilot’s side comes as a welcome change to Mooney enthusiasts. Getting in without having to squeeze through to the left seat from the right side is fantastic. Both doors are a full 4 inches wider than the original single door, making for easy ingress and egress to the front seats. However, the backrests on the pilot and copilot seats don’t fold forward easily or far enough to allow the passengers to gracefully climb into the rear seats.

The seats are handmade by artisans in the Kerrville factory, and the cabin comfort is out of this world. The luxurious leather seats have multiple adjustment capabilities to provide the optimal position in terms of height and reach for the rudders and yoke. Even after our longest leg, which nibbled on four hours, I had no pressure points and no pain while sitting or exiting the airplane. Upon folding myself out of my C model after a long flight I have to perform several stretches to feel remotely normal.

Mooney M20U

Our ultimate destination was Kerrville, but we decided to have some fun along the way. Richard suggested a stop at the White Sands National Monument in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The area has a rich and varied military and space aviation history, and the Alamogordo-White Sands Regional Airport (KALM) sits under a vast network of restricted areas. The only way to get to Alamogordo as a civilian pilot is through a couple of narrow corridors.

In addition to the diversion for the restricted areas, the afternoon flight through Arizona and New Mexico forced us to fly around some pretty nasty storm cells. Garmin’s G1000 NXi made the diversions a piece of cake. The new system features a markedly improved processor and screen resolution. Like the earlier G1000 versions, the Nexrad weather data on the MFD made it easy to modify the flight plan early in the flight to avoid the worst areas. In addition to the animated radar imagery, we used the SCIT (Storm Cell Identification and Tracking) icons — tiny yellow boxes with arrows indicating the direction of the most intense storm cells and their speed of travel — to guide us to the safest route.

Other handy weather data that helped us avoid the worst of the weather included top-of-cloud information. These weather features are available through a SiriusXM subscription (free for the first year), as is satellite radio, which we also enjoyed along the way. Two Bose A20 headsets are included with the purchase of an Ovation Ultra, and they provide terrific sound quality and noise cancellation.

Another beautiful new feature incorporated in the NXi system is the ability to display the flight plan and moving map right on the HSI on the PFD. This feature made the transition through the narrow corridor in Alamogordo a whole lot easier to navigate. The corridor is only about 2 miles wide, so my focus was to keep the wingtips of the imaginary airplane on the screen from touching the blue lines that outlined the restricted areas.

After three hours flying from Camarillo to Chandler, another two-plus hours to Alamogordo, and losing one hour due to the time change between California and New Mexico, we arrived at KALM only about one hour before sunset. The local FBO, Exile Aviation, was closed already, but Richard had called ahead and the owner had been kind enough to leave his truck for us to use. There was barely enough time to take a drive out to the stunning white-sand dunes west of town. The serenity and beauty of the area took my breath away, and the experience highlighted the ability of a fast airplane to take you to a completely different environment in a very short amount of time.

Mooney M20U

The following day presented perfect conditions for showing off the terrific capabilities of the Ovation Ultra. There were multiple cloud layers between New Mexico and Texas, so in addition to diverting back through the restricted airspace corridor, we modified our direct flight plan around the heaviest areas of precipitation in Texas.

After flying under VFR through the corridor, we stayed low under broken to overcast skies until our IFR clearance was issued. I was hand-flying the airplane and expected to push the little AP switch on the terrific GFC 700 autopilot panel to reduce my workload as soon as I climbed into the clouds. However, the airplane felt so comfortable and stable that I pressed on without the help of the autopilot.

With the pink boxes on the Garmin PFD to help keep me on the perfect path vertically and horizontally at all times, hand-flying accurately in IMC was easy. I never activated the autopilot during the entire 3½-hour flight from Alamogordo to Kerrville. I even managed to make myself a snack, with crackers, meat and cheese that Jolie had brought, while controlling the airplane. The experience really showed the stability of the Ovation’s extended fuselage. There is no way I would attempt a 3½-hour flight in mostly IMC in my airplane.

With temperatures above 50 degrees during our flight at 9,000 feet, there was no concern for the wings to ice up. However, the TKS weeping-wing option, which adds $64,990 to the final price tag, is well worth it if you plan to take your Ovation into the clouds. The system keeps the windshield, elevator, propeller, and leading edges of the wings and horizontal and vertical stabilizers clear of ice. Both the Ovation and Acclaim Ultra are flight-into-known-icing certified.

The arrival into Kerrville Municipal Airport (KERV) provided the ultimate demonstration of the Ovation’s capabilities. The clouds were thick over most of Texas, with layers that extended from just a few hundred feet agl to above 20,000 feet msl. With the MAPA convention beginning that day, there was another airplane coming in, and ATC issued us a hold at OBUCO — the initial approach fix for the RNAV Runway 12 approach into Kerrville. Using a tiny button on the left side of the yoke, I popped the speedbrakes to help slow the airplane down.

Mooney M20U

The NXi produced the procedure turn at OBUCO right on the MFD and on the miniature HSI that I had already fallen in love with. If you’ve never flown a hold on a glass panel, you have to give it a try. There is no guesswork and no calculations required. For someone who learned to fly on instruments with round gauges, it feels like cheating.

Mooney M20U

Flying an approach is just as easy, and there are multiple ways to ensure you are on track, such as the magenta highway-in-the-sky boxes, the glidepath icon next to the altimeter, a horizontal track indicator below the attitude indicator and the moving map inside the HSI — all on the PFD in front of the pilot’s face.

The MFD displays all the legs of the approach along with own-ship position on top of a moving map. I split that screen with the flight-plan page, which provides the step-down altitudes for each fix so that I could verify them even though I was tracking the glidepath indicator on the PFD.

The RNAV Runway 12 is an LPV approach, which provides precise horizontal and vertical guidance down to an altitude of 250 feet above the ground, which was a good thing since the clouds formed a lid at about 600 feet. With the synthetic vision on the PFD, I saw the airport and surrounding terrain while still in the soup. The first thing I saw when we popped out of the clouds was the Mooney factory. With gear down and full flaps, I gradually added trim all the way to the nose-up stop and guided the Ovation to a sweet landing. We were home.

Mooney M20U

The Ovation Ultra has a 310 hp Continental IO-550-G engine. However, the engine I flew to Kerrville had 280 horses. While at the factory, the engine was converted, so there’s no need to talk about the speed on the way to Kerrville, which was still impressive to me.

While the engine conversion was happening, we checked out the MAPA convention and enjoyed a special event honoring Mike Miles, who retired after more than 41 years at Mooney primarily as a test pilot. Mike conducted more than 1,300 first test flights and is one of many employees who have a Mooney tenure that spans decades.

We also had a chance to tour the factory with Mooney’s vice president of production operations, Robert Dutton. It had been nearly two years since I last toured the factory, and the recent upgrades were impressive. The older equipment had been painted, and there were many new machines on the factory floors, which extend over several hangars — one of which brought forth my airplane in 1974. Though that Quonset hut has been covered, the original structure is still there. There are traces of Mooney’s vast history, including a continuous wing-shaped line where drippings from the glue that fused wood pieces in the original wing structures cut through the concrete.

Major investments have been made in the factory since the Chinese Meijing Group purchased Mooney in 2013, including $500,000 just in lighting upgrades. Hundreds of thousands have been invested in CNC machines to ensure accuracy and predictability in the parts. This, along with the fresh paint and new roofs, hides the fact that this is a production facility that has been in existence for more than six decades.

Mooney M20U

With a focus on quality and safety, the factory is gearing up for a production rate of one airplane every two weeks. The airplanes are moved through eight assembly-line positions. Most parts and production is done in-house. Currently, work for the Ultra models’ exterior paint and composite fuselage shell is outsourced. Robert said the company plans to bring this work in-house with investments and upgrades to the existing carbon and glass composite capabilities.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and the three of us once again strapped ourselves into the airbag seat belts in the Ovation, this time behind 30 additional horses. Despite our heavy load, we were off the ground before the 1,000-foot markers on Runway 12. The runway has a 687-foot-long displaced threshold, so the ground roll was no more than about 1,500 feet.

With fewer airspace and weather issues to worry about as we headed west, we only made a couple of slight diversions around heavier bands of precipitation. At a power setting of 22.6 mp and 2,600 rpm, our TAS was about 190 knots at 8,000 feet, burning 17 gph. We remained at 8,000 feet during most of the flight to avoid hypoxia — the Ovation does not have a built-in oxygen system. But without the ability to climb to thinner air, as the turbocharged Acclaim can, the Ovation tops out at 197 ktas. Our flight time from KERV to KCHD was about three hours and 45 minutes for the approximately 700 nm leg. By comparison, the flight Jolie and I flew from KCHD to KCMA, a distance of 370 nm, was nearly three hours — about three-quarters of the time to travel a little more than half the distance. However, we had a slight headwind on our way to Camarillo, whereas the winds were in our favor from Texas to Arizona.

Mooney M20U

While the weather was the typical Arizona severe clear, we decided to try another approach, this time with the autopilot. Coming in from the east, there was no logical approach into Chandler. Richard suggested an approach into Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (KIWA). I loaded the RNAV Y Runway 30C into the G1000 NXi and, while managing power and rudder trim, I let the autopilot fly the entire approach, terminating above the decision altitude by adding power and pushing the go-around button above the throttle, which puts the flight director in a 6-degree climb attitude and sequences the avionics to the missed approach. We didn’t fly the missed approach procedure, but instead turned the Ovation straight toward Runway 22R at Chandler.

While I love my airplane, it was a tad depressing going from the brand-new Ovation back to what is essentially its grandfather. The speed, the comfort, the avionics and the ease of flying add up to an exceptional package. No matter how much time I spent in the left seat of the Ovation, I felt I could have spent more. At a base price of $689,000, the Ovation Ultra is nearly 10 times the value of my Mooney. Is it 10 times better? Unquestionably, yes!

Pia Bergqvist

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mooney m20 acclaim ultra cruise speed

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2016 Mooney Acclaim Ultra

By Isabel Goyer Updated April 7, 2016 Save Article

2016 Mooney Acclaim Ultra

The 2016 Mooney Acclaim Ultra we flew for this report is the first Acclaim Ultra off the production line. It’s equipped with the Garmin G1000 integrated flight deck with dual redundant 10.4-inch displays, dual digital ADAHRS, ADS-B, GFC 700 flight control system and the Mid-Continent self-powered standby instrument.

Price as flown: $689,000 Engine: Continental TSIO-550-G Propeller: Hartzell Scimitar, three-blade Landing gear: retractable Seats: 4 Doors: 2 Horsepower: 280 Empty weight: 2,380 lbs. Useful load: 1,000 lbs. Max takeoff weight: 3,368 lbs. Fuel capacity, gals: 89 standard, 100 optional Wingspan: 36.6 ft. Length: 26.8 ft. Height: 8.4 ft. Cabin width: 43.5 inches Takeoff distance: 2,100 ft. w/50-ft. obstacle Climb rate (fpm): 1,375 ft./min Max cruise speed (ktas): 242 (@25,000 ft.) Max operating altitude (ft.): 25,000 ft. Max range, 65%, 100 gals: 1,250 nm Stall speed, with flaps: 56 kias Landing: 2,650 ft. w/50-ft. obstacle

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  • Northern Europe & Baltic Sea

Celebrity's Journey to Moscow excursion

psygist

By psygist , March 7, 2012 in Northern Europe & Baltic Sea

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Cool Cruiser

I will be in St. Petersburg in June on a Celebrity ship. Having been there previously, we would like to do the Journey to Moscow excursion. Celebrity lists it in the shore excursion brochure for my sail date, but it has not been available for booking on their website.

I have called Celebrity twice and both times was told that even though it is listed in the shore excursion brochure, it probably isn't being offered since it is not listed for pre-booking on the website. I have emailed Celebrity twice and received a different response. They responded that they were still working with the tour provider on the details and is not yet available for pre-booking.

Anyone have any experience with this that could offer some advice? It's frustrating that cruise line agents can be so misinformed and inconsistent in what they tell us.

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TLCOhio

I will be in St. Petersburg in June on a Celebrity ship. Having been there previously, we would like to do the Journey to Moscow excursion. Celebrity lists it in the shore excursion brochure for my sail date, but it has not been available for booking on their website. I have called Celebrity twice and both times was told that even though it is listed in the shore excursion brochure, it probably isn't being offered since it is not listed for pre-booking on the website. I have emailed Celebrity twice and received a different response. They responded that they were still working with the tour provider on the details and is not yet available for pre-booking. Anyone have any experience with this that could offer some advice? It's frustrating that cruise line agents can be so misinformed and inconsistent in what they tell us.

Having done this one-day trip to Moscow and back on another cruise while in St. Petersburg, I might be able to share some insight. First, from dealing with some Celebrity folks about Europe options, certain of them are limited in their personal experiences and knowledge about this part of the world. Shouldn't be this way, but it is. They know more on the familiar Carib options as that is what is both closer and for which they get more of their calls/question. If they haven't done it, nor is is clear on their computer screen, they can't be of much help.

Second, that excursion to Moscow has been "evolving" during the past few years as they have switched from doing it by air flights to connection by high-speed rail. On trips like this one that is more costly and highly specialized, you will probably need to "press and push" to reach someone who is more likely to know this somewhat of a "needle in the haystack".

It's sad that you've gotten the "run-around", but sometimes the staff is not as informed and experienced as you would like, expect and need.

Do you need any background info for what you would see and do in Moscow , how it works, etc.???

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik . Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 68,189 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

What you said makes perfect sense. Thanks.

I also looked into doing this tour privately, but one tour provider informed me there were no available trains or planes to fit my ship's time in port. We will be there on a weekend so its possible that transportation does not run as frequent. I just wish Celebrity could get their act together and tell me definitively whether they will be offering the Moscow excursion.

Terry, What you said makes perfect sense. Thanks. I also looked into doing this tour privately, but one tour provider informed me there were no available trains or planes to fit my ship's time in port. We will be there on a weekend so its possible that transportation does not run as frequent. I just wish Celebrity could get their act together and tell me definitively whether they will be offering the Moscow excursion. Paul

If your cruise puts you into St. Petersburg on a weekend, that could be another complicating factor. Openings at certain places, rail schedules, etc., could be different for some days of the week. It is possible to do the Moscow trip by some private tour companies, but if there are any weather and/or scheduling complications, that could make things more difficult. Doing it through the cruise ship, makes it "their" problem, not yours!!

Doing the one-day trip to Moscow is very interesting and special. Lots of cruise lines do it now and have the practice down to a "science". BUT, that weekend timing could be delaying their finalization some on schedules.

  • 3 weeks later...
I will be in St. Petersburg in June on a Celebrity ship. Having been there previously, we would like to do the Journey to Moscow excursion. Celebrity lists it in the shore excursion brochure for my sail date, but it has not been available for booking on their website.   I have called Celebrity twice and both times was told that even though it is listed in the shore excursion brochure, it probably isn't being offered since it is not listed for pre-booking on the website. I have emailed Celebrity twice and received a different response. They responded that they were still working with the tour provider on the details and is not yet available for pre-booking.   Anyone have any experience with this that could offer some advice? It's frustrating that cruise line agents can be so misinformed and inconsistent in what they tell us.

I was able to book this for a June cruise in the past few days. If you look carefully in the fine print for the excursion, I believe it is because you have to begin the online check-in process since they need your passport/ID information before you can book this excursion. Try to do as much of the online check-in as you can, and I think it should appear for purchase.

It would be nice to know what the actual schedule for the Moscow excursion is. I don't believe it is actually 18.5 hours, but that is just to make sure that you can't book anything else on that day.

I was finally able to book the tour online. They just made it available for online booking the other day. I sure hope they reach the minimum number of guests so it isn't cancelled.

Not sure why it leaves at 9:30. If it indeed is an 18.5 hour tour, we won't get back until 4 am.

I was able to book this for a June cruise in the past few days. If you look carefully in the fine print for the excursion, I believe it is because you have to begin the online check-in process since they need your passport/ID information before you can book this excursion. Try to do as much of the online check-in as you can, and I think it should appear for purchase.   It would be nice to know what the actual schedule for the Moscow excursion is. I don't believe it is actually 18.5 hours, but that is just to make sure that you can't book anything else on that day.

It looks like Celebrity edited the description to say that, for those excursions on a weekend, the actual tour will be shortened by about 2 hours due to less traffic on a weekend.

Terry (or anyone who has been on the Journey to Moscow excursion before):

Can you give me a little detail on the itinerary? The tour description says that we will have a walking tour of Red Square and the Kremlin, as well as visits to the Armoury and one of the Kremlin cathedrals. Was wondering what other Moscow sights we will get to see. Or will the rest be in the form of a panoramic bus tour? Any opportunity for souvenir shopping?

Thanks for any insights you can offer.

  • 1 month later...
This was just cancelled for my cruise :( Didn't meet the minimum number of people interested in going.

There might be some options through private tour companies. We used Anastasia for our part in St. Petersburg, but she is doing these Moscow arrangements for friends, two couples, from here in Central Ohio, in late June. I would contact a couple of key, experiences firms such as Anastasia, see what she and others can offer to make this one-day train trip over and back.

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik . Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 82,951 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 70,872 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Which sailing are you on that the Moscow excursion was cancelled? I booked it for my Eclipse cruise June 23 sailing and haven't heard anything

  • 2 months later...

soakedbythesea

soakedbythesea

You have probably figured out now that not only excursions, but many other things aboard ship are misleading, if not downright fraudulent. The ship crew, staff and clerks are all going to do pretty much what they want to, but not only on the Royal Caribbean's Celebrity brand, but almost all cruise ships - the captain can almost get away with murder. Aren't you glad you don't have to work on one of these vessels? Also make sure you don't get involved in any type of dispute, as even some crime gets swept under the ship - well, not all, like the Costa that crashed & tipped over, but not sure even then much will happen, as all passengers signed all their rights away before they got on board.

Hope you have enjoyed your cruise by now and maybe look back here on the board. About the only way to get any knowledge about the ships, excursions, etc. is through sites like this.

As we are sailing a year from now on Celebrity Constellation - Aug 12, we were wondering too about shows aboard, excursions (both ship and private), if you ever got to Moscow, etc. Please write to us at:

john at shifferds dot com - thanks

  • 5 months later...

drarill

Ywlke,   Which sailing are you on that the Moscow excursion was cancelled? I booked it for my Eclipse cruise June 23 sailing and haven't heard anything

We will be in St. Petersburg in July and want to take Celebrity's tour to Moscow. Please let us know if you liked it or not and how long it was. This is going to be our second time in St. Petersburg but will like to take a private tour on day #2. Did you do something the day after your Moscow tour? We are traveling with our teenagers and worry about them being too tired :rolleyes:

  • 6 months later...

Kevin's girl

Kevin's girl

I thought I would bump this up. We will be on the Brilliance this time next year and are very interested in doing this our. Are there still people out there that have done it? I would love to hear what you thought of the tour, the travel part and what you were able to see while in Moscow. Was it worth the price?

I thought I would bump this up. We will be on the Brilliance this time next year and are very interested in doing this our. Are there still people out there that have done it? I would love to hear what you thought of the tour' date=' the travel part and what you were able to see while in Moscow. Was it worth the price?[/quote'] We just did this tour and really liked it, but this was our second time in St. Petersburg. If this is your first time there I don't know if it's the best choice. You spend most of the day in airports and buses. Our meeting time at the ship was 6:45 AM, followed by a 45 min. long drive to the airport. Then we had to wait for a 10:00 AM one hour flight to Moscow. As you can see we arrived after 11:00 AM followed by another 30 minutes ride to the city. We were taken to the Red Square, to take a subway ride, followed by a coffee and tea break, then to the Kremlin armory museum (where we spend most of our time), also visited the Cathedral of the Annunciation, and back to the Red Square. Were only given half hour for shopping, followed by a really long dinner at a local restaurant. Our flight back to St. Petersburg departed half hour late, arriving at 11:30 PM. It took a while for the bus to pick us up, another 45 min. drive to the port and we were at our rooms by 1:00 AM. This means that if you want to see St. Petersburg the next day, you are going to be really tired. BTW, I'm not complaining, this tour was so popular on our cruise that they had two groups for the first time. Most of my friends were on that group and they had the worst time. Their flight left earlier than ours and although they were taken to more places than us, they ended up on a later flight and arrived in St. Petersburg after 12:30 AM. The problem was that the tour company knew that they were not going to make it on time to the bridges that connect the city to the area where the ship docks. The elevated bridges go up at 1:30 AM in the morning and are taken back after 5:00 AM. Can you believe that our tour guide made fun of the fact that the other bus was not going to make it on time? It was really frustrating for them to watch the bridges go up in front of their eyes. They finally found online a bridge that goes down for periods of 15 min. and were able to go back to the ship after 3:00 AM. Some of them couldn't make it to their tours the next day. Remember, this is Russia, if you don't make it to your tour the next day, you won't be able to leave the ship. My friends tried to take a taxi and catch up with us, but their visa stated a 9:00AM pick up time and had to stay on the ship. We liked our tour, but it is up to you to decide if it's worth it. The time that you actually spend in Moscow is really limited. If by any chance you are given a late flight on your way back, start screaming and demand an earlier flight. The tour company hired by Celebrity is going to buy the cheapest flights to make more money. Just my two cents. I tried to research this tour before our cruise and didn't find too much information. Hope this helps. BTW, I was concern about the planes used for the flights, if you are too, don't be. The flight was great and were even given a sandwich with juice or water. I do have to say that we felt that we were on a PanAm 1970's flight. The attendants were all really young, skinny and beautiful, wore heavy make up and complicated hair styles. I was also not impressed by either St. Petersburg or Moscow's airports. No restrooms close to the gates, two flights leaving at the same time through the same gate, just a mess!! Before our tour I couldn't understand how Edward Snowden could hide for such a long time on an airport, after visiting Moscow's international airport it just made sense. Hope you enjoy your Baltic cruise.

The_Big_M

Thanks for the details. I was quite curious about it. Unfortunately it doesn't sound like you got to see so much there. Fortunately as you say it was your second time in SPB, so you can compare and see the differences between the cities. They are very different.

On our Celebrity cruise, it was sold out, but I didn't come across anyone who took the tour to find out their experiences.

drarill, I had to laugh at the comment about how Snowden was able to hide in the airport ... I had wondered the same thing, but now we know!! LOL

We just did this tour and really liked it, but this was our second time in St. Petersburg. If this is your first time there I don't know if it's the best choice. You spend most of the day in airports and buses. Our meeting time at the ship was 6:45 AM, followed by a 45 min. long drive to the airport. Then we had to wait for a 10:00 AM one hour flight to Moscow. As you can see we arrived after 11:00 AM followed by another 30 minutes ride to the city. We were taken to the Red Square, to take a subway ride, followed by a coffee and tea break, then to the Kremlin armory museum (where we spend most of our time), also visited the Cathedral of the Annunciation, and back to the Red Square. Were only given half hour for shopping, followed by a really long dinner at a local restaurant. Our flight back to St. Petersburg departed half hour late, arriving at 11:30 PM. It took a while for the bus to pick us up, another 45 min. drive to the port and we were at our rooms by 1:00 AM. This means that if you want to see St. Petersburg the next day, you are going to be really tired. BTW, I'm not complaining, this tour was so popular on our cruise that they had two groups for the first time. Most of my friends were on that group and they had the worst time. Their flight left earlier than ours and although they were taken to more places than us, they ended up on a later flight and arrived in St. Petersburg after 12:30 AM. The problem was that the tour company knew that they were not going to make it on time to the bridges that connect the city to the area where the ship docks. The elevated bridges go up at 1:30 AM in the morning and are taken back after 5:00 AM. Can you believe that our tour guide made fun of the fact that the other bus was not going to make it on time? It was really frustrating for them to watch the bridges go up in front of their eyes. They finally found online a bridge that goes down for periods of 15 min. and were able to go back to the ship after 3:00 AM. Some of them couldn't make it to their tours the next day. Remember, this is Russia, if you don't make it to your tour the next day, you won't be able to leave the ship. My friends tried to take a taxi and catch up with us, but their visa stated a 9:00AM pick up time and had to stay on the ship. We liked our tour, but it is up to you to decide if it's worth it. The time that you actually spend in Moscow is really limited. If by any chance you are given a late flight on your way back, start screaming and demand an earlier flight. The tour company hired by Celebrity is going to buy the cheapest flights to make more money. Just my two cents. I tried to research this tour before our cruise and didn't find too much information. Hope this helps. BTW, I was concern about the planes used for the flights, if you are too, don't be. The flight was great and were even given a sandwich with juice or water. I do have to say that we felt that we were on a PanAm 1970's flight. The attendants were all really young, skinny and beautiful, wore heavy make up and complicated hair styles. I was also not impressed by either St. Petersburg or Moscow's airports. No restrooms close to the gates, two flights leaving at the same time through the same gate, just a mess!! Before our tour I couldn't understand how Edward Snowden could hide for such a long time on an airport, after visiting Moscow's international airport it just made sense. Hope you enjoy your Baltic cruise.

Thank you for posting your experience. You have given me a lot to think about. It just seemed like a good idea, now I need to think really hard about it. I would hate to have our second day messed up in SPB.

We did Celebrity's Journey to Moscow excursion in July 2012. We had been to St. Petersburg before so decided to do something different. Interestingly, this excursion had been cancelled on some of the previous cruises that summer as a result of not enough people signed up. There were about 20 people on our excursion.

In a nutshell, I recommend the excursion and would do it again, but there are some caveats:

1. I would probably not go to Moscow if this was my first time visiting St. Petersburg. SP is full of wonderful sites so I would spend my two port days there seeing all the city sites, including the Hermitage, as well as visiting one of the palaces outside the city.

2. If you go to Moscow and plan on taking a tour in SP the next day, be aware (as someone else posted) that the tour returns to the ship very late and you might have difficulty getting up early enough the next morning for your SP tour. Our flight didn't land back in SP until after midnight and we were unable to cross the bridges before they rose. We didn't return back to the ship until after 2am, but because we anticipated that this might happen, we booked an afternoon private car in SP. We actually ended up enjoying being out late in SP with the bridges up as our bus and guide drove us around the city late at night and it was a surreal experience, especially during the white nights of summer.

3. We thought the time in Moscow could have been better organized, allowing us more time to see Red Square and the Kremlin buildings, but we were prevented from doing so due to horrendous traffic around Moscow, a very long-winded local tour guide, and too much time spent stopping for a coffee break (which was entirely unnecessary IMO). We also had almost no time to shop and the time spent in Red Square was much too short. Again, I mostly blamed this on our guide who talked too much rather than allowing us free time to wander around. I ditched the guide and our group before we were actually dismissed for free time so that I could wander around Red Square and make a few purchases from a street artist (local art and crafts on the street are of high quality and inexpensive IMO).

4. The dinner, while served in a beautiful, elegant setting, was mediocre at best. Lots of alcohol, but I've had better beef stroganoff in a school cafeteria.

Having provided you with these caveats, I still would take the tour again. It was a fascinating and magical experience. From the very interesting airport and airplane experience, to having the opportunity to visit the Kremlin sites and Red Square, it was worth it for us. It was a whirlwind of a tour, lasting about 18 hours from the time we left the ship until we returned.

I hope this helps others make a decision about this tour.

  • 3 years later...
I was finally able to book the tour online. They just made it available for online booking the other day. I sure hope they reach the minimum number of guests so it isn't cancelled.   Not sure why it leaves at 9:30. If it indeed is an 18.5 hour tour, we won't get back until 4 am.

We are on May 21, 2017 Eclipse and want to do the same tour.

There are several trains per day even on weekends and holidays. If it is the weekend I would say you are better off flying as traffic will be a little better than on a weekday especially in the morning. There are probably several flights an hour. The train is modern and comfortable but not especially scenic.

Since you need a visa anyway you could also consider arranging a Moscow tour guide to meet you at the airport and arrange your own transport to Moscow. An airport taxi should be easy to arrange in St Petersburg or use Uber. Aeroflot tickets are easy to buy online.

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IMAGES

  1. Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra

    mooney m20 acclaim ultra cruise speed

  2. Mooney rolls out major updates for M20V Ultra : : FLYER

    mooney m20 acclaim ultra cruise speed

  3. Mooney Acclaim Ultra: Tops in Raw Speed

    mooney m20 acclaim ultra cruise speed

  4. Inside $1 Million Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra

    mooney m20 acclaim ultra cruise speed

  5. Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra

    mooney m20 acclaim ultra cruise speed

  6. Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra and M20U Ovation Ultra

    mooney m20 acclaim ultra cruise speed

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  1. Mooney High Speed Pass

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  3. Mooney M20F Executive 21 Landing

  4. Stu got mooney'd again

  5. Mooney m20 395 rocket

  6. 2007 MOONEY ACCLAIM TYPE S For Sale

COMMENTS

  1. Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra

    By contrast, a used Acclaim Ultra costs between $700,000 and $800,000 depending on age, condition and other factors. The Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra has a top speed of 242 knots, a cruise speed of 175 knots and has a maximum range of 1275 nmi. Its single Continental TSIO-550-G engine burns approximately 18 gph on average.

  2. Mooney Acclaim Ultra: Tops in Raw Speed

    That produces near-perfect touchdowns every time. The Acclaim climbs briskly at about 1100 to 1200 FPM to as high you want, with good visibility over the nose at 120 knots cruise climb speed. Although Mooney lowered the glareshield in the new models, the view forward isn't as expansive as a Cirrus or a Diamond.

  3. Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra

    Overview. The 242-knot top speed of the Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra gives the company bragging rights as the fastest single-engine production piston aircraft. The typical useful load for this aircraft is right around 1,000 pounds, and the range with the extended 100-gallon tanks can be stretched to 1,275 nm at a cruise speed of 175 knots.

  4. Mooney M20 (Everything to Know on the Low Wing Speedster)

    The Mooney M20 got its start as an expansion of the M-18 Mite - a single place low-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear. ... Cruise Speed: 158 kts; Stall Speed: 50 kts; Fuel Consumption: 8.5 gallons per hour at 75% power; ... Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra Performance. Takeoff Over 50 ft. Obstacle: 2,100 feet; Rate of Climb, Sea ...

  5. Mooney Acclaim

    Mooney's Acclaim — type designator M20 TN — introduced with great fanfare at the 2006 Sun 'n Fun Fly-In is the ultimate Mooney. It replaced the Bravo as the company's flagship model. The key to the Acclaim's speed is its turbocharged, intercooled, 280-horsepower Teledyne Continental TSIO-550-G engine. A pair of Garrett turbos — one for ...

  6. Mooney M20

    The Mooney M20 is a family of piston-powered, four-seat, propeller-driven, ... Mooney Acclaim Ultra. More employees were laid off in late 2010. ... Cruise speed: 242 kn (278 mph, 448 km/h) Stall speed: 53 kn (61 mph, 98 km/h)

  7. 2017 Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra

    2017 Mooney M20 Acclaim Ultra. Specifications. By Plane and Pilot ... Propeller: Hartzell Scimitar, 3-blade, 76″ diameter. Avionics: Garmin G1000, GFC700. Top Cruise Speed: 242 kts. Stall, Landing Configuration: 56 ... (50-ft. Obstacle): 2,100/2,650 ft. Read our Mooney Acclaim Ultra pilot report. Check out the Acclaim Ultra and other ...

  8. Mooney M20

    Mooney M20 Overview. ... Owners of 180-hp, short-body airplanes say to count on a maximum cruise speed of 140 to 147 knots, with the company claiming 150 as the 75-percent-power cruise. With the smaller fuselage and the larger engine, the M20E is supposed to turn in nearly 160 knots at optimum altitude, although owners admit that 155 knots is ...

  9. Inside The $1 Million Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra

    Inside The $1 Million Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra Plane0:00 - IntroThe twin-turbocharged Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra adds a key feature pilots have long wished f...

  10. Project Notebook: Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra

    One of the biggest complaints Mooney has heard from its thousands of M20 customers is the lack of a left-side door. ... be stretched to 1,275 nm at a cruise speed of 175 knots. New Acclaim Ultra ...

  11. Explore the Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra: A Pilot's Dream

    This high-performance single-engine piston aircraft has been turning heads since its introduction, offering pilots remarkable speed, efficiency, and comfort. Manufactured by Mooney International Corporation, the Acclaim Ultra is the latest and most advanced in the legendary M20 family, continuing the legacy of speed and performance that the ...

  12. Mooney Announces M20V Acclaim Ultra

    Mooney Announces M20V Acclaim Ultra ... load will be right around 1,000 lbs and the range with the extended 100-gallon tanks can be stretched to 1,275 nm at a cruise speed of 175 knots. With the ...

  13. Mooney unveils flagship M20V Acclaim Ultra

    By Kate Sarsfield 12 February 2016. Mooney International has unveiled a redesigned and upgraded version of its flagship M20 Acclaim piston single. The launch of the $780,000, high-performance ...

  14. We Fly: Mooney Acclaim Ultra

    An award-winning aviation writer, photographer and editor, Ms. Goyer led teams at Sport Pilot, Air Progress and Flying before coming to Plane & Pilot in 2015. We Fly Mooney Acclaim Ultra. The secret to the Mooney Acclaim Ultraâ s improved comfort and view is a one-piece composite shell.

  15. 2017

    The M20V Acclaim Ultra seats up to 3 passengers plus 1 pilot. Toggle navigation ... View 171 MOONEY M20 For Sale PAPI™ Price Estimate Model Year (as of June 1, 2022): ... Horsepower: 1 x 280 HP. Best Cruise Speed: 175 KIAS. Best Range (i): 1,100 NM. Fuel Burn @ 75%: 20.3 GPH. Stall Speed: 56 KIAS. Ceiling: 25,000 FT. Takeoff distance over ...

  16. Acclaim and Ovation Ultras FAA Certified, Deliveries to Start Soon

    AOPA is saying 1 that with a 242 knot top speed, the Acclaim Ultra is the current fastest single-engine production piston aircraft, ... which has a published max cruise speed of 235 knots. Mooney M20: More Speed, Less Fuel. Mooney aficionados tend to come from that portion of the pilot population that values speed over nearly all else.

  17. The Mooney M20U Ovation Ultra is a Product of Big Investment

    Named the Ultra models, Mooney's modernized Acclaim and Ovation are now FAA-certified and rolling out of the factory at an increasing rate. ... the M20 series has come to be well-regarded for ...

  18. 2016 Mooney Acclaim Ultra

    The 2016 Mooney Acclaim Ultra we flew for this report is the first Acclaim Ultra off the production line. It's equipped with the Garmin G1000 integrated flight deck with dual redundant 10.4-inch displays, dual digital ADAHRS, ADS-B, GFC 700 flight control system and the Mid-Continent self-powered standby instrument. Price as flown: $689,000.

  19. Moscow: question for those who have gone from St Petersburg

    I have read many of the threads that discuss whether or not Moscow is worth the expense and long day, especially when there are only 2 days in port. I realize there are two strong opinions from people with one side saying it is worth it and the other side says stay in St Petersburg. We have decid...

  20. Mooney introduces new Acclaim, Ovation models

    In keeping with Mooney tradition, the new airplanes retain their speed. The turbo-charged Acclaim has a top speed of 242 knots true at altitude, the fastest FAA-certified piston single in production. The normally aspirated Ovation has a top speed in the mid-190-knot range. Mooney showed off the changes at a rollout event in Texas on Feb. 10.

  21. Thinking of going to Moscow?

    We thought about it and did it September 21, 2013. We would like to share how we did it and explore options on how to visit this great city. Because we were staying in St. Petersburg, we chose a "Day Trip". We found a guide on the internet and contacted her. We asked her the best way and day to v...

  22. COST of day trip to Moscow

    We have just booked a cruise to the Baltics for next year. I am trying to find out the average cost for a day trip to Moscow from STP. I have searched several times, and whilst I have read reviews and reports about the trips etc - I cannot actually see any examples of the costs. I imagine its qui...

  23. Celebrity's Journey to Moscow excursion

    I will be in St. Petersburg in June on a Celebrity ship. Having been there previously, we would like to do the Journey to Moscow excursion. Celebrity lists it in the shore excursion brochure for my sail date, but it has not been available for booking on their website. I have called Celebrity twic...