Dave Higdon/Wichita
Mooney may be forced to delay development of its Eagle light single if the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) insists that the aircraft is certificated to FAR 23 standards.
FAA officials are questioning why the Kerville, Texas-based company is not planning to certificate the Eagle, Mooney's planned upgraded long-fuselage replacement for the four-seat, entry-level M20J Allegro, to FAR Part 23 standards, which are the latest certification requirements for light aircraft under 5,675kg (12,500lb).
Mooney was expecting to upgrade the aircraft under older CAR 3 certification requirements, which have usually applied to aircraft derivatives, as was the case with the existing Ovation and Bravo, which were developed from earlier models.
"The differences are manifest," says Mooney's vice-president of marketing, William Kolloff. If Part 23 certification is required, the Eagle development bill will be about $10 million; as an amended certificate under CAR 3, the price will be tens of thousands of dollars.
"It will probably delay the programme about a year as we want to concentrate our resources on development of the follow-on to the Bravo," adds Kolloff.
Mooney is now developing a pressurised piston-single and a single-engine turboprop, both designs starting from a clean sheet of paper. "We want to build the Eagle, so we won't drop it, but it will slip in priority because we can only afford to do so much at any given time," says Kolloff.
If Mooney's engineers convince the FAA that the Eagle's airworthiness will not be compromised by using CAR 3 certification, the first Eagle could be flying later this year, with certification and first deliveries following soon, says Kolloff.
Meanwhile, Mooney sources have provided a glimpse into the Eagle's planned specifications. The aircraft is designed to be faster, more economical "and more comfortable" than the company's 20-year-old Allegro. Mooney is setting the power of the Textron Lycoming IO-550 engine at about 180kW (240hp), providing a cruise speed of 173kt (320km/h) compared with 168kt for the Allegro.
According to a source, the improved speed will take the Eagle across the 200mph (174kt) threshold, "-something of a magic barrier where single-engine airplanes are concerned". The Eagle is expected to cost about $300,000.
Mooney is also examining the market for a civil variant of its Predator military trainer, with a view to putting it into full-scale production. The company, which is negotiating the sale of 100 Predators to the Egyptian air force, is believed to be committed to the idea if a long-term market exists.
Source: Flight International