Used Aircraft Guide: Mooney K-Model – Goes Fast, Sips Gas

Of age mellows people, the same thing might be said of airplanes, at least if the airplane in question is Mooneys M20K series. The airplane arrived in the GA market at a time when turbocharging was relatively new and the demand for high flying aircraft was thin. Mooney didnt get the M20Ks turbocharging system right on the first try and the airplane developed a reputation as a maintenance hog. Thirty years later, that reputation has been mostly burnished and the fact that the M20K bores along between 160 and 200 knots on relatively little fuel has improved the models used price. Still, the cabin is small and with a single door, hard to get into. For that reason and others, Mooneys have a bit of cult status to them. They are in no way everymans airplane in the way that a Cessna or a Piper is. But if cruising fast yet miserly is your wont, the M20K models-the 231, the 252 and the Encore-are strong contenders.