Mooney M20C

1 × Piston Unpressurized Low Wing • Retractable

Range Map

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+ cargo

Payload vs. Range

Occupants:

Fuel on board

Cargo

Range

Cargo is additional payload after occupants and baggage.

Adjust payload

full tanks

Available Range / nm

Mission capable. This load flies with full fuel.

Fuel reduced by . left aboard for nm range.

Over max payload by . At this load it cannot lift a single occupant.

Trip Preview

Mission Profile

Used market

148

KTAS

Cruise Speed

650

Max Range

17,200

Service Ceiling

Occupants

638

lbs

Wet Payload

Endorsements & ratings:

Complex

Mooney M20C Mark 21 (N7890V), the 180-hp carbureted Lycoming O-360 short-body, at Sun 'n Fun 2024. Photo: ZLEA, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the Mooney M20C

Type certificated 1961

Overview

The Mooney M20C (marketed as the Mark 21 and later the Ranger) is the short-body, 180-horsepower member of Mooney’s M20 family, type-certificated in 1961 and built into 1978. It is the airplane that established the Mooney reputation for speed on modest power: a Lycoming O-360 burning 9 to 10 gallons an hour pulls the slick airframe to roughly 145 to 150 knots, a figure many newer fixed-gear singles cannot match on far more fuel.

Among vintage four-seat retractables the M20C is prized for efficiency and simplicity. Early airframes use the manual Johnson-bar landing gear and manual flaps, which hold systems cost down, and the welded steel-tube cabin cage is durable. The cabin is tight by modern standards, and the integral wet-wing tanks demand attention as their sealant ages. Choose the M20C when you want exceptional speed per dollar in a certified four-seat retractable and you value a simple, economical airframe over cabin room or turbocharged altitude performance.

Key Features for GA Buyers

Speed on little fuel. Roughly 145 to 150 KTAS from a 180hp Lycoming O-360 burning 9 to 10 GPH, the M20 efficiency signature in its purest form.
Simple systems. Early models use a manual Johnson-bar gear and manual flaps, avoiding the upkeep of hydraulic or electric systems.
Durable structure. An all-metal airframe built over a welded steel-tube cabin cage.
Lowest cost of entry. The most affordable route into a certified retractable Mooney.

Trade-offs

Tight cabin. The short-body fuselage offers limited rear legroom next to the long-body Ovation, Bravo, and Acclaim.
Wet-wing tanks. The integral fuel tanks develop weeps as the sealant ages, and a full reseal is a known and sometimes costly job.
Energy management on landing. Like all Mooneys, the clean airframe floats if approach speed is not flown precisely.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Height: 8 ft
Length: 23 ft
Parking area (ft²²): 1,269 ft²

Max Takeoff Weight: 2,575 lbs
Max Landing Weight: 2,575 lbs
Useful Load: 950 lbs
Fuel Capacity: Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 52 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed: Source: third-party reference 148 KTAS
Never-Exceed (V_NE): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 164 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (V_NO): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 130 KIAS
Approach Speed: 65 KIAS
Stall, Clean (V_S₁): Source: third-party reference 61 KIAS
Range: 650 NM
Service Ceiling: 17,200 ft
Rate of Climb: 800 - 1010 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle: 1,250 ft
Landing over 50 ft obstacle: 1,550 ft

Engine

Sources

Where the figures on this page come from. Mooney M20C specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.

1 × Piston Low Wing Used market

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