Mooney M20E
Piston single engine • Low Wing • Retractable gear
Range Map
• nm at current load
• click map to move • two fingers to move map
Payload vs. Range
Configure weights
Default: 190 lbs
Default: 30 lbs
gal
Fuel on board
lbs
Extra weight
nm
Range
Mission Profile
- Complex
Estimated Ownership Costs
About the Mooney M20E
Type certificated 1963
Overview
The Mooney M20E (marketed as the Super 21 and later the Chaparral) is the 200-horsepower fuel-injected member of Mooney’s short-body M20 line, type-certificated in 1963 and built from 1964. It put a 200-horsepower Lycoming IO-360 in the compact M20 airframe, lifting cruise to around 155 knots on about 10 gallons an hour, a clear step up from the 180-horsepower M20C on the same airframe.
The M20E is quicker than the M20C but tighter and shorter-legged than the stretched M20F that followed. It remains one of the more affordable routes into a fast certified retractable. Choose the M20E when you want strong speed per dollar in a vintage four-seat Mooney and you accept a snug cabin and a modest fuel load in exchange for low purchase and operating cost.
Key Features for GA Buyers
- 200hp cruise speed. Around 155 KTAS from the fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360, vintage-Mooney efficiency at a low cost of entry to the 200hp models.
- Compact short-body airframe. The short M20 fuselage keeps weight down and makes the most of the 200 horsepower.
- Fuel injection. The IO-360 sidesteps carburetor-ice management and begins the injected lineage that runs through to the 201.
- Simple systems. Manual flaps and the classic Johnson-bar or electric gear, depending on year, keep upkeep modest.
Trade-offs
- Snug cabin and short legs. The 52-gallon fuel load and short fuselage limit range and rear-seat room next to the M20F and the later long-bodies.
- Vintage age. 1960s airframes need careful pre-buy attention to the integral wet wings, landing gear, and corrosion.
- Speed control. Like all Mooneys, the clean airframe floats if approach speed is not flown precisely.
See Also
- Mooney M20F – the stretched-cabin, longer-range sibling on the same engine. Compare
- Mooney M20J 201 – the aerodynamically refined modern step-up. Compare
- Mooney M20C – the carbureted 180hp short-body at lower cost. Compare
- Piper Arrow – a retractable four-seat cross-shop. Compare
Technical Specifications
Dimensions & Weights
- Height
- 8.33 ft
- Length
- 23.17 ft
- Parking area (ft2)
- 1267.65 ft2
- Max Takeoff Weight
- 2,575 lbs
- Max Landing Weight
- 2,575 lbs
- Useful Load
- 1,000 lbs
- Fuel Capacity
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 52 gal
Performance
- Cruise Speed
- Source: third-party reference 155 KTAS
- Never-Exceed (VNE)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 174 KIAS
- Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 152 KIAS
- Approach Speed
- Source: manufacturer figure 58 KIAS
- Stall, Clean (VS1)
- Source: manufacturer figure 58 KIAS
- Range
- 601 NM
- Service Ceiling
- 18,800 ft
- Rate of Climb
- 1110 fpm
- Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
- 1,300 ft
- Landing ground roll
- 1,365 ft
Sources
Where the figures on this page come from. Mooney M20E specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.
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External Media
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