Mooney M20
14 models built 1955–2019 · 6,182 on the US register today
The Mooney M20, in production since 1955 on type certificate 2A3 and the benchmark for efficiency in four-seat piston aviation: a small, slippery retractable that gets two or three people a long way quickly on very little fuel. The wooden-winged M20 and M20A gave way to the all-metal M20B (1961); the M20C Ranger, M20E Super 21 and stretched M20F Executive ran through the 1960s and 1970s; the M20J 201 of 1977 set the efficiency standard, the M20K 231/252 added turbocharging, and the long-body M20M Bravo, M20R Ovation, M20S Eagle and M20TN Acclaim carried the line to 2019. Recorded under the Mooney, Mooney Aircraft Corp. and Mooney Airplane Co names.
The variants
| MODEL | YEARS | ACTIVE | TAILFAX SCORE | WHAT CHANGED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M20 | 1955–1958 | 23 | — | Wooden wing and tail, 150 hp |
| M20A | 1958–1960 | 59 | Partial 5.2/30 | 180 hp, still wooden |
| M20B | 1961–1962 | 98 | Partial 11.1/30 | First all-metal M20 |
| M20C | 1962–1978 | 1,257 | 34.5/50 | Ranger: electric gear option, 180 hp |
| M20D | 1963–1966 | 88 | Partial 12/30 | Master: fixed-gear trainer |
| M20E | 1964–1975 | 829 | 31.8/50 | Super 21/Chaparral: fuel-injected 200 hp |
| M20F | 1967–1977 | 721 | 28.1/50 | Executive: ten-inch cabin stretch |
| M-20G | 1968–1970 | 116 | — | Statesman: stretched cabin, 180 hp |
| M20J | 1977–1998 | 1,407 | 21.3/50 | 201: drag reduction, 160 knots on 200 hp |
| M20K | 1979–1990 | 771 | 21/50 | 231/252/Encore: turbocharged |
| M20M | 1989–2008 | 249 | 21.8/50 | TLS/Bravo: long body, 270 hp turbo |
| M20R | 1994–2008 | 399 | 26.6/50 | Ovation: 280 hp IO-550 |
| M20S | 1999–2004 | 58 | Partial 18/30 | Eagle: 244 hp IO-550-G |
| M20TN | 2006–2019 | 107 | 17.2/50 | Acclaim: turbonormalised, dual intercoolers |
Data as of: FAA registry Sep 28 · NTSB Oct 2 · scores Sep 30