The Lowdown on Useful Load

Have you ever looked at the useful load / payload of a Mooney and thought that if it werenï¿½t for that one issue, the Mooney would be the perfect airplane. Some buyers will never consider a Mooney because of that one issue. Sure they would like the speed. They would love the efficiency. They would like to own the most solid airframe that money can buy. They know the Mooney is one of the best hard IFR singles made. BUUUUTTTTT, they need that extra load carrying ability. Nothing you can say will change their mind.

Aircraft design, without exception, is a series of compromises that has no perfect balance. Some of the greatest minds in aviation history have tinkered with the variables, often with good results but with no ultimate prize for the single best design that accommodates everything that every pilot wants. Speed, payload, efficiency, cabin size and a multitude of flying characteristics are all tweeked in favor of one or more of the variables, often to the detriment of the others. Throw in the issue of cost vs quality and the delicate balance that one or more of the manufacturers may have attained for the sake of the product flies out the window. Invariably, when discussing Mooneys with lesser-informed buyers, the issue of the useful load comes up, many times leading to a complete about face on the part of the buyer.

While no-one can argue that the full fuel payload of some Mooneys is anemic, the fact is that the Mooney airframe is comparable in mission ability to most single engine aircraft. However, when one factors in range vs. fuel burned vs. legal weight carried vs. comfort of the flight, often times the Mooney wins the battle over aircraft that are superior to it if too much weighting is assigned load-hauling ability. A comparison of some basic 4-seat planes to a Mooney 201, the most abundant Mooney now flying, will shed some light on the useful load issue. Letï¿½s look at the Mooney in depth and then compare to off-brands.

The early 80ï¿½s model 201, typically equipped will have a useful load (before fuel) of 925 pounds, give or take (I know this number can swing up or down by 50 to 75 lbs, but this is a common middle ground for us to use). When you fill the plane up with 64 gallons of gas, the available payload is 541 pounds. This is the equivalent of three FAA standard (170 lb.) adults and 31 lbs. of baggage. As you can see, the 201 is not (as most single engine planes are not) a true four seat aircraft when the tanks are full. No secret there. But when you dig a little deeper and answer a few qualifying questions about flying in a single engine aircraft, the 201 suddenly becomes a very adequate comparison to most of the market.

One of the most important qualifying questions becomes ï¿½how many people will normally be on board when you flyï¿½? The rough rule of thumb for most pilots will be one, two or three on board 95% of the time with the fourth seat occupied on rare occasions. The exception to this rule is for those who fly regularly with two adult couples and those who fly as a family of four (and then the two children often weigh the equivalent of one FAA Adult, bringing us back to the three or less rule). I know there are others who will utilize 4 seats more often, but we are dealing with total single engine GA flights, and in the total, the rule holds up.

With the first qualifying question answered, the issue of useful load in a 201 can often be put to bed (or at least tucked in). The 201 has an adequate useful load / payload for most missions. The next qualifying question then becomes ï¿½on those trips where you will be carrying more than three, how long will your typical trip segment be in terms of timeï¿½. In general terms, for people who donï¿½t fly professionally or on a very regular basis, two to three hours airborne is about the limit for time aloft in a small aircraft. After two and a half hours or so, it is time for a landing that includes stretching the legs and a bathroom break.

When one considers these two qualifying questions, most Mooneys fit in with the rest of the pack (actually, when answered accurately, the Mooney often becomes the aircraft of choice for the informed buyer). When non-quantitative variables are introduced (quality of construction, comfort of flight), the Mooney will often win any argument with most single engine aircraft. Assuming a limit of three hours and a fuel burn of 10.5 GPH, our comparison Mooney 201 will require 42 gallons of fuel -- 2/3 tanks (this number includes a one hour reserve. Letï¿½s assume that for all our comparisons that we will carry an extra hours worth of fuel in reserve for whatever trip we decide to make). Planning for the leg, instead of filling the plane up with fuel will add 132 pounds to the 201 payload (64 gallons full tank capacity, less 42 gallons required for the three hour leg leaves 22 gallons short of full, or 132 lbs). Without bags, our 2/3 fueled 201 comes within a few lbs. (seven to be exact) of a legal four-seat airplane. Now, letï¿½s look at the 201 compared to several other brands (the comparables were chosen based on relative performance and similar cost of acquisition).

Comparison of Four Comparable Single Engine Aircraft -- Three-hour leg with one hour reserve fuel, four FAA Adults on board:

Model	Useful Load	Fuel Req.*	Available Baggage**	Speed	3 Hr. Range	Cost Per Mile***
Piper Dakota	1200	64	136	140	420	$0.274
Cessna 182	1100	52	108	140	420	$0.223
Beech V-35	1000	60	-40	165	495	$0.218
Mooney 201	925	42	-7	158	474	$0.159

* The fuel required is the amount of fuel to fly the aircraft three hours with an hours reserve, without consideration for gross weight.
**The Available Baggage considers the amount of weight below gross available for baggage considering the fuel requirements and four adults on board. A negative means the plane is over gross with passengers alone.
***Cost per Mile assumes a fuel rate of $2.40 per gallon.

Letï¿½s compare the three other models to the 201.
1) The Dakota flies like a Cherokee (which it is! It is a Cherokee with an engine on steroids, a Lycoming O-540). It is the only plane in our survey that can take four adults, bags and full fuel and still remain legal. The plane is only slightly larger in the cabin than the Mooney, not enough to matter. The Dakota does the best at accommodating weight, but not necessarily bulk. However, the cost to operate the big Lycoming (the largest engine of the lot) is very expensive. The roar of the engine can be fatiguing and any kind of turbulence requires a strong constitution (I have actually flown with prospects in Cherokees and Cessnas who flew their own planes in to demo a Mooney who would swear the turbulence died down while they were in the hangar looking at our planes).

2) The 182 is, well, a Cessna. The Continental 470 is a good engine and is the best thing about a 182 (unless you count sight-seeing ability due to the high wing and the easy access, also a function of the high wing). Back on topic; it will handle the load.

3) The V-35 has one of the best flying characteristics of the four, if you donï¿½t count that annoying tail ï¿½waggleï¿½. Better interior size than the other three (or at least it feels that way). The Continental 520 engine is a good one and creates less fatigue during flight. Unfortunately, not only will you have to leave your clothes at home on the trip, but you would also have to lose 10 lbs per person very quickly to do the flight legally.

4) The Mooney flies very comfortably, but is a bit tighter inside than the competition. The aircraft handles the turbulence the best of the bunch. The biggest negative to the 201 compared to the others is the 4-cylinder Lycoming IO-360 engine, which is a bit noisy and tends to rattle and vibrate, leading to some fatigue. This same engine is also one of the biggest assets to the 201, ultra reliable and efficient. Too bad you canï¿½t legally bring your clothes with you on the trip, but with the money you save on gas, you can ship them ahead by UPS where they will be waiting on you.

The Mooney shines on the efficiency, as one would expect (any true Mooney advocate will take a jab at the competition when it comes to terms of cost per mile). With no baggage, the 201 would in most cases be the best of the lot based on this comparison. So that we are fair to the competition, letï¿½s compare the four modelï¿½s range with 4 adults and 15 lbs. of bags per person.

Comparison of legal range with four FAA Adults on board and 15 lbs of bags each.

Model	Useful Load	Max Fuel	Usable Fuel	GPH	Endurance	Speed	Range
Piper Dakota	1200	72	56	16	3.5	140	490
Cessna 182	1100	60	47	13	3.62	140	508
Beech V-35	1000	43.33	28.33	15	1.89	165	312
Mooney 201	925	30.83	20.33	10.5	1.94	158	306

* The Max fuel considers the ability of the aircraft to stay at gross with four adults and 15 lbs of bags each (740 lbs payload).
** The Usable Fuel is the amount of the total fuel that can be burned without dipping into the 1-hour reserve.

When comparing full seats and 60 lbs of baggage, the Mooney and Beech fall well short of the Piper and Cessna in range. These numbers are not surprising. This is what you would expect when you make that 1 trip out of 20 with four adults on board. Remember the first qualifying question that we had to answer was concerning our seat utilization of the aircraft. How many times do we fly with the seats full of adults? For the final comparison of the Mooney to other lines, letï¿½s consider a three hour leg (qualifying question #2) with three on board and 45 lbs of baggage (qualifying question #1). This should be the standard used on most every flight in a single engine aircraft.

Comparison of planes on a three-hour leg (one hour fuel reserve) with three FAA Adults on board and 15 lbs of bags each:

Model	Useful Load	Max Fuel*	GPH	Speed	3 Hr. Range	Usable Rem. Fuel**	Add'l Range	Total Range***
Piper Dakota	1200	72	16	140	420	8	70	490
Cessna 182	1100	90.83	13	140	420	38.83	418	838
Beech V-35	1000	74	15	165	495	14	154	649
Mooney 201	925	61.66	10.5	158	474	19.66	295	769

* The max fuel is the amount of fuel that can be loaded without exceeding gross weight.
** The Usable Rem. Fuel is the amount of fuel left after three hours, over and above the one hour reserve. This amount is available for use before dipping into reserves.
*** The Addï¿½l Range is the extra distance in miles that the plane can travel after flying the planned three hour leg, maintaining reserves. The Total Range is the distance that the plane can fly given the parameters and maximum fuel available at gross weight.

When a comparison of the models is done with a max of three on board with bags (remember, three or less on board will account for roughly 95% of all single engine flights), the 201 starts to shine. Not only does it have the ability to do the three hour trip, but has the legs to go much further if needed. Throwing out the three-person range of the 182 (after all, who really wants to ride in a Cessna for six hours), the 201 has the best range of the bunch. The venerable Dakota, the one that a misinformed buyer might choose if payload is over-weighted, becomes the least desirable aircraft (especially if the trip is 500 miles and our flight suddenly encounters unexpected headwinds). The last chart becomes an advertisement for the Mooney, especially if other factors (quality of construction, comfort of ride in non-perfect conditions, instrument handling ability) are considered. Throw in the cost per mile figure and most would have a hard time making an argument against a Mooney.

The next chance I get to write an article other than a value article, I will put together a comparison of Mooney models using some of the criteria above. I will get back to values next month with an article on the Mï¿½s (TLS and Bravo) and Rï¿½s (Ovation).