Mooney Aircraft is considering adding a pressurised piston single to its line-up - 30 years after its last attempt to market a similar type, the Mustang.
The Kerrville, Texas-based company has commissioned a feasibility study of the cost of development, which should be completed in the third quarter.
Mooney says the Mustang flopped largely because it gave too small a performance advantage for its higher price and complexity. Mooney's current top-of-the-range Bravo already offers payload and speeds comparable to its larger competitors, however, including the pressurised New Piper PA-46 Mirage and the unpressurised Raytheon Beech B36TC Bonanza.
Mooney's planned pressurised model is expected to offer a cruise speed of 240kt (445km/h), 21kt more than the Bravo and Mirage. "The pressurised Mooney will raise the comfort bar to a level equal to the Mirage and raise the performance bar even further," it says. A decision is likely by the end of the year, with certification and first deliveries set for around 2003.
Mooney has shelved plans to develop a turboprop-powered single, to concentrate on its piston-engine line-up, including the Eagle, Ovation and Bravo, and to revive the Predator two-seat aerobatic trainer production.
Source: Flight International
