Engineering:Mooney TX-1

From HandWiki
TX-1
Role Training aircraft
National origin United States of America
Manufacturer Mooney Aircraft Company
First flight 1982
Number built 1

The Mooney TX-1 or Mooney MT-20 was a prototype American military basic training aircraft of the 1980s. It was a two-seat derivative of Mooney's popular M20 light aircraft, but was unsuccessful, only a single example being built.

Design and development

In late 1982[1] the Mooney Aircraft Company of Kerrville, Texas flew a prototype of a two-seat military trainer aircraft, the Mooney TX-1. This was based on its popular Mooney M20J four seat light aircraft, but with side-by-side seating for pilot and instructor under a sliding canopy.[2] It was an all-metal low-winged monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear powered by a single Continental TSIO-360 piston engine driving a two-blade propeller.[2][3] The TX-1 was aimed at the basic trainer market, also being suitable for weapons training and light attack missions,[3] and so was fitted with four hardpoints under the wing.[4]

Mooney stated that they needed orders for 100 aircraft to launch production of the TX-1,[3] but these did not occur, and no production followed.[1] The prototype's aircraft registration was canceled in 1989.[5]

Specifications

Data from Airdata File: Mooney TX-1[3]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 25 ft 5 in (7.75 m)
  • Wingspan: 36 ft 1 in (11.00 m)
  • Height: 8 ft 4 in (2.54 m)
  • Wing area: 174.79 sq ft (16.239 m2)
  • Empty weight: 1,800 lb (816 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 2,900 lb (1,315 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 73 US Gallons (276 L)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Continental TSIO-360-GB turbosupercharged flat-six, 240 hp (180 kW) (take-off power)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 239 mph (385 km/h, 208 kn) at 16,000 ft (4,880 m)
  • Cruise speed: 185 mph (298 km/h, 161 kn) at sea level
  • Range: 940 mi (1,513 km, 817 nmi) at 55% power, no reserves
  • Rate of climb: 1,336 ft/min (6.79 m/s)
  • Ceiling: Over 30,000 ft (6,100 m)

Armament

  • Hardpoints: 4 with a capacity of 1,000 lb (450 kg) total[4],

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 "BERNHARD C.F. KLEIN COLLECTION: Mooney MT20 TX-1 (N231TM)". 1000aircraftphotos.com. 15 June 2006. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Simpson, R.W. (1995). Airlife's General Aviation (2nd ed.). Airlife Publishing. pp. 255. ISBN 1853105775. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Air International August 1983, pp. 101–102.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Flight International 3 August 1985, p.56
  5. FAA Registry – Aircraft – N-Number Results: N231TM has Assigned/Multiple Records. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 17 May 2011.

References

  • "Airdata File: Mooney TX-1". Air International, August 1983, Vol 25 No 2. ISSN 0306-5634. pp. 100–101.
  • Beavis, Simon. "Military Aircraft of the World". Flight International, 3 August 1985, pp. 29–83.

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