| M20 family | |
|---|---|
 Mooney M20J | |
| General information | |
| Type | Personal use civil aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Mooney International Corporation |
| Designer | |
| Status | Production completed |
| Number built | >11,000 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1955–1971, 1974–2008, 2014–2019 |
| Introduction date | 1955 |
| First flight | 1953 |
| Developed from | Mooney M-18 Mite |
The Mooney M20 is a family of piston-powered, four-seat, propeller-driven, general aviation aircraft, all featuring low wings and tricycle gear, manufactured by the Mooney International Corporation.[1][2][3]
The M20 was the 20th design from Al Mooney, and his most successful. The series has been produced in many variations over the last 60 years, from the wooden-wing M20 and M20A models of 1955,[3] to the M20V Acclaim Ultra that debuted in 2016. More than 11,000 aircraft in total have been produced across three production runs, with the most recent concluding in 2019.
In November 2008, the company announced that it was halting all production as a result of the late-2000s recession, but would still provide parts and support for the existing fleet.[4][5][6][7] With the injection of Chinese capital after the company's purchase, production of the M20 resumed in February 2014. Since then, the company has released two more M20 models.[8]
- ^ Munson, Kenneth & Michael Taylor: Jane's Pocket Book of light Aircraft, page 143. Janes Publishing, 1982. ISBN 0710601956
- ^ Montgomery, M.R & Gerald Foster: A Field Guide to Airplanes, Second Edition, page 38-39. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992. ISBN 0-395-62888-1
- ^ a b Plane and Pilot: 1978 Aircraft Directory, pages 54–55. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. ISBN 0-918312-00-0
- ^ Niles, Russ (November 2008). "Mooney Temporarily Halts Production". Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2008.
- ^ Pew, Glenn (November 2010). "Mooney Shrinks To Skeleton Crew, Seeks Investor Support". AvWeb. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ^ "Mooney Aviation Company Announcement". Aerospace Blog. November 20, 2010. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
- ^ Mooney Airplane Company (April 2011). "Sun 'n Fun 2011". Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ Niles, Russ (February 8, 2014). "Mooney Resumes Production Feb. 26". AVweb. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2014.