This 1981 Mooney M20J Is a Model of Efficiency and an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick

981 Mooney M20J 201 [Courtesy: Aircraft Ownership Solutions]

Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, represents a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1981 Mooney M20J 201.

A good cross-country airplane is in the eye of the owner-operator. Different pilots prioritize a diversity of traits when shopping for the aircraft that suits their mission best.

While many GA travelers look for models with large, comfortable cabins, others are interested primarily in speed, with other qualities taking a back seat. A subset of these speed aficionados is also having a fondness for efficiency, and for them, there are few options better than a Mooney M20J.

From their introduction in the mid 1950s, the Mooney M20s have reliably done more with less, typically outrunning other four-place aircraft with much more horsepower. Early M20s came with the 150 hp Lycoming O-320, essentially the same powerplant found in Cessna 172s. The Mooney, however, became renowned for nearly reaching 150 ktas with the engine.

The M20 series really came into its own when matched with the 180 hp Lycoming O-360 and later the 200 hp IO-360, like the one in this 1981 M20J 201. The “201” is part of a Mooney naming convention indicating the airplane’s top speed in miles per hour, burning relatively little fuel while generating impressive speeds. Later turbocharged models took advantage of higher altitudes in gaining even more speed and becoming favorites among serious cross-country pilots.

This 1981 Mooney M20J 201 has 4,103 hours on the airframe and 301 hours on its Lycoming IO-360 engine and propeller since overhaul. The aircraft has a useful load of 914 pounds and carries 64 gallons of usable fuel.

The IFR panel includes a King KMA 24 audio panel, King KY 197 comm radio, KNS 80 nav with localizer and glideslope, KX 165 nav/comm with localizer and glideslope, KR 87 ADF, KLN 89B GPS, Garmin GTX 335 transponder with ADS-B Out, King KFC 200 autopilot with flight director and Stormscope.

Pilots who want to travel at a quick pace without burning 15 to 20 gallons of fuel per hour should consider this 1981 Mooney M20J 201, which is available for $124,900 on AircraftForSale.

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