Mooney Achieves Certification for Acclaim and Ovation Ultra

This week, Mooney Aircraft received the highly anticipated sign-off from the FAA for its new Ultra versions of the Ovation and Acclaim, the M20U and M20V - the fastest piston single-engine airplane on the market.

The new airplanes come with a laundry list of improvements. The most significant modification is the addition of a door on the pilot’s side of the center fuselage, which is now constructed with composite material rather than metal. Both of the entry doors are also larger than those of the previous model.

Once inside the cabin, pilots will enjoy a completely redesigned, sports car-like interior and Garmin’s recently released glass panel for light airplanes — the G1000 NXi.

The M20U Ovation Ultra is powered by a Continental 310-hp IO-550-G engine and has a top speed of 197 KTAS. It boasts a 1,450 nm range with long-range tanks. Meanwhile, the twin-turbocharged 280-hp M20V Acclaim Ultra tops out at 242 KTAS and has a maximum range of 1,275 nm.

Mooney will hand over the keys for the first Ultra models shortly and plans to produce around 50 airplanes between the two models this year.