Mooney M20
 Mooney M20. Photo: No machine-readable author provided. SeanMack assumed (based on copyright claims, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Mooney |
|---|---|
| Model | Mooney M20 |
| Type | Personal use civil aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | September 3, 1953 |
| Built | 1955–1971, 1974–2008, 2014–2019 |
| Status | Production completed |
| Number built | >11,000 |
| Registered in the US | 6,175 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one, 1000 lb useful load or three passengers |
| Engine | Continental TSIO-550-G, 280 hp |
| Cruise speed | 175 kn |
| Range | 1,100 nmi |
| Service ceiling | 25,000 ft |
| Max weight | 3,368 lb |
| Developed from | Mooney M-18 Mite |
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Mooney M20 is a family of four-seat, low-wing, single-engine airplanes with retractable tricycle landing gear, built by Mooney. It was the 20th design of Al Mooney and his most successful. It has been built in many versions over more than 60 years, from the wooden-wing M20 and M20A of 1955 to the M20V Acclaim Ultra of 2016, with more than 11,000 built across three production runs, the latest ending in 2019.[1] In the U.S. there are 6,175 with a valid registration.[2]
History
Al Mooney worked on the M20 while the single-seat M-18 Mite was in production. After the company moved from Wichita, Kansas, to Kerrville, Texas, in early 1953, work sped up. The M20 first flew on September 3, 1953, and was certified on August 24, 1955. Mooney sold 10 that year, losing about $3,000 on each, then 51 in 1956 and 105 in 1957. It drew attention by reaching about 170 mph on a 150 hp Lycoming O-320.[1]
In November 2008 Mooney halted production because of the recession while keeping parts and support for owners. After a Chinese private equity firm bought the company, production resumed in February 2014.[1]
How it is built
Apart from the earliest wooden-winged models, M20s are all metal, with aluminum wing skins and slotted flaps along 70% of the trailing edge. The forward cabin is a steel-tube cage covered in aluminum, flush rivets cut drag, and the landing gear is heat-treated chrome-moly steel.[1]
In 2017 pilot Brian Lloyd flew his M20K 231 around the world along a route like Amelia Earhart's, 80 years after her attempt.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 6,175 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| M20J | 1,397 |
| M20C | 1,238 |
| M20E | 819 |
| M20K | 763 |
| M20F | 708 |
| M20R | 401 |
| M20M | 248 |
| M20TN | 118 |
| M-20G | 115 |
| M20B | 95 |
| M20D | 88 |
| M20S | 58 |
| M20A | 56 |
| M20 | 23 |
| M20V | 18 |
| M20L | 16 |
| M20U | 13 |
| M20T | 1 |
Specifications
| Item | Mooney M20 |
|---|---|
| Crew | one |
| Passengers / capacity | 1000 lb useful load or three passengers |
| Length | 26 ft 8 in |
| Wingspan | 36 ft 6 in |
| Height | 8 ft 4 in |
| Empty weight | 2,380 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 3,368 lb |
| Engine | Continental TSIO-550-G, 280 hp (air-cooled, 6-cylinder, horizontally opposed piston engine) |
| Propeller | Hartzell Scimitar Three-Blade |
| Maximum speed | 242 kn |
| Cruise speed | 175 kn |
| Stall speed | 53 kn |
| Range | 1,100 nmi |
| Service ceiling | 25,000 ft |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Mooney M20J (UK registration G-MUNI, date of build 1989) at Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire, England. Photo: Arpingstone, Public domain -
Mooney M20. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Mooney M20s gathered at the 2002 Mooney Caravan to Oshkosh. Photo: Freeweel at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Mooney M20R Ovation at Herzlia Airfield - LLHZ. Photo: ErezS on Jetphotos, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Mooney M20L. Photo: Apex109, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
A 1963 Mooney M20D Master with the retractable landing gear conversion installed. Photo: Raptor05121, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Mooney Acclaim Ultra. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Mooney M20. Photo: wiltshirespotter, CC BY-SA 2.0
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Mooney M20
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Wikipedia, "Mooney M20", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.