"If you go to 76 percent, the wings will fall off"

"If you go to 76 percent, the wings will fall off"

From Ask the A&Ps by AOPA

December 1, 2025 · 51 min

About this episode

The episode discusses managing turbocharged engines, the benefits of electronic ignition, and the differences between major and minor overhauls.

A creative modification, lean of peak with turbocharging, electronic ignition, and oil leaks are on tap. Email podcasts@aopa.org for a chance to get on the show. Join the world's largest aviation community at aopa.org/join Full notes below: Tom has a turbocharged Mooney and he's wondering how to manage it while lean of peak. The hosts say the first goal is to get on the lean side quickly, and then fine tune once there. They argue you can hear and feel when you're lean of peak, which is how you can expedite it. Then check the CHTs and the TITs to make sure they are below limits. That's it. Paul said in that way turbos have an advantage because it doesn't at what altitude you lean, the numbers should be similar. He tends to lean based solely on fuel flow. Ray is considering going to dual electronic magnetos, but he's concerned about redundancy and the safety of the associated battery. The hosts talk at length about the benefits of dual e-mags, and think that redundancy is better with e-mags than traditional magnetos, so even though you're going away from two independent systems, it's still an improvement. Mike said the TSO for the battery containment is extremely high, and not to…

People in this episode

Hosts: Paul, Mike

Topics covered

  • turbocharging
  • lean of peak
  • electronic ignition
  • oil leaks
  • aviation safety

Keywords

  • turbocharged Mooney
  • lean of peak
  • dual electronic magnetos
  • battery containment
  • major overhaul

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