Mooney Sells A Fast One; Hints At Fastest

Mooney Airplane Company delivered its first Ovation 3 this AirVenture to Andre Kulaga. “I studied airplanes for the last couple years, and compared the price, performance, and the quality of the work,” said Kulaga, “…and I think Mooney is the best airplane out there.” The Ovation 3 is the normally-aspirated version of Mooney’s twin-turbo Acclaim. There is some contention as to whether the Acclaim has displaced the Columbia 400 as the fastest piston single, but, according to Gretchen Jahn, CEO of Mooney airplane company, that uncertainty won’t last long. “When we first announced the Acclaim we were conservative and said 230 knots. Then as testing went on we said 230-plus. I personally, flew down to Sun and Fun and had 237 [in the Acclaim]. We’re not done yet. Watch this space.” Mooney products are all about speed and given that Kulaga’s paint scheme for his 197-knot Ovation 3 is designed to match his M-class BMW… it looks like Mooney is reading its customers right.