My question is directed to anyone that has experience in both the Alon Aircoupe (or Mooney M-10 Cadet), and Hershey-bar wing Piper Cherokees.
The Alon or M-10 looks like a fun airplane to fly and other than a Cessna 150/152, the only airplanes with better fuel burn is some of the new EXPENSIVE LSA aircraft. It's been a long time since I have flown a single reciprocating engine airplane. Back in the late 1960s, and early 1970s I flew mainly Piper Cherokee 140s, and 180s. I remember that the Cherokees were comfortable to fly and fairly quiet. The only canopy aircraft that I have ever been in was a one time flight in an American Yankee. I remember that I couldn't wait to get on the ground. In those days active noise cancelling head sets hadn't been invented yet; I felt that the noise level in the Yankee was unacceptable. I also did not like what I considered an overly quick roll rate. From that experience I decided to stick with the Cherokees until I no longer flew single engine aircraft. How is the noise level in either an Alon Aircoupe or M-10 compared to a Piper Cherokee? I assume the power off sink rate and the need to keep the speed up is similar but is the roll rate, and stability between the Alon or M-10 similar to a Hershey-bar wing Cherokee? Would a person familiar with the performance of a Hershey-bar wing Cherokee 140 be disappointed in the performance of an Alon , or M-10 (e.g. for comparison purposes, takeoffs at the same temperature and pressure altitude at gross weight for each airplane)? What about the difference of average cost of Annual Inspections and repairs between the Aircoupes and Piper Cherokees? Jim
