Mooney 201

M20 family
Mooney M20J
Role	Personal use civil aircraft
Manufacturer	Mooney International Corporation
Designer	Al Mooney
First flight	1953
Introduction	1955
Status	In production (2016)
Produced	1955–2008, 2014–present
Number built	>11,000
Unit cost	US$690,000 (M20U Ovation Ultra, 2017) US$770,000 (M20V Acclaim Ultra, 2017)
Developed from	Mooney M-18 Mite

The Mooney M20 is a family of piston-powered, propeller-driven general aviation aircraft, all featuring low wings and tricycle gear, manufactured by the Mooney International Corporation.

The M20 was the 20th design from Al Mooney, and his most successful. The series has been produced in many variations over the last 60 years, from the wooden-wing M20 and M20A models of 1955, to the M20V Acclaim Ultra that debuted in 2016. Roughly 12,000 aircraft in total have been produced.

On November 5, 2008, the company announced that it was halting all production as a result of the late-2000s recession, but would still provide parts and support for the existing fleet.

With the injection of Chinese capital after the company's purchase, production of the M20 resumed in February 2014. Since then the company has released two more M20 models.

Al Mooney had been developing preliminary designs for the four-seater M20 for some time while the single-seat M-18 Mite was in production in the late 1940s and early 1950s. When in early 1953 the company moved from Wichita, Kansas, to Kerrville, Texas, and when it became clear that the Mite was nearing the end of its production, development of the M20 accelerated. The first M20 flight took place on September 3, 1953. Charles Yankey had been the primary financial backer since he helped Al establish the company in 1948, and when he visited Kerrville for a ride in the new airplane, he was pleased with the project and began to develop the financial plans necessary to put the plane into production.

Before Yankey could transfer any funds from Wichita to Kerrville, he suffered a severe stroke, and he died in December 1953. His heirs had no interest in the aviation business, and although Yankey left his company stock to the Mooney brothers, it had little value without further financing. Al Mooney was on the point of declaring bankruptcy when Hal Rachal and Norm Hoffman of Midland, Texas, decided to invest in the company and save the project. The M20 was certified in September 1955. Al left the company shortly thereafter for unknown reasons and went to work for the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in Marietta, Georgia. His brother Art joined him there, and the two brothers remained with Lockheed until retirement.