China Displays Two New Mooney Trainers at Zhuhai Airshow.

Chinese interests bought Mooney Aircraft after it being out of production for five years. At the Zhuhai airshow this week they displayed two new design Mooney trainers, both Continental diesel-powered.

The new M-10T is a basic two place trainer and the new M-10J is an upgraded version with retractable gear, option for three place and other improvements. The Continental diesel engines in each new model can use either diesel or jet fuel. Introduction of certificated aircraft is expected by Mooney in 2017.

In addition to the Texas manufacturing plant, the new Mooney has California and Beijing, China locations.

Lest you think the new Mooney M-10T/J aircraft models are a reintroduction of the old 1969 M-10 Cadet which was a single tail Aircoupe, the new designs are of sleek composite construction and more suggestive of a Lancair rather than the old aluminum Erco Ercoupe cum Forney Aircoupe cum Mooney A2-A Cadet twin tail (9 sold) cum M-10 Cadet single tail (38 sold). Whew, too long a sentence!

And with more power than the old Continental C-90-16F 90 hp of the Mooney predecessors, the new Continental Diesels promise more performance than most, if not all current two-place trainer aircraft. It will be of interest to see the 2017 price points of the hopefully-then ATC'd production aircraft.

The Chinese-built Cessna 162 Skycatcher proved to be a huge money loser to Cessna with the many unsold will NOT be sold, but serve as Cessna hangar queens to maintain the small sold fleet.

About Mooney's M-10T/J diesel-powered trainer models?-only sales price and time will tell.

Thanks for the link which has a photo of the prototype M-10T, I had seen and read it earlier, being an AOPA Member since 1966.

Mooney has now confirmed the two new Mooney M-10 models will NOT be produced in China, but in their Chino, California KCNO facility, and possibly later in their main Kerrville, Texas KERV plant. They are still looking to FAA approved type certifications in 2017.