Mooney M22 Mustang

The Mooney M22 Mustang was the first attempt by the Mooney Aircraft Company at a pressurized single-engine aircraft. It was conceived as a top-of-the-line five-seat model to sit above the successful M20 series, a low-wing monoplane with a retractable nosewheel undercarriage, a wider and longer fuselage than the M20E Super 21, a taller fin and a Lycoming TIO-541 engine. The first prototype flew on 24 September 1964 and the type was certified in September 1966. In June 1967 the second production aircraft, fitted with an extra fuel tank, was flown non-stop from New York to the Paris Air Show in 13 hours 10 minutes. Mooney first called it the Mustang but was sued for trademark infringement by Cavalier Aircraft, which modified surplus P-51 Mustangs, and renamed it the Mark 22. About 36 aircraft were completed. It was built and sold at a loss, which contributed to Mooney going bankrupt in 1969.