Porsche, riding high on the sales success of its classic 911 and its domination of sports car racing, including the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans, was looking to make a return to the aviation business. Mooney, which had much success marketing its Roy LoPresti-inspired 200-plus mph Mooney 201 and 231 models, was looking to create another marketing success. Just maybe the combination of these two-speed kings might produce the high-end product line anchor that Mooney needed and create the same kind of mystique that driving a Porsche 911 bestowed upon its owner.

Well, it was worth a try.

In the summer of 1981, Porsche decided to reenter the aviation market. Nearly 20 years earlier, it had adapted its classic boxer 4-cylinder engines, which began life in the back of countless Volkswagen Beetles, for small airplane builders and manufacturers. These Porsche 678 series engines measured just under 100 cubic inches and produced around 70 hp. Developed in the 1930s, about the same time as the initial air-cooled Lycoming and Continental 4-cylinder opposed engines, the little Porsche engine made the transition seamlessly into the engine compartment of many small homebuilt and limited production aircraft.

• READ MORE: This Incredible Plane: Bede BD-1

This time, Porsche was ready to get back into the general aviation market in a big way. The basis for its new GA powerplant was the race-tested, 6-cylinder, air-cooled boxer engine that powered the iconic Porsche 911. The Porsche-Flugmotoren (Porsche Flight Engine) PFM 3200 featured an air-cooled, 6-cylinder, opposed 3.2 liter (195 cubic inch) design. However, any similarity to other opposed aircraft engines of the time ended there.

The PFM 3200 featured a single-lever engine and propeller control, overhead cams, dual electronic ignition, automatic mixture control, racing-inspired dry sump lubrication, and a large belt-driven cooling fan at the rear to pull air through the cylinders. In order to squeeze nearly 217 hp out of this naturally aspirated engine, it operated at more than 5,000 rpm and required a reduction gearbox to bring the Hartzell composite propeller speeds down to a modest 2,300 rpm. The higher rpm provided greater smoothness, and based on Porsche racing experience, did not impact reliability.

This was a groundbreaking approach as the high-revving Rotax and diesel engines we now take for granted were still nearly 20 years over the horizon. And one more thing: The PFM 3200 featured tuned exhaust and mufflers that gave it a satisfying note, much like the expensive Porsche 911.

The PFM 3200 appeared experimentally in several light aircraft, but it fell to Mooney to mate it to its classic M20 line and place it in production. The Porsche engine demanded a newfound level of comfort and elegance that Mooney hoped would attract well-heeled auto enthusiasts to make the leap from fast cars to this sophisticated airplane. The result of its design efforts was the Mooney M20L PFM. The “L” stood for long fuselage, and this was in fact the first long fuselage Mooney. The stretch added nearly a foot to the rear seat and baggage compartment area, longer rear side windows, and a lengthened nose section to accommodate the Porsche’s six cylinders, geared propeller, and rear-mounted, belt-driven cooling fan. The final outcome was an especially elegant rendering of the original M20 design. The lengthened nose section features a single cowling opening located below the propeller hub and conspicuous Porsche lettering and the iconic logo on each side of the cowling.

Stepping down into the cockpit from the wing gave an intimate look at the flight deck. The panel featured turbine-style engine gauges mounted in vertical rows to the right of the pilot’s flight instruments. A single power lever rested on the center quadrant and was complemented by sculpted control yokes with the Mooney logo.

• READ MORE: This Incredible Plane: Anderson-Greenwood AG-14

In case your passengers were not impressed yet, a Porsche emblem sat high on the center of the panel. Interior accommodations were equally luxurious with leather and high-end fabrics in all the right places. The entire package was stylish, had significant ramp appeal, just the right exhaust note, and exuded luxury, much like the high-end Cirrus and Beechcraft singles of today.

As you might expect, the advertising copy was equally glamorous, based on the slogan, “Mooney meets Porsche for the dawn of a new mystique.” Advertising images were sure to place a bright red or elegant silver Porsche 911, parked in the background, as these new upwardly mobile owners climbed into their even faster Mooney Porsche. So, with all of this product development, two very talented engineering companies, and the advertising machine working at full speed, what happened?

The good news is that the Mooney M20L PFM, performed as advertised. It was a smooth, reliable, well-heeled ride. It was arguably the most sophisticated GA aircraft of its day. On the other hand, the Porsche PFM 3200 was heavier and produced less power than the Continental and Lycoming engines it replaced, and the cooling drag from the fan-cooled engine was higher than expected. Thus, the performance of the Mooney Porsche was only average for the Mooney line with a 640 fpm rate of climb and a 166 knot advertised cruise speed. It certainly did not help that the GA market was in a significant decline by the end of the 1980s. And one more thing: Anyone could walk into a Porsche dealer and drive home in a shiny, new 911 that very afternoon. On the other hand, the Mooney Porsche purchase required time, training, and expense that might not have matched the mystique.

The Mooney Porsche debuted in the 1988 model year. Sadly, only 41 were produced by the time production ended in 1989. The PFM 3200 engine did not fare much better. Porsche produced around 80 of these sophisticated powerplants at a total development and production cost of nearly $1 million per engine. Little wonder that by 1991, Porsche had closed its aviation business again and returned to the more lucrative automotive market, where it found higher volume and continued success.

To its credit, Porsche continued to support the engine in a limited fashion until 2005, when it ceased all support. However, the FAA did not ground the airplane, noting that as long as spare parts were available, the engine could still be made airworthy.

Today several Mooney Porsches have been converted to more traditional firewall-forward powerplants by the Punta Gorda Modworks, and unfortunately, several more were destroyed awaiting conversion during Hurricane Charley in 2004. At least 10 loyal owners, who manage to find new or old stock parts, still proudly fly their airplanes. Oh, and their images online usually include a beautiful Porsche 911 lurking in the background.

The general aviation business is not an easy one to crack, but you have to give Mooney and Porsche credit for designing such an elegant, sophisticated, and incredible plane.

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the October 2023 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine. 

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Over his lifetime until his death in 2015, Bede produced many efficient and capable general aviation aircraft designs. However, long before the BD-4, BD-5, BD-6, and eventually the BD-10 jet project, his very first design, the Bede BD-1, must be considered his most successful. This petite little two-seat trainer and personal travel machine led to an entire line of fast, efficient, and fun production aircraft.

Fresh out of college in Kansas, Bede began his career in the late 1950s at North American Aviation as a performance engineer. While he remained at NAA for a relatively brief stint, this was a time of great innovation in military aviation design. His later use of honeycomb materials and other advanced design features likely began there.

Returning to his hometown of Cleveland in 1961, he created Bede Aviation Corp. His goal was to design and market a sporty two-seat homebuilt airplane that would outperform the Cessna 150, utilize modern design concepts, and could be towed to and from the airport. The result was the BD-1, a two-seat, low-wing monoplane that utilized revolutionary, for the time, aluminum honeycomb; bonded rather than riveted construction; and interchangeable control surfaces. The left and right wings, stabilizers, and elevators were identical. The simple landing gear incorporated a full swiveling nose gear, which 30 years later became the standard for new designs, such as those for Cirrus and Diamond.

For the wing, he chose a tubular spar that contained the fuel and incorporated a folding mechanism that allowed for highway travel. This fuel in the spar design carried through to all of the Yankees, Cheetahs, and Tigers produced by Grumman American and others. Its main structural member is a 6.5-inch cylindrical aluminum spar, which doubles as a 12-gallon fuel tank to provide a total of 24 gallons.

Certainly the most identifiable feature was the sliding canopy. Similar to the jet fighters he had worked on at NAA, the canopy simplified entry and exit, doing away with the heavy door structure and giving the pilot great visibility. Oh, yes, flying with the canopy open has always been cool. The entire kit, including the engine, was set to go on sale for just $2,500. All of this was heady stuff for the early 1960s.

The BD-1 first flew on July 11, 1963, and met or exceeded all design specifications. The prototype featured a 117-knot cruise speed, a VNE of more than 200 knots, and an initial climb rate in excess of 1,000 feet per minute. Initially designed as a kit, Bede was so pleased with the prospects for marketing his new design that he decided to go the Part 23 certification route for the BD-1.

Soon after, Bede Aviation became American Aviation Corp., the BD-1 would become the American Yankee, and a group of Cleveland businessmen came on board as investors. However, homebuilt kit design and certification of a Part 23 aircraft are two different challenges. Eventually, Bede and his new board disagreed on how to achieve these goals, and he departed the company in a foreshadowing of business issues that would follow him through his career. American Aviation, managed by the Cleveland business group, commissioned a modest redesign of the aircraft to make it easier to certify, and the AA-1 American Yankee debuted in 1968.

The Yankee became an immediate hit. With a price tag just less than $7,000, a sliding canopy, responsive controls, and a short-coupled fuselage, it was a delight to fly and outperformed the competition. It took just about six years for the first 1,000 aircraft to go out of the factory door. The AA-1 Yankee continued in production for more than 10 years in several different iterations. Its responsive controls and outstanding performance eventually inspired fighter-style paint jobs, such as Flying Tiger shark mouths, and likely even a few white scarves.

Flush with success, the American Aviation board decided a four-seat aircraft was required. Initially a clean-sheet concept, the AA-2 Patriot was designed, built, and test flown. However, it did not meet the desired performance goals and was scrapped. So efficient was the original Bede design that American Aviation decided to simply stretch it to create the space and performance required for a four-seat cross-country aircraft.

The result was the AA-5 Traveler, which proved to be an immediate success, outpacing the competition in both price and performance. The BD-1 design was flexible and seemingly timeless. Unfortunately, like so many aviation stories, this one contains several episodes of mergers and acquisitions.

American Aviation was soon purchased by military aerospace giant Grumman Aviation. Enter aerodynamic wizard Roy LoPresti. A team of Grumman engineers led by LoPresti worked their magic on the Traveler.

Using some tricks from the high-performance aircraft Grumman was famous for, they created two improved versions of the BD-1-inspired Traveler.

The 150 hp Cheetah and 180 hp Tiger earned a reputation as rapid transit machines. Even today, the Cheetah outruns 180 hp conventional fixed-gear singles, and the Tiger gives retracts a run for their money. Reduced cooling drag, optimized landing gear fairings, and other aerodynamic improvements added to Bede’s elegant BD-1 design, setting new standards for performance, value, and fun flying.

Bede went on to design a series of homebuilt kit aircraft. They were simple to construct, efficient, and often ahead of their time. His BD-5 Micro, wrapped in controversy as a piston-powered machine, went on to dazzle air show fans as the amazing BD-5J Microjet.

However, his original design, the BD-1, would shape the future of the GA industry. One look at a late model Cirrus, Tecnam, or Diamond, and their simplified landing gear, modern construction materials, aerodynamic cockpits and canopies, and attention to overall drag reduction are evident—just as they were on the original BD-1.

Eventually, Grumman Aerospace was sold to a Savannah, Georgia-based jet manufacturer in 1973 and became Gulfstream American. Most recently, West Virginia-based Tiger Aviation picked up the type certificate and produced the 180 hp Tiger until 2006.

In the end, Bede’s first design, the BD-1, fostered a line of more than 6,000 aircraft, up to and including the GA-7 Cougar Twin.

As a testament to the timeless design, so many of these spirited machines are lovingly maintained and still flown by their devoted owners. Thank you, Jim, for this incredible airplane. PP

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the July 2023 issue of Plane & Pilot. Subscribe to get the best in print! 

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