Why isn the Mooney M-20-C (or Piper Comanche) approved?
A. The Mooney and Comanche both experienced vapor lock problems when they were tested. We solved the vapor lock problem, but could not overcome pneumatic lock. Pneumatic lock takes place when the fuel boils as it enters the carb. The engine then dies due to an overrich mixture. This is just the opposite of a vapor lock where the engine quits or runs poorly due to a lean mixture. The better an airplane performs, the more difficult it is to get it through the flight test program.