standard turbocharged Continental TSIO-360 engine and two-blade propeller with a turbocharged Continental TSIO-520-NB and a McCauley three-blade propeller. This engine and propeller combination had previously been proven on the twin-engined Cessna 340 and Cessna 414. Marketed as the Rocket 305, this variant delivered a 228-knot speed and 1,600 feet/minute rate of climb. This significantly increased performance, but at the expense of higher fuel consumption. The 305 Rocket STC represented a year certification effort, including 1,000 flight test hours. The plane passed all FAA flight test requirements, including spin, flutter, load, cooling, and noise tests. The STC covered both the 231 and 252 M20K variants. While the 231 and 252 had a maximum certified altitude of 24,000 ft (7,300 m) and 28,000 ft (8,500 m), respectively, the engineering goal of the Rocket 305 was certification for a maximum altitude of 31,000 ft (9,500 m). Extending the altitude in the STC was abandoned due to cost/benefit considerations versus the difficulty of demonstrating compliance with the FAA requirements, plus required changes to the supplemental oxygen systems in this unpressurized aircraft. The aircraft will, however, climb at nearly 1,000 ft/min above 24,000 ft (7,300 m). The Rocket conversion was discontinued by Rocket Engineering. The production-version Mooney Acclaim now delivers faster speeds. As Rockets are available in the used market for about one-third the cost of a new Acclaim, it maintains its popularity among a small market niche. Aircraft on display The Mooney Super M20E is the aircraft most closely associated with Robin Miller, an Australian female pilot known as the "Sugar Bird Lady" for her work in distributing the polio vaccine across Australia. Specifications These are the specifications for the 2016 M20 Acclaim Ultra. See also References Bibliography AOPA Air Safety Foundation, Mooney Aircraft Safety Review, AOPA, U.S.A., 1991 Eric Broumand Nesbit Evans, Dynamics of flight, stability and control McGraw (Chi Migi) 2005 Professor Munib Kirdoggy Sagpur, Flight Dynamics, East Fremantle AOPA Publishing, 1995 External links Mooney Model Chronology (1948–2006) The Al Mooney Story: They All Fly Through the Same Air FAA aircraft type certificate Mooney models 1950s United States civil utility aircraft Low-wing aircraft M20 Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1955