In November 2008, the company announced that it was halting all production as a result of the late-2000s recession, but would still provide parts and support for the existing fleet.

[8] Al Mooney had been developing preliminary designs for the four-seater M20 for some time, while the single-seat M-18 Mite was in production in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

When in early 1953 the company moved from Wichita, Kansas, to Kerrville, Texas, and when it became clear that the Mite was nearing the end of its production, development of the M20 accelerated.

The airplane gained attention because it was able to achieve speeds up to 170 miles per hour (270 km/h) with a 150 hp (110 kW) Lycoming O-320 engine.

[10] In 1958 the M20A joined the lineup with a larger 180 hp (130 kW) Lycoming O-360-A1A engine, and by 1959, this was the only model offered, with a total sales that year of 231 units.

[11] Early in the model's history, several incidents of wooden tails breaking up in flight occurred due to water damage and the resulting rot.

Consequently, most tails have now been replaced with all-metal copies, as required by Mooney Service Bulletin M20-170A and the FAA Airworthiness Directive 86-19-10.

Without the possibility of metal fatigue, the wooden wing has an indefinite life expectancy and is considered by some pilots to provide a smoother ride in turbulence.

[12][13] In January 1960, the Mooney company convinced Ralph Harmon to leave McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis, Missouri, and take over management of the engineering efforts.

[14] Also known as the Mark 21 and later the Ranger,[15] the M20C had several improvements over the M20B, including greater deflection on control surfaces, reduced cowl flap openings for better engine cooling, improved exhaust scavenging with a Hanlon and Wilson exhaust system, new battery access door, more powerful landing light, lightweight floor, an increased gross weight of 2,575 pounds (1,168 kg), lighter empty weight, new instrument panel layout, and a higher maximum flap angle of 33 degrees.

It maintained the wings of the airplane in a level position unless a button on the control wheel was depressed for turns and banks.

A new model, the M20F Executive 21, offered more legroom due to a 10-inch (25 cm) increase in cabin length which also allowed for a third fuselage side window.

The company went into chapter 7 bankruptcy in early 1969, and was acquired by American Electronics Laboratories and then Butler Aviation International.

Butler Aviation also acquired the troubled Aerostar company and combined it with Mooney in an attempt to save both.

It had a wider wingspan and a six-cylinder Continental engine, and the fuel capacity was increased to 80 US gallons (300 L; 67 imp gal).

[27] While the company was dealing with the recession, Republic Steel was acquired by the Ling-Temco-Vought corporation and dropped Mooney.

The company ended up in the hands of Armand Rivard of Lake Aircraft and Alexandre Couvelair, a Mooney dealer from Paris.

It was powered, as the name hinted, by a turbocharged Lycoming six-cylinder engine that produced 270 horsepower (200 kW) at 2,575 rpm, and it had a three-bladed propeller.

[34] The M20T Predator, a canopy-equipped version of the basic M20 design powered by a Lycoming AEIO-540 engine, was Mooney's entrant in the USAF Enhanced Flight Screener competition.

The sole prototype, registered N20XT, was flown in the Experimental – Market Survey category and was still owned by Mooney Aircraft in 2013, although its registration had expired November 30, 2013.

[35][36] The competition for the Enhanced Flight Screener program was finally held in 1992, and the Slingsby T67 Firefly was chosen instead of the Mooney EFS.

It was designed to fill a gap between the normally aspirated MSE and the turbocharged TLS, and it was powered by a 280 horsepower (210 kW) Continental IO-550 engine.

[40][41] Mooney laid off 60 employees in June 2008 and cut production, citing a weak economy and sales inhibited by high fuel prices.

Al Mooney got his start working as young man for the railroad industry, hence the borrowing of a steam locomotive term for use in describing part of an aircraft.

[52] The empennage of the Mooney M20 is easily recognizable by its unique tail fin with a vertical leading edge.

(The tail fin looks as though it is "leaning forward", but it is approximately vertical in level flight, depending on trim setting.)

When ram air is selected, partially unfiltered air enters the induction system with a higher pressure and consequently the manifold pressure increases about a full inch of mercury flying at 7500 feet above mean sea level, giving a greater power output.

In June and July, 2017, pilot Brian Lloyd flew his Mooney M20K 231 around the world, commemorating Amelia Earhart's attempted circumnavigation which took place 80 years earlier in 1937.

[60] Mooneys derive their performance from a clean airframe, small cabin cross-section, and drag reducing refinements over the years.

The aircraft is painted to represent the M20E used by Robin Miller, an Australian female pilot known as the "Sugar Bird Lady" for her work in distributing the polio vaccine across Australia.