Mooney M10

Single Piston

The Mooney M10 Cadet represents Mooney Aircraft's brief foray into the primary trainer market during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Designed as a fixed-gear, two-seat trainer to compete with Cessna and Piper's dominant offerings, the M10 featured Mooney's characteristic forward-swept vertical stabilizer and wood-wing construction but departed from the company's signature retractable landing gear in favor of simplicity and lower operating costs for flight schools. Powered by a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360 engine, the Cadet offered respectable performance for a trainer with a cruise speed around 138 knots and useful load approaching 900 pounds. Despite its solid engineering and pleasant handling characteristics, the M10 struggled commercially against the entrenched Cessna 150/152 and Piper Cherokee lines. Mooney produced only around 60 examples between 1968 and 1970 before discontinuing the model to refocus on their core line of high-performance retractable singles. Today the M10 remains a rare sight, prized by collectors and owner-pilots who appreciate its unique place in Mooney's history and its blend of trainer docility with the company's trademark efficient design philosophy. SkyMeter has tracked 25 flights across 3 airframes and 3 operators over routes.