The all-wood single-seat Mooney “Mite” appeared in 1948. Low cost was a prime consideration ‘ and the initial powerplant was a 25-hp water-cooled Crosley automobile engine. Good performance with such low power was achieved by careful attention to design detail, including a high-aspect-ratio wing, enclosed cockpit, flaps and a retractable tricycle landing gear. The Mite is built with a combination of steel-tube, wood and fabric materials.
Crosley made the engine, but Mooney had to modify it as the Mooney CC46M 2 to get CAA certification. The little four cylinder was basically the same as the one in the Crosley automobile, connected by four belts to the propeller shaft. The engine developed 25 hp at 3,900 rpm, which meant that a two to-one reduction was necessary in the belt drive to keep the wooden propeller turning within some reasonable limit. The engines were intended to be replaced every 250 hours
The Crosley wouldn’t quite do the job, however, and the airplane was quickly adapted without structural change to the 65-hp Lycoming O-145 engine. When that engine went out of production, a change was made to the 65-hp Continental A.65 (O-170). The ATC’d M-18 Mite single-seat light aircraft with Crosley engine; became M-18 Wee Scotsman with 65-hp Lycoming engine.
The “Mite” went out of production in 1952, after 284 were sold even at $2,250 less engine. Mooney had by that time enlarged the basic design to a four-seater and gone after a much more lucrative market.
M-18
Engine: 25-hp Crosley / Mooney CC46M 2
Wingspan 26’l0”
Length 17’8”
Gross Wt. 780 lb
Empty Wt. 500 lb
Fuel capacity 11-17 USG
Top mph 143
Cruise 130 mph
Stall 43 mph
Takeoff run 300 ft
Landing roll 275 ft
Range 600 miles
M 18C Wee Scotsman
Engine: 65-hp Lycoming O-145
All Aero 