Flying a Maule

[TheGorrilla]

Never flown one myself. Can anyone highlight the good and bad points about these aircraft with a view to owning and flying them? As i understand it they're good STOL machines and can lift 4 folk and cruise at about 100kts. I'm guessing though.

[SNS3Guppy]

Maules are great airplanes. No particular bad habits. It's a light airplane with limited performance. Bear that in mind when filling it with fuel and passengers. If you get a conventional gear maule (who really wants one with a nosewheel?), it's subject to the same limitations and considerations as any other aircraft with a tailwheel.

[Sam Rutherford]

... in January. MX7 180B

FANTASTIC

4 small pax with no luggage and 7 hours endurance!
or 3 normal pax and luggage and same!

Lifts off like a homesick angel (as they like to say in the US), lands on a quarter. Tricky in a strong crosswind (for that ready sweaty!!!!;))

I'm flying her back 'over the top' in June.

Best is to pm me - lots of advice (and some of it may even be useful!).

Sam.

[hobbit1983]

Sam,

I'm insanely jealous! :ok: Out of interest, what's the difference between the oleo gear and the spring aluminum (apart from 50lbs or so of weight & a slightly wider track)? Just wondering if the SA confers a significant handling advantage.

I do rather like the customisation options offered on the Maule website :)

[Sam Rutherford]

I don't know! Mine has oleo, and I have never flown spring.

LOTS of options - if you are planning on buying new, perhaps best to find out the specific ones which are difficult/impossible to fit afterwards (skylight being one item which mine does not have and is not practicable to fit post-construction).

For infor to other poster, I get TAS of 120kts, at 9.5gph!

Safe flights, Sam.