G44 wrote:Wow, a Northstar in that picture, cool.

Asa, if I may…. I would paint that cowl in the closest to match silver. That would look good and later if you or a new owner wanted to put a trim decal stripe on it would be easy to do. Cool project, it was fun to follow along, thanks for taking the time to post.

Kurt

That's the plan. Have the silver paint/hardener/supplies already, but if I'm painting, I'm not flying. I want to shake out all the minor issues and prep the plane for Alaska so painting the cowling is pretty far down on the priority list.

Have 10 hours on the plane in the past week. It's flying great! Have been doing very extensive post-flight inspections. Pretty tired of pulling the cowl off! Also added a bit of red back on the empannage. Many people will dislike it, but thats okay. It's a Maule, the majority of people dislike it already anyway. The red gear leg fairings were accidental, I bought them used and have been too lazy to paint them black.

How are your temp’s?

Kurt

G44 wrote:How are your temp’s?

Kurt

They’re satisfactory to me. This is 100deg ROP at cruise power. Have been experimenting with leaning to different places in regards to peak EGT so see how the engine responds. My totalizer has been 8-12% off (high) when I fill up. So I think my fuel flow K factor needs to be changed but I’m making sure I have good data before changing anything. But I think my fuel flow is reading ~8% high.

Asa do you any pics of how far down from the exhaust gaskets you drilled for the EGT probes? My EGTs at about that power setting are much higher. I didn't want to get too close to the muffler joints so maybe mine are up higher.

Never mind I went back to find them. Yeah not looks like yours are lower than mine. I always thought my EGTs were reading a bit high.

gdflys wrote:Asa do you any pics of how far down from the exhaust gaskets you drilled for the EGT probes? My EGTs at about that power setting are much higher. I didn't want to get too close to the slip joints so maybe mine are up higher.

I’ve a different exhaust and so mine are likely much lower than yours. I think I remember them being 4.25” down from the flange but here’s a pic I already had. JPI recommends 2-4” but I couldn’t do that with the large slip joint on my middle cylinders.

Asa: "Despite the legends, I feel that Maules are no harder to fly/land/handle in a *mediocre* way than any other similar sized tailwheel I’ve flown, "

I agree, but your observation will carry more credibility; thanks for making that point.

Someone is going to end up with a really nice aircraft; ...TJ...

Excellent. Without rereading the entire thread, did you allude to why no right seat control wheel?

skyward II wrote:Excellent. Without rereading the entire thread, did you allude to why no right seat control wheel?

I see no need for it. At work I’ve gotten used to pulling all the right seat controls to give pax and cargo more room. I really prefer it that way. Specific to this maule, the yoke is also the biggest thing in the way of looking out the boot cowl window as well.

This is definitely a pilots plane, everything is catered to the left seat.

That said, it only takes 1 bolt to put it back in if I want to.

asa wrote:

skyward II wrote:Excellent. Without rereading the entire thread, did you allude to why no right seat control wheel?

I see no need for it. At work I’ve gotten used to pulling all the right seat controls to give pax and cargo more room. I really prefer it that way. Specific to this maule, the yoke is also the biggest thing in the way of looking out the boot cowl window as well.

This is definitely a pilots plane, everything is catered to the left seat.

That said, it only takes 1 bolt to put it back in if I want to.

Got it. I like to look over at passengers and ask "Wanna fly it"? Your plane, your world...

skyward II wrote:

asa wrote:

skyward II wrote:Excellent. Without rereading the entire thread, did you allude to why no right seat control wheel?

I see no need for it. At work I’ve gotten used to pulling all the right seat controls to give pax and cargo more room. I really prefer it that way. Specific to this maule, the yoke is also the biggest thing in the way of looking out the boot cowl window as well.

This is definitely a pilots plane, everything is catered to the left seat.

That said, it only takes 1 bolt to put it back in if I want to.

Got it. I like to look over at passengers and ask "Wanna fly it"? Your plane, your world...

Asa just says “wanna sit in this seat?”

Awkward contortions ensue.

My last airplane was a C150/150 taildragger.
As most folks know, 150's are pretty darn tight inside--
even small people usually got either their knees tangled up with the control yoke,
or their feet tangled up with the rudder pedals. Tall people did both.
I ended up removing both the RH control yoke as well as the rudder pedals.

Maules aren't the roomiest airplanes in the world,
I think removing the RH yoke is a good idea.
Like Asa said, it's only a one bolt re-install.

Just for you, G44!







The black is plasti-dip out of a rattle can. Will it hold up to airspeed and heat? Will I be happy with it? No idea. My tacoma wheels have had a coat of plastidip on them for 3 years and 35k miles, they look pretty good.

Wow, now that looks nice!

Congrats on the finished product!

Loved your whole thread!

I gave up on continuing my build thread here as it was just too difficult posting photos.

But I post mine daily at: https://bearhawkforums.com/forum/model- ... -7-arrived

Keep posting your flight details!

Thanks! Decided to make the first real trip with the plane to see my brother on the gulf coast. Flew a little under 4 hours down to Ocean Springs, MS (5R2) yesterday, heading back north tomorrow. No hiccups with the plane, it’s doing great. If all goes well over the next few weeks, it will have been to the Gulf of Mexico and gulf of Alaska in a month’s span. Was able to sell my old fuselage to someone for their project so I might even have money to pay for the gas.

It’s been cold in KY so had it all tucked in and plugged in the night before the trip.



Added a ram ball mount to right side panel, have been playing with iPhone and iPad placement. Put iPad up there for this trip, works well. Good for Netflix, Tinder, and online chess…



Biloxi, Ocean Springs, and Gulf Islands National Seashore. My sister-in-law is the director of the Gulf Coast Research Lab and my brother is a professor there as well so their lives revolve around studying the local ecosystem. For me that means lots of boat rides.



These little paved tie downs are clearly not made for tail wheel planes. Or maybe they just know we’re okay with a wheel in the grass.

Update. Made it to Alaska about a month ago. Plane flies great, no hiccups over the 30 hour flight from KY to AK. I loved the project, but I am also loving not being in project mode anymore. $6 Amazon tire covers protecting $4000 bushwheels.



And now time to make some money to pay for gas

Looks like a blast. You in the Pratt or the Garret?

OK, as a piston pounder I'm curious.... how can you tell the difference between the two?

Rob wrote:Looks like a blast. You in the Pratt or the Garret?

There are a couple of ways one is the exhaust stacks, two blow holes on the Pratt at three o'clock and nine o'clock just aft of the spinner. The Garrett Otter has a single big ass blow hole at the bottom aft of the cowling at about five o'clock . Also the air intakes, the Pratt has a "grin" below the spinner and the Garrett has a "grin & eyebrow" below and above the spinner. In addition the Garrett Otter usually swings a four bladed prop but the Pratt is typically only three blades

Steelroamer wrote:OK, as a piston pounder I'm curious.... how can you tell the difference between the two?

Rob wrote:Looks like a blast. You in the Pratt or the Garret?

I was wondering the same thing! Thanks Mapleflt for the clues.