Just wondering if anyone has any experience on flying plywood with a Maule (M4 220C, EDO2440).
If so, how many sheets? Was there any adverse affect during any phases of the flight...T.O. ...Cruise...Landing?

This external load stuff always seemed like a "trial and error" type of program and I'd like to avoid any error by asking around

Personally I follow this equation F = dP/dt = d(Mv).

Thanks!

According to that equation it looks like 32 sheets of 3/4 ply is doable considering the 1.5 factor of safety I stuck in there

Capt. Kirk. The safest way I know is to borrow my pickup truck.

Paging Mr. Ainsworth...

Thats a lot of surface area in a concentrated area, for one thing. With 32 sheets, thats a lot of weight in a fairly concentrated area. How far you have to go and what kind of weather conditions are a major factor when you alter your aerodynamics and load. I've had a canoe on the floats, but that was light and kinda aerodynamic. If that load of plywood caught the water it could be a mess. Water is only about 700 times the density of air.

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Thats a lot of surface area in a concentrated area, for one thing.

mmmmmm.... Somebody missed the after the equation!

Me thinks there is some leg pulling here. 32 sheets of 3/4" plywood? That's a good load for my dualie.

Skystrider- can you provide a brief explanation of your fourmula? Just curious.

A 3/4 inch sheet of 4 by 8 plywood weighs roughly 70 pounds.

I have not flown plywood on Maules, so I have no direct experience with a short coupled airplane and this sort of load.

I have flown full sheets of plywood on the spreader bars, lengthwise, and crosswise between the vertical struts. Personally, I prefer attaching them crosswise, cinched down to the spreader bars with heavy duty ratcheting cargo straps.

I always use a battery operated screw gun to tie the sheets together with sheet rock screws to keep them from shifting, though it is mostly paranoia on my part.

I would take TWO sheets first. Attach them lengthwise on the spreader bars, OR, as noted, crosswise. Cinch them down really well, then, on a good weather, relatively calm day, go fly the airplane. Avoid steep pitch angles, or steep climbs/descents, and carry a bit extra speed till you get a feel.

The biggest risk with plywood is getting some ugly airflow going over the tail surfaces, so approach this carefully. I always stay away from anything that requires a steep approach with plywood aboard.

Once you have got some experience with a couple sheets, add sheets one at a time till you either find some problems or reach legal gross weight.

I will tell you that an external load with the airplane fairly light can fly COMPLETELY different when the plane is near gross weight, so approach heavier loadings carefully, and with respect.

MTV

32 sheet of 3/4 plywood -- not! Maybe a beaver could do that. I hauled 70 sheets of 1/2 cdx and had to use a 2 1/2 ton car trailer, and that was a load.

Maybe find a buddy with a Caribou. That would haul it for sure, and it can still get in and out of short strips.

What ever you do, don't end up on the NTSB web site!

Be safe, Bub

donknee wrote:

Skystrider- can you provide a brief explanation of your fourmula? Just curious.

Why, don't you recognize that! It is Newton's law of mass and motion!

It was the first thing that popped into my tiny brain when I was picturing hauling 32 sheets of plywood in my Maule. Just being a wise guy!

A single otter on floats wouldn't haul 32 - 4x8x3/4 sheets. But that is what I'd be finding. Sounds like a big building if that's for flooring, must be some long 2x6's to go as well. The maule isn't up to this job.

Uh, Guys---I think his reference to 32 sheets of plywood was a joke in response to another poster's jest......

The Maule will likely haul external loads reasonably well.

I would second the Single Otter thing, though if you have a LOT of lumber to haul. It'll take a lot of flights and a lot of gas to carry one Otter load in a Maule.

There's a guy at the south end of Chena Marina running a Turbine Otter on skis. I'd give him a call if you have a big load.

Otherwise, just go slow.

MTV

...I once saw a house that was made out of beer bottles cemented (mudded) in. It would be a lot more fun then dieing with an overloaded pile of plywood???

mtv wrote:Uh, Guys---I think his reference to 32 sheets of plywood was a joke in response to another poster's jest......

The Maule will likely haul external loads reasonably well.

I would second the Single Otter thing, though if you have a LOT of lumber to haul. It'll take a lot of flights and a lot of gas to carry one Otter load in a Maule.

There's a guy at the south end of Chena Marina running a Turbine Otter on skis. I'd give him a call if you have a big load.

Otherwise, just go slow.

MTV

Yeah, I was just kidding about the 32 sheets guys.

I'm going to be building a remote cabin starting this spring. I'm going to be flying a portable saw-mill out there so I don't NEED to have plywood out there but it would make things easier for building the floor. I think I'd need a total of 13 sheets of 5/8 ply if I decided to go that route. I could just saw 1" planks and use that instead.
I think I might make my maiden plywood voyage off of the river (instead of the float pond) that way, if stuff starts going goofy I'll have enough water to abort. I agree starting off with just a couple sheets...I am a bit concerned about how these are going to affect air flow over the tail though. I have talked with a 180 pilot who's flown a lot of plywood but it's a different beast and will likely act different.

If the plywood is cut to 24" instead of 48", you will lessen the aerodynamic effects in a big way. You will then only have to deal with the blunt ram air effect. If not banding the pieces or constructing a frame, then do screw the together as mtv suggest. Airflow over the top lifts the centre and they can flutter which allows the middle pieces to work backward.
Years ago we built a lumber/freight rack for wheel or ski ops. which hangs from the lower longerons. It is a metal frame and hinges on one side, then when loaded you lift it up and bolt it on the other side.
2x6 or 4 is harder to keep together so best to fasten a rear board to keep one from sliding back out of the stack.
Jeremy

just be mindful of where the exhaust pipes are pointed in regards to the forward ends of the lumber.

Try stacking them crosswise, instead of lengthwise, as I noted earlier. For some reason, most pilots don't consider this. On most floatplanes, the plywood lies on top of the float decks, and you can ratchet them down tight to the spreaders. They don't go anywhere, and this virtually eliminates any buffeting effect on the tail. Still, keep your departures and arrivals fairly flat.

MTV

mtv wrote:Try stacking them crosswise, instead of lengthwise, as I noted earlier. For some reason, most pilots don't consider this. On most floatplanes, the plywood lies on top of the float decks, and you can ratchet them down tight to the spreaders. They don't go anywhere, and this virtually eliminates any buffeting effect on the tail. Still, keep your departures and arrivals fairly flat.

MTV

MTV,
I've been thinking about this...about stacking the ply crosswise. Wouldn't doing so double the frontal area of the load and increase drag? Or, is the extra area inconsequential?