Maules are an ole school rudder plane. You fly a Maule competently, You can fly anything!!! Maule is a true pilot's plane. Ya, it's challenging for a low time pilot. but once you get the hang of it, You will appreciate the versatility and "challenge " it takes to extract the real performance of this aircraft . I say, if you look at an aviation endeavor long term for back country flying, you cannot go wrong flying a Maule!

55wagon
I agree x2
GT

55wagon wrote:I don't seem to understand the "couldn't afford a 180 so I got a maule" thing. They seem to be fairly close in price to me... Unless you get a lesser powered older maule.. But then wouldn't that be more like comparing to a 170? Or 170/180hp. Just curious. I've always been intrigued by maules as well but have not had the privilege yet. Not even a ride! Cool topic. I'll just take one of each. Add a beaver and that's all I need. A super cub a maule a 180 and a beaver. That's all I need. And a twin beech. That's all I need. And a TBM. That's all I need. And a....

"You have always been intrigued by the Maule, but never have had a ride".
Id say, you better better mount up and get a ride partner. Get ready to pump those feet on the pedals and take the ride of a life time. Cessna's are for wimps!.

Maules are pretty good "Tweeners". As many have already noted, they won't quite do what a Super Cub/Husky/Scout will do, performance wise, but fairly close if comptetently flown (THAT is an important point, by the way). They will carry more load than one of those airplanes, however.

On the other hand, they won't carry what a Cessna 180 or 185 will carry--in fact not even close. But, as long as you don't make the assumption that they are a truly four place airplane, they do have a reasonable useful load.

So, they are a good "Tweener" in my opinion.

Much of the reason that you hear a lot of bad mouthing of Maules has to do with the quality control of the airplanes coming out of Moultrie. Frankly, the airplanes are a little on the chintzy side, quality-wise. There's a couple of those reasons that you will find VERY few Maules working for a living in Alaska. They don't hold up real well to the hard beating that most 135 operators put their airplanes through. But, a personal airplane is almost never exposed to that level of use/abuse.....so....

The quality of the original paint and fabric on Maules has been notoriously poor, though that has improved through the years. Things like door latches and other little pieces are mostly hardware store stuff that doesn't hold up real well, but is easy and inexpensive to replace. They didn't put a lot of rivets in the wings in the earlier airplanes and you may see a fair number of smoking rivets in the top wing surfaces. That always makes me a little nervous. They are essentially a fabric wing that's been metalized....plenty strong, but....

I have flown a couple of Maules that have been stripped of their fabric and recovered and repainted by a competent individual, and those airplanes are first class. I'd highly recommend one of those to most anyone who is a competent tailwheel pilot.

Which is the other point....the Maules require that you do some of that pilot shit with the controls while operating on the surface. They are NOT ugly in handling, but they demand a little skill to operate, and they suffer fools poorly. Which is why insurance rates are pretty ugly for Maules these days....too many looked at the price tag, bought one and failed to get a good checkout prior to launch. Crunch.

Finally, as noted, these are NOT a four seat and gas airplane. In fact, most are not even a three seat and much gas airplane. Fill the tanks, and most are a good two seat airplane with SOME baggage. Again, they're not a major load hauler (legally), but if you keep them in the "category" they belong, they are indeed great performers, with a lot of utility.

MTV

mtv wrote:Much of the reason that you hear a lot of bad mouthing of Maules has to do with the quality control of the airplanes coming out of Moultrie. Frankly, the airplanes are a little on the chintzy side, quality-wise. There's a couple of those reasons that you will find VERY few Maules working for a living in Alaska. They don't hold up real well to the hard beating that most 135 operators put their airplanes through. But, a personal airplane is almost never exposed to that level of use/abuse.....so....


MTV

Mine came from Alaska, KOTZ, legendary 135 operator up there. He has owned every Maule model ever produced, along with Otters, 206's, 185's, Cub's, and many more. When I got there he had two Maules, one on floats and one on wheels, and two T-carts sitting there for if he couldn't get a medical. He loved his Maules and they damn sure got used.


IMHO, you find VERY few Maules in Alaska, just like you find VERY few Maules everywhere else in the world too. Not many around in comparison to the other makes. Capabilities, cost, and fun, Maule wins for me.


The only place you'll ever see very many Maules in one place is Johnson Creek in June

UtahMaule wrote:

mtv wrote:Much of the reason that you hear a lot of bad mouthing of Maules has to do with the quality control of the airplanes coming out of Moultrie. Frankly, the airplanes are a little on the chintzy side, quality-wise. There's a couple of those reasons that you will find VERY few Maules working for a living in Alaska. They don't hold up real well to the hard beating that most 135 operators put their airplanes through. But, a personal airplane is almost never exposed to that level of use/abuse.....so....


MTV

Mine came from Alaska, KOTZ, legendary 135 operator up there. He has owned every Maule model ever produced, along with Otters, 206's, 185's, Cub's, and many more. When I got there he had two Maules, one on floats and one on wheels, and two T-carts sitting there for if he couldn't get a medical. He loved his Maules and they damn sure got used.


IMHO, you find VERY few Maules in Alaska, just like you find VERY few Maules everywhere else in the world too. Not many around in comparison to the other makes. Capabilities, cost, and fun, Maule wins for me.


The only place you'll ever see very many Maules in one place is Johnson Creek in June

Actually, there are a lot of Maules in Alaska. Just not a LOT of them operating commercially. Again, I'm not attacking the airplane at all. They are good at what they do. I tried to work one in the area I worked in Northern Alaska, and it worked okay as a two seater, but due to the distances I needed to operate, the airplane couldn't carry much other than fuel. I thought for certain places in AK, they'd work fine, and as a personal aircraft, they're great. And, there ARE a lot of Maules in AK.

MTV

MTV

58Skylane wrote:

OregonMaule wrote:I really like my M7. I would rather have a 185 with a stretcher door. With the same hours on the airframe and motor as in my Maule. The same GPS, com, and audio controller. The only hitch is to get that combo would cost me 50-80K more than the Maule.

G'Day

Why do you want a stretcher door?? For your recliner or bigger go-ped?

You for got the generator

55wagon wrote:I don't seem to understand the "couldn't afford a 180 so I got a maule" thing. They seem to be fairly close in price to me... Unless you get a lesser powered older maule.. But then wouldn't that be more like comparing to a 170? Or 170/180hp. Just curious. I've always been intrigued by maules as well but have not had the privilege yet. Not even a ride! Cool topic. I'll just take one of each. Add a beaver and that's all I need. A super cub a maule a 180 and a beaver. That's all I need. And a twin beech. That's all I need. And a TBM. That's all I need. And a....

x2 on the SC, Beaver, TBM hahaha

When I got my 2000 Maule in 2006 it had 90 TTSN .6 TS prop strike inspection by Lycoming. I wanted to fly not by a older plane I had to do a bunch of work on. They stopped making 185s in 1985 ish. If you compare like years, hours, condition, and equipment the Cessna's are a lot more.

The Maule barn doors are worth the lesser useful load for my mission.

I will sleep in the Maule if I am 1 night here and 1 night there. I did just that on my last trip to socal. 1 night at Chicken Strip, 1 night Bacon Strip. I remove the right seat my 5'8" body fits perfect.

mtv wrote: Maules require that you do some of that pilot shit with the controls while operating on the surface. They are NOT ugly in handling, but they demand a little skill to operate, and they suffer fools poorly. Which is why insurance rates are pretty ugly for Maules these days....too many looked at the price tag, bought one and failed to get a good checkout prior to launch. Crunch.

Finally, as noted, these are NOT a four seat and gas airplane. In fact, most are not even a three seat and much gas airplane. Fill the tanks, and most are a good two seat airplane with SOME baggage. Again, they're not a major load hauler (legally) , but if you keep them in the "category" they belong, they are indeed great performers, with a lot of utility.

MTV

MTV you got that so right when you say, you got to do that pilot shit. hahaha

My mission: Me, 73 gallons of Mogas, 6 man Cabelas tent, cot, cooler, Go-Ped gas scooter, Honda generator, table, chair, guns, water, fire wood, plus all the othe regular camp paraphernalia. Sometimes I substitute a inflatable kayak or Mt bike for the go-ped.

G'Day

Like most of the above replys you will get many different takes on the Maule, being in the biz that I am in I am fortunate enuff to get a good look at just about ever STOL combo aircraft out there and if you look closely you can see what I fly. If you want a "Pretty" airplane the Husky fit and finish is tuff to beat as well as most of the stuff coming out of the ACA Factory (American Champ) The 180/185 Are a great plane and over the last few years the cost of admission has dropped a bunch to where you can get into a not so bad 180 for the cost of a very nice 235 M7. Now the things that have kept me in the Maule world are the cost of parts when needed, the Insurance after you get some time built up is not to bad (keeps most of the people away) and the performance of the plane. If you talk to the 135 operators that use the Maule (and yes there are more than you think) most of them run a 206 as well and the description that you will hear from them asked which most would rather fly loaded 90% that I have talked with have come back with "I would rather fly the maule because loaded it flys the same as un loaded, the 206 becomes a pig when loaded". The Maule is an acquired taste and the best advice that I can give is go fly one.... but wait go fly one with some one that KNOWS how to fly one, so you get the true Maule experience if you try to fly one like a 185 you will hate it!!! Next ask those people that seem to have a bad taste for Maule how long they owned one or how many hours they had in them that will answer many questions with out asking them if ya know what I mean. (Many of their answers will start with "well my buddy" or "I heard" ) and as for the "It will never be a cub" thing.... Well no kidding.... Nothing will be a Cub but a Cub and if i wanted a cub I would buya cub...lol the "Tweener" explanation that MTV gave is pretty close cuz it aint a cub and it aint a 185..

my .02

Hey hotshot; from the looks of your photos you fly a dodge diesel dually. You shouldn't have a problem hauling a load.
I'd love to fly one but I've never flown any plane that handles the same at gross as empty.. I'm guessing the M7 is the only thing you can compare to a 180. Right?? Lyco 540 no? Should b good power to weight.
Somebody come give me a ride n south Texas. You pay for the gas and I'll fly it.

55wagon wrote:Hey hotshot; from the looks of your photos you fly a dodge diesel dually. You shouldn't have a problem hauling a load.
I'd love to fly one but I've never flown any plane that handles the same at gross as empty.. I'm guessing the M7 is the only thing you can compare to a 180. Right?? Lyco 540 no? Should b good power to weight.
Somebody come give me a ride n south Texas. You pay for the gas and I'll fly it.

Get ahold of David Beaver in tx and he can show you around the M7.. I can't get much done with the picture galery I seem to be a bit illiterate on the gallery side

Seems as though there is a nice Cub for sale on the other forum...

http://www.supercub.org/photoclass/showproduct.php?product=2680&title=1957-pa-18a-150&cat=4

Maules are cool looking airplanes. Never flown one. The way you sit in one seems odd to me (lazy boy recliner) but then again having not flown one or for that matter even rode in one my comments here are just taking up space.

Did I say there is a nice Cub for sale on that other site?

AKT

On the other hand, they won't carry what a Cessna 180 or 185 will carry--in fact not even close. But, as long as you don't make the assumption that they are a truly four place airplane, they do have a reasonable useful load.

According to the info I have the stock 180, if it weighs in at 1800 and a M7 comes in as advertised at 1500
There is only a hundred lbs difference in useful load.
Most Maules have the long range tanks and there are a lot of 180's that carry less fuel.

There is a big difference between the LEGAL useful load between a 180 and a 185!
And as everyone now's no one ever bumps that #

Apples to apples?
GT

M6RV6 wrote:

There is a big difference between the LEGAL useful load between a 180 and a 185!
And as everyone now's no one ever bumps that #

Apples to apples?
GT

Not necessarily. My 1966 H model 180 WITHOUT any GW mods had a 8 pound greater useful load on floats than the 1985 Cessna 185 I was flying at the time. That was a light 180, but.....

MTV

What's the useful load of a Maule? Looking at mauleflight.com I see ~900 for the M7 and ~1100 for the M5. These about right?

~ yes. Varies more with engine size than with model.

the later M7's "C" model Spring gear we have seen empty weights at 1700# + with the lighter M5 and MX 7 Oleo you can see 1600 and lighter with the 235hp and 1400 and lighter with the 180hp.

This has the most comprehensive list of maule variations that I have found.Hope this helps, Good little write up on Maules and BD himself!
http://www.pilotfriend.com/aircraft%20performance/Maule/maule.htm
The only ones not listed that I know of and this is because Jeremy told me is 2 M4's that had turboed 250HP Franklins!!

GT

http://maules.com/chronology.html

This is the one I prefer..