Hi folks. Been awhile since I posted, but I lurk around often.

Here's the question.

A year-long, around the world flight...visiting all the continents and most of the interesting sites (something like 55,000NM)...in a light single.

What plane is the one to do it in? It's got to have some decent range (thinking the jump from Iceland to Europe and some stuff in the south pacific), be fast and comfortable.

And no, I'm not completely insane (just mostly).

BRD sent me a forward from his buddy earlier today about a fellow in a C185 that was mainly fuel tanks, and he had flown down to MN from the 83rd parallel or something. He looked kinda looked like Jeremy from Maules.com with his sea captain white beard and coif.

Maybe shoot for max efficiency:

Friend of mine with less than 400hrs flew a 1985 Maule M5 180 around in 14 months and had a lot of fun and adventure. He repeated the circumnavigation 3 years later in a 1995 Maule M7 235 IO540 in 4+ months, 400+ hrs. I bought the M7 when he got back, to study it as it had been carrying 1840lbs much of the time. I disassembled, reassembled and flew it and all was fine with not even a smoking rivet.
Longest leg 2150 miles CA to HI.
Jeremy

DFXXX wrote:Hi folks. Been awhile since I posted, but I lurk around often.

Here's the question.

A year-long, around the world flight...visiting all the continents and most of the interesting sites (something like 55,000NM)...in a light single.

What plane is the one to do it in? It's got to have some decent range (thinking the jump from Iceland to Europe and some stuff in the south pacific), be fast and comfortable.

And no, I'm not completely insane (just mostly).

PC-12 and I get to be your co-pilot.

Or, perhaps, a B1 or B52 with in-air refueling friends. Only our rich Uncle can afford these, though.

Jon B.

Ha! YOU buy the Pilatus and I'll let you sit right seat all day long if you want!

I was thinking a Columbia 400 or that new Mooney.

maules.com wrote:Friend of mine with less than 400hrs flew a 1985 Maule M5 180 around in 14 months and had a lot of fun and adventure. He repeated the circumnavigation 3 years later in a 1995 Maule M7 235 IO540 in 4+ months, 400+ hrs. I bought the M7 when he got back, to study it as it had been carrying 1840lbs much of the time. I disassembled, reassembled and flew it and all was fine with not even a smoking rivet.
Longest leg 2150 miles CA to HI.
Jeremy

Jeremy,

This M7 was "carrying 1840lbs" as in grossing somewhere around 3200lbs ?

Mark

2500lbs + 920 overgross with a no passenger allowed ferry permit. My shared turbine on amphibs was licenced at 3165lbs but with beefed up wings.
Jeremy

maules.com wrote:2500lbs + 920 overgross with a no passenger allowed ferry permit. My shared turbine on amphibs was licenced at 3165lbs but with beefed up wings.
Jeremy

So, 3420lbs with no beef up ? Incredible numbers. Even the Turbine with beef up is impressive at 3165lbs. What was the usable on the Turbine Amphib?

Mark

BTW, Sorry in advance for the thread hijack but Jeremy's experience in ferrying, long leg flying and over gross operations may be relevent.

Lots of fancy stuff on the turbine, 125 gals, reclining seats, hd battery, oxygen, extended baggage, video photography and on panel in flight video entertainment etc kept the useful down to about 950.
A standard category airplane is qualified at 3.8 times the gross weight and Maule takes it way past that in destruction testing, BUT, remember the bumps in the road, and , the guy with the briefcase to meet you on landing. CG is critical and ferry pilots have been known to carry bags of lead shot on the engine cowl to aid balance, later to be jettisoned with a stick out the window. Please don't take chances, take calculations.
Jeremy

N6EA, as you say, I think this is all very relevant.

What's are the specs on your turbine Maule compared to factory? Cruise, useful load, range, etc? The factory Maule specs for the turbine don't do a a whole bunch more than the 260. But the 2800fpm climb rate is amazing. Gross is about 900lbs. for either.

I'm sure there is a lot more to the turbine model than the specs suggest. And getting the proper ratings to fly it would be just a bonus to my flying experience.

DFXXX wrote:Hi folks. Been awhile since I posted, but I lurk around often.

Here's the question.

A year-long, around the world flight...visiting all the continents and most of the interesting sites (something like 55,000NM)...in a light single.

What plane is the one to do it in? It's got to have some decent range (thinking the jump from Iceland to Europe and some stuff in the south pacific), be fast and comfortable.

And no, I'm not completely insane (just mostly).

Take a look at this website. It has a lot of good information on these types of flights.

www.earthrounders.com


Dav

maules.com wrote:Lots of fancy stuff on the turbine, 125 gals, reclining seats, hd battery, oxygen, extended baggage, video photography and on panel in flight video entertainment etc kept the useful down to about 950.
A standard category airplane is qualified at 3.8 times the gross weight and Maule takes it way past that in destruction testing, BUT, remember the bumps in the road, and , the guy with the briefcase to meet you on landing. CG is critical and ferry pilots have been known to carry bags of lead shot on the engine cowl to aid balance, later to be jettisoned with a stick out the window. Please don't take chances, take calculations.
Jeremy

Jeremy,

Thanks for the info! I can understand your reluctance to pass along info that should and was used under only the most extreme and controlled conditions. My interest is only as a casual observer of such things with no real wish to attempt these type of flights. I also only fly within the weight and balance of whatever aircraft I am piloting. The fact that the Maule airframe can endure such extreme loading is of some comfort, none the less...

Cheers (I guess I owe another Guiness )

Mark

Will tork for Guinness.

Where the Turbine Maule shines is as an amphib, ie reversible prop, power off the water and very steep climbs. You can burn as low as 17gph but normally I ran it at 21.5 on wheels and up to 25gph on amphibs. It would do 175mph TAS on floats and 195 on wheels. Factory fuel was 85gals but we had 125gals. Jet/diesel is heavier than avgas. Learning to safely use Beta took a little bit for landing stops. Judging whether you were torque or temp limited on each takeoff didn't take long atall.
Smooth and quiet.
Jeremy