Maule 235 tri gear

frfly172

frfly172

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What do we think about a 235 maule tri gear,pros and cons?
 
frfly172 said:
What do we think about a 235 maule tri gear,pros and cons?
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The engine is a Lycoming 0-540, running at 235 horses in that configuration it is bullet proof.
The aircraft is a rag and tube fuselage and metal wings built as cheap as possible.
 
Tom-D said:
The engine is a Lycoming 0-540, running at 235 horses in that configuration it is bullet proof.
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Bullet-proof, except when there is a crankshaft AD, as a friend of mine with a tailwheel Maule found out. :( Otherwise, he's been happy with the airplane. Not fancy, but very versatile, with big cargo doors for easy loading.
 
Adding the nose wheel changes the flight and landing characteristics but doesn't help the cabin comfort. You lose the offroad advantage of the plane while retaining the the cabin. You might as well buy a 235 cherokee. You don't lose the landing characteristics but you gain a nice comfy cabin......

Just my thoughts after spending a bit of time in a maule 180 trigear. What a waste of time....without the tailwheel there is no point.

Frank
 
www.backcountrypilot.org

They have a little more familiarity with the make. They are very well regarded among bush pilot types. In a similar vein to how every "what airplane" thread here ends with a new Bonanza or KingAir, every thread there ends with "Just get a Maule".
 
gasfiltered said:
www.backcountrypilot.org

They have a little more familiarity with the make. They are very well regarded among bush pilot types. In a similar vein to how every "what airplane" thread here ends with a new Bonanza or KingAir, every thread there ends with "Just get a Maule".
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The Cessna 175/180 horse can carry more get in shorter than the M-7-235. That's proven every year at Johnson Creek.

And they don't bust the gear off every time they hit a chuck hole.
 
I have a friend with an extended wing/Sportsman STOL 182A and a Maule M6-235 who'll prove that statement wrong. For the record he takes both into his 500' strip but when things get tight he takes the Maule. True story.
 
Maule come in different horsepower from 180 to over 200. It seems to me that a tri gear would defeat the reason for buying one. A friend has a 180 hp tail wheel and rebuilt the entire airplane as he Is a gifted AP. He Flys it often and likes it a lot. The early models were a little rough but the later ones are nicely finished.
 
frfly172 said:
235 maule tri gear,pros and cons?
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Cons first:
- For what it is, it is slow. It has a high lift wing and lots of drag so cruise speed is between that of a Cessna 172 and a 182 at about 125kts (conventional gear is about 5-7 kts faster). For the IO540 235 fuel burn at 70% averages 12.0 GPH (at gross) at say,,,,5000'. Add about 1.5GPH for the O540.

- The nose gear adds weight to an already nose heavy aircraft. Get used to lots of trimming. :yes:
- Insurance seems to be more costly, even for the tri-gear.
- Not suited for landings on beaches, river beds, or strips known to have rocks and holes in it.
- Not as much fun to fly as a conventional Maule.
- Exhaust is the weak link. It needs regular repair for cracks and baffle problems.
- Lack of pockets in front cabin.
- Seats do not recline.

Pros:
- Number ONE!: Compared to a Cessna 172 or 182, it is an affordable aircraft and more versatile.
- It is a simple airplane with a welded tubular frame and fabric covering.
Wings are aluminum. Nose cowling is fiberglass/carbon fiber.
- It is a robust and safe airplane for your family.
- Has 95% of the benefits of the conventional Maule without the ground handling "problems" so many seem to have with the conventional (which get wrecked alot).
- Useful load is in the 800lb range depending on prop and avionics package.
- 4 aluminum fuel tanks are strapped in the wings (gravity feed).
No baffles or wet wing and easily accessed.
- Standard fuel is 73 gals (optional extended range is 85 gals)
- Annuals cost less and average about $1300 with oil change.
- Parts are readily available and cost less than other companies.

- Lots of windows. Most are found with the optional sky light and patrol doors (the ones with the lower windows).
- Pilot/co-pilot windows open fully.
- Can be flown with the windows open.
- Can be flown with the doors off.
- Cabin doors open up the right side to allow easy loading.
- The rear seat is a sling/bench style and can be removed in less than a minute for more cargo.
- It performs quite nicely at gross and lifts loads with ease.
- Perfectly at home on grass and dirt strips.
- Has a benign stall with easy recovery.
- Most made after say...2000 have Garmin 430 or 530 GPS/Comm and or STec 50 auto pilot. A nice feature.
 
Tri gear, I just baffled a little in my mouth.


A maule is such a great aircraft, why ruin it like that
 
Owned a 2004 M7-235C (conventional spring gear model) for about 8 years. For the IO-540 the crankshaft AD is a very big deal as the 12 year limit is either elapsed or shortly coming so watch out for that.

In general the Maule is a decent aircraft, it's not a Cessna, it's pretty crude but then it was less than half the price of a 182. Other than making an already not exactly pretty airplane even less pretty the tricycle gear isn't such an abomination as some make it out to be. In reality the Maule is basically an enhanced Piper Pacer so the tri-gear model is basically just like the Piper Tri-Pacer including the fact that it has a very stout nose gear - much stronger than that of a 182 and is capable of 90% of the stuff most recreational backcountry pilots actually get themselves into.

It is ugly though so you gotta get past that....
 
It reminds me of the pitiful champ on three wheels. You want to turn the other way. Embarrassing.the maule was built to be a bush plane type not a " let's load up the family, barking dog and mother in law" type aircraft. For what it was desigepned to do, excellent aircraft. CIA liked it too.
 
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Jimmy cooper said:
It reminds me of the pitiful champ on three wheels...
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During the Champion Aircraft era (mid to late 50's) they didn't seem to know what they wanted to do. Following the tricycle geared 7FC came this abomination titled the 7JC. You tell me, what on earth were they thinking?

aeronca_7jc_4_144.jpg
 
95% of the airplanes you guys fly don't interest me. Add the nose dragger Maule to that list. (Okay, add any Maule to that list). That doesn't make it a bad airplane.
 
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Stewartb said:
95% of the airplanes you guys fly don't interest me. Add the nose dragger Maule to that list. (Okay, add any Maule to that list). That doesn't make it a bad airplane.
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Ooooo, well let's move that over to the "Snootiest reply" column :rolleyes:
 
Not at all. I don't care what any of you thinks of my plane, either. Different missions require different equipment. Pick yours.
 
LT4247 said:
- Standard fuel is 73 gals (optional extended range is 85 gals)
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Great summary, but this one point is a bit off.

Standard is 43 gallons. Extended can come in at least two flavors 73 and 85.
 
Putting a prop support (nose dragger) on a Maule is just plane wrong.
 
Tom-D said:
The Cessna 175/180 horse can carry more get in shorter than the M-7-235. That's proven every year at Johnson Creek.

And they don't bust the gear off every time they hit a chuck hole.
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This is where I'm headed for back country. I want a cheap 175 that I can thrash until the engine goes away, then toss a O-360 in it and get decent cruise with fairly good off roading. Everything's a compromise, I just would like to avoid fabric.
 
docmirror said:
This is where I'm headed for back country. I want a cheap 175 that I can thrash until the engine goes away, then toss a O-360 in it and get decent cruise with fairly good off roading. Everything's a compromise, I just would like to avoid fabric.
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Friend of mine here at OKH has one equipped that way, all his Maule friends ask him to carry the stuff they can't.

There is a C-175/0-470 for sale on Craig's list (seattle) that should do your mission.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/rvs/5198342195.html
 
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Want to thank everyone for their input. If I go further will post.
 
Tom-D said:
Friend of mine here at OKH has one equipped that way, all his Maule friends ask him to carry the stuff they can't.

There is a C-175/0-470 for sale on Craig's list (seattle) that should do your mission.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/rvs/5198342195.html
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That plane's been for sale for a while. It's got a big motor on there. Would do the job, but my wife would want a fair mount of cosmetics take care of.
 
docmirror said:
That plane's been for sale for a while. It's got a big motor on there. Would do the job, but my wife would want a fair mount of cosmetics take care of.
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That C-175 needs to be stripped of every thing it doesn't need to be VFR airworthy. paint, interior, rear seats, radios, then add a 210 nose fork, VGs, 1 good Garmin then go off airport camping.
 
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