I am about to purchase a Maule M5 235. It has the standard tyres (you now know from the spelling I am in the UK!) on it and I plan to operate out of my own 350m strip. The strip will generally be soft in Winter; Can anyone advise on the benefits of fitting larger tundra tyres makes? We don't have anything other than grass strips to land on in the UK (no wilderness stuff or river shingle etc) so not sure its worth it? Presume I lose a bit in the cruise with larger tyres?

For your use I would recommend the 10x10 tire and 29x11x10 tire set up from AK Buswheel, this will give you floatation and a bit more shock absorption. If you don't need the big Tundras 31's etc these will be a great middle ground. You are looking at about 5 to 7 mph hit in airspeed depending on how you fly.

http://www.airframesalaska.com/ShavedAi ... -11-10.htm

http://www.airframesalaska.com/10-x-10- ... i-1010.htm

Appreciate your advice....Thanks

I have 2 sets of tyres, ( by the spelling you can see I am South African)
For general flying around mixing soft grass or dirt with tar ( asphalt), I use 29 10 airstreak, unbuffed. When I head out somewhere "serious" I put on the 31 inch alaska bush wheels. I lost about 6 kts in the cruise with the bigger wheels, nothing major, I fly slow most of the time 60% power at 10 000 feet, need the endurance for my typical mission, usually 4 hour stretches at a time.

As for tyres/tires (by the spelling you can see that I'm a South African living in the US!)
8.50's should be fine for that strip, the width of the tire and the lower pressure is what helps you with flotation. The larger diameter couple with the width helps roll over obstacles.
I started with 8.50's and moved up to GY 26's.
Good luck

Congratulations on your new bird and welcome to this den of miscreants. Love to see a photo of the M5 - and of your airstrip - when the deed is done.

Is it on an FAA or EASA reg?

My MX-7-180 is currently on 31" bushwheels at Thurrock (EGMT) for a few days, so by all means PM if you would like to try it.

Incidentally, talking of miscreants, with big tyres on your Maule and a little help from Google Earth you'll find that wild places and river shingle are not half as hard to find as one might think on this little island of ours.

ATB, Peter

Once i work out how to post an image i will post a pic of the strip (field surrounded by trees!)

Hi Adam,

If Your aircraft is on the UK register, you will be limited to 8.50-6. Notwithstanding the US-EU bilateral, FAA STCs have to be validated by EASA to be eligible for installation on EU member state-registered aircraft. As far as I'm aware, the ABW STC has not yet been validated by EASA.
The Maule I fly only has 7.00-6 and it's not stopped me going anywhere as far as UK strips are concerned.

It will be on an FAA register so hopefully that doesn't have too many complications. A

Adam wrote:Once i work out how to post an image i will post a pic of the strip (field surrounded by trees!)

"Quick guide":

1. Upload your .jpg image file to a server (Dropbox, Picassa, or similar) and copy the URL.

2. Then in the forum message editor, click the "img" button, paste your image URL and click "img" again. Simples!

P.S. I saw a picture of what I think may be your M5 when I collected SA from Thurrock on Tuesday. If so, she's crying out for some 31" ABWs!

You'll probably lose 8-10 kts crusing speed and/or burn more fuel, but many overall journey times and costs will be reduced because you can land exactly where you want to be, rather than the nearest "proper" airport.

Safety-wise, when every open area without crops or cattle is an aerodrome, you'll never have to think twice about a precautionary landing, and when you see a gooey grass strip like Laddingford with a CAP10 standing on its nose, you can smile and land the M5 with your hands in your pockets.

Great thanks

I will give that a whirl
A

So I can get a pair of 8.5's put on an M5 235 without having to make any changes to brake lines or disks?

Yes. They're a good compromise, for little cash and less paperwork.

great thanks