A Handful ??

Discuss topics related to technique, procedures, and idiosyncrasies of Maule aircraft.
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TSUDTELL
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A Handful ??

Post by TSUDTELL »

I am still in the relearning stage and keep asking myself this question.
What, if any, makes a Maule a harder plane to land they say any other short coupled tail wheel other then transition from rudders to brakes? Like a PA12 Etc.
I ask because I am having a hard time finding any instructor in my area (Wasilla, AK) with Maule experience and other postings and insurance suggest only someone with Maule experience.
Sorry if this is a stupid question..


Ted

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Chris in Milwaukee
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Post by Chris in Milwaukee »

For me, it's getting used to the sink rate. It goes from floater to sinker fairly quickly, in my short time with the beast. Just need to find that sweet spot. I haven't had any problems keeping it straight. Yet.

~Chris
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TSUDTELL
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Post by TSUDTELL »

Chris in Milwaukee wrote:For me, it's getting used to the sink rate. It goes from floater to sinker fairly quickly, in my short time with the beast. Just need to find that sweet spot. I haven't had any problems keeping it straight. Yet.

~Chris
I have never heard that mentiond but I sure have noticed I thought it was just my plane

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Post by xcflyn »

I think the Maule is just a little tricky but not crazy by any means. I will say coming out of a J3 for my TW training to a Maule you certainly learn how different things are. I never have flown any other tail wheel plane for any real recordable time to be an authority but I also think maybe my lack of experience made me a good Maule student. I was not set in my ways with bad habits that needed to be broken. My wife and I were talking about my first day of Maule training and how I was very sad with my purchase. I loved the plane but I sucked at every aspect of flying it. Now I just love it. I respect it like a pit bull (you know what I mean :). I agree with Chris it certainly turns from glider to watermelon with just a pull of a knob and yank of the handle, but that's what I love about it. I set up high , sink it short or add a little power and it seems predictable.
I personally don't think it is the rudder to brake transition like you mention. I could be wrong as we are all different. I have a RV8 and that to me is very painful to go from rudder to brake due to the super light rudder pressures and my feet that are Maule trained. I am really new to flying compared to many here so my answers really don't hold much substance as I am still learning with every flight. So many things I read from new Maule owners are exactly how I feel or how I have felt. I don't fly my Maule for a week or two and I get that voice in the back of my head saying be careful it wants to bite you, but then I fly it , shoot a few landings and just fall in love all over again. I had visions of selling mine, even had two good offers but I just couldn't.
Back to the post - what makes it harder to land than others ? I don't think it is the plane I think it is the pilot. We are human & we are going to make mistakes. The Maule is very safe and satisfying, but like most things in aviation, very unforgiving when not treated right. My last comment is something that I am really good about doing. Pick your days to fly, its so cliché to say take offs are optional : landings are mandatory. But it is so true. I have literally been called a pussy for choosing not to fly. Now I just tell people , "Im a pussy when it comes to flying", I don't fly if I think it could be a bad day to land. Im ok with that. Do I wish I had more courage (some say confidence) YES. I wish I were a better pilot. But I am glad I am standing here saying that and not 6 feet under.

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Chris in Milwaukee
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Post by Chris in Milwaukee »

xcflyn wrote:.My last comment is something that I am really good about doing. Pick your days to fly, its so cliché to say take offs are optional : landings are mandatory. But it is so true. I have literally been called a pussy for choosing not to fly. Now I just tell people , "Im a pussy when it comes to flying", I don't fly if I think it could be a bad day to land. Im ok with that. Do I wish I had more courage (some say confidence) YES. I wish I were a better pilot. But I am glad I am standing here saying that and not 6 feet under.
That's totally me for now. Flew to Oshkosh last weekend and had a healthy and gusty crosswind. I said to myself, "Self, I can do this." On final, I had a lot more rudder and aileron in than I had cajones for at the time. So I called it off and asked tower for a more favorable runway. I'd rather have done that one with my CFI. Live to play another day!
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TSUDTELL
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Post by TSUDTELL »

If you guys don't watch out we're going to lose an image and Insurance rates may come down.

I really appreciate your honest answers.

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Post by crbnunit »

I had always heard Maules were difficult on the ground. I have not found that to be true at all. I flew a little Citibria 7ECA before climbing into the M-4. That thing was like herding snakes down the runway. The Maule is a pussycat by comparison. Not saying it won't swap ends if you are not paying attention. Fly it till you are parked!
You have to make up your mind about growing up and becoming a pilot. You can't do both!

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Xwind

Post by TomD »

Chris said: [/quote]So I called it off and asked tower for a more favorable runway. I'd rather have done that one with my CFI. Live to play another day!

Good decision! Going to a different runway may have inconvenienced them a bit but you are the PIC and if you were not comfortable, going around or going away is always better than bending plane and people.

TD

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Re

Post by woolvz »

Have you checked with Legends Aviation in Willow? They have a "bush flying" course in a Maule.

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TSUDTELL
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Re: Re

Post by TSUDTELL »

woolvz wrote:Have you checked with Legends Aviation in Willow? They have a "bush flying" course in a Maule.
Thank you for the information, I have loged a few hours with Walt at legends aviation. He is very good and would recommend them over anybody I have been with in this last year but he is very busy doing other stuff, or I scare him too much 😬😬😬😬ðŸ˜￾

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Post by Kirk »

I've flown about a dozen other types of taildraggers and find the Maule to be a bit more challenging but by no means a beast. I highly recommend Backcountry Aviations videos. Improved my flying quite a bit.

IMHO the Maule "difficulties" come down to 3 factors:

1: Airfoil shape. The high lift, flat bottom airfoil provides a wide range of speed. At the low speed end, it has a sensitive range where increasing angle of attack greatly increases drag. This range is where you get your best approach speed.
Too fast and you ballon up when you increase pitch, too slow and you dramatically increase sink when you pitch up.
Get the feel of the airplane and you can work this to your advantage. Get on the wrong side of things and your approach gets really messy. Gusty winds can suddenly put you on one side or the other of where you want to be.

2: Landing gear geometry. Unless you have extended gear, the main gear is shorter than ideal. The attitude on the ground is less than liftoff angle with half flaps and less than full stall attitude for touchdown.
For takeoff "popping" flaps down a bit further aids the liftoff without banging the tail on the ground. Once you have the feel of it, it is really second nature and kind of fun.
For landing, Maule has always taught the "kerplunk" landing. The tailwheel touches first and the mains drop to the runway. I've found this to be the simplest, safest landing technique. Rather inelegant but effective and gets the airplane on the ground with the least lift being produced for the rollout. That can be crucial in crosswind or gusty winds.
Smoother landings can be had raising the tail slightly just before touchdown. Several other reasons to do that, but that's a more deep discussion.

3: Vertical stab and rudder size: You will notice that the M5 and later has a lot of vertical stabilizer and a rather small rudder. Not an unsafe condition, just something you need to keep in the back of your mind. This can become a factor in crosswind landings as the airflow over the fuselage somewhat blanks out the vertical stab and rudder if the tail is low. All the while, that crosswind is still fully playing upon that vertical stab and you have a smallish rudder to counter it with.
Crosswind landing technique has been hotly debated on here many times regarding tail high or tail low. Fix a bag of popcorn and do a search of crosswind landings. Hours of reading to be had.

All that being said, you can see why Maule experience in an instructor is important. The airplane behaves a bit differently in several ways. Find someone that has already figured that out and you are ahead of the game.

Learn it, stay proficient in it and you will enjoy it. I sure have loved my Maule over the last14 years.

Kirk

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Post by Flyhound »

The last taildragger I owned before the Maule was a Pitts S2A. By comparison, the Maule is docile and easy peasy to fly/land. I also have some time in a 7KCAB Citabria and it was an easier plane to handle in the approach and touchdown that the Maule from my perspective. I tend to fly the approach somewhat like I would in a much heavier aircraft. I come in high and fairly slow (60 Mph) and carry a bit of power to the ground. When I bleed off the power, the plane settles in nicely. That works for both 3 point, and wheel landings for me. For shorter, backcountry strips I come in at the same speed without power and my sink rate goes through the roof. It is really hard to determine just how much of a boost of power I need to slow the descent rate and when I need to add that power. It varies so much with the load I'm carrying. I suspect I'll need lots more of those landings under different conditions to get it right more often. I'm working on that!
Por mares nunca dantes navegados - a line from a Potugese poem about exploring the unknown.

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