Maule M-7-235C Utility STOL Flight Review

[@davidstrang5186]

I agree with the comment re needing to go back to a skateboard if you can not handle a Maule. I have 3500 hours in my M7 in Australia and it is the most fantastic performing bush plane. One characteristic that is not explained enough that I see in most videos concerns the use of the BIG, POWERFULL flaps in both the takeoff and landing phase. The flaps should be used in the same manner as the collective in a helicopter. Used in conjunction with the bucketloads of power at your fingertips, the flaps become another flight control. The big one is in the landing phase. Because the wing is such a high lift aerofoil, with the added lift that the very long flaps give the wing it can be used to make very short landing stick with no bounce. This is done by "dumping" the flaps at the point of touchdown, thus killing the lift and the aircraft sticks to the cround. Obviously this is done in the three point landing configuration, at or just above the stall. Trying to land a Maule without this technique will most often lead to bouncing or skipping down the runway, because it just wants to keep flying.(And I see this in most of the vids on utube) I developed this technique in older 172 that had the manual flaps, and was taught to me by a very experienced 180 bush pilot. It can be used in any aircraft that has manual flaps, But is really effective in the MauleM7 because of the size and power of the flaps. All the best from Australia. David Strang

[@micwell2247]

yes most people are not taught the dumping of flaps . Main reason, as a person moves up in aircraft meaning something with retractable gear, you won't inadvertently mistake the gear lever for flaps. When practicing STOL stuff and have another pilot with, I tell them what I am doing so that they don't mess up their pants. I even do this while flying a KA 350 and also a F-900 EX. work so much wonders it's unbelievable. I learned the flap coordination with my glider instructor. He being both power and non. I was easily convinced at that time .....

[@Jaden48108]

Very helpful bit of information. Thank you.

[@GreenthumbsGarden]

what a craft!! my dream to own one of these

[@garrywilliams9513]

Had my Maule M-7-235B for 6 years. It's a beautiful performer; short field but with good cruise speed. If flown within the design limits there's nothing - except pure enjoyment. As for the those who have problems/accidents with them, maybe they should stick with a skateboard or something because they're definitely not tail-wheel pilots.

[@peachtrees27]

Nice looking airplane! Thanks for the report.

[@TheFlightLevel]

Great video! Lots of info! The Maule M7 235 is coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator and I will be preparing a video to highlight this amazing plane!

[@earlebubar1805]

These are actually very good performing airplanes, this price of $235, 000 really cracks me up, we bought a brand new M7 in 1984 with strobes, king radio, delivered to Anchorage for $44, 000 in 1984!!! Talk about things going up!!! Real bushpilots are NOT going to like the lenght of those new spring steel gear legs!! They are way toooooo short and the wing now has very little angle of attack??? Huge mistake on Maules part. This was done to make it more stable in crosswinds for low time pilots, wide n low profile makes it much easier in crosswinds, however it will also get your prop tips way closer to the ground with tail comes up......... and with this thing sitting soooooooo low , and very little angle of attack, pretty much spoil it as a ski plane. Not to mention real pilots want a bolder look, than their plane squartting down like a pregnant duck?? If old BD was around these gear legs would have been Cessna 180 lenght, he would not have an airplane sitting this low........ they must be trying to sell airplanes to tge Bonanza crowd nowadays?

[@TRPGpilot]

what . . . a . . . load . . of utter TOSH

[@janedredding8870]

I was looking at the latest POH for the Maule 180, 235 and 260. The rear/center area shows floor limits of 175 lbs in the cargo configuration, 100 lbs in the front right with the seat removed. As I recall, the center section used to be 350 lbs and front was 170 lbs. I e-mailed Maule and asked why the load reduction in the rear/center and front section. I received a reply that said the reduction was due to limitations on the cargo straps. I think the person replying misspoke and was actually thinking anchor points, but I am not sure. Either way, this is a real reduction in the capability of the aircraft. Somebody at Maule should be fired for that!!

[@Joe-uo9wv]

Nice, real nice.

[@Filmpilot]

I want one. They seem to be going like hot cakes.

[@zaitcev0]

I knew a guy, let's call him C., who bought a new M7. It only lasted for a year. First he got a wingtip into ground. Had $11,000 expense because spar on Maule goes all the way into the tip and was damaged. Finally he flipped and totaled it. He reported the airplane insanely twitcy - way more than normal taildraggers such as Cubs.

[@thelegleg1]

I think those STOL things are for aerobatic pilots 😃

[@RichWellner]

Given the number of Maule's out there that have never been damaged I'm thinking that it's possible that your friend crashing his twice might say more about his piloting or decision making than the airplane. Yeah, they aren't the easiest in the world, but neither are they "insanely twitchy". Comparing them to cubs isn't comparing them to "normal" taildraggers, as Cub is perhaps the most docile taildragger ever made. And, of course, the Cub has a useful load of 400-500 pounds, while the Maule in this video will be at more like 1,300. Just different beasts. The Maule is an SUV and the Cub a Jeep Wrangler. Both are fun and safely flyable.

[@OldSheriff1]

This sounds like a pilot problem not an aircraft problem.

[@hotprop92]

+OldSheriff1 Spoken by someone who has never flown one.

[@mrmaule6251]

I've had my M7 for 160 hours and I'm a low time pilot, never had a problem. The original Maule tailwheel was a little twitchy but with the Scott 3200 on it's solid. This plane was my first tailwheel as well, even passed my PPL in it. If it's not hard for me to handle it was be a breeze for a more experienced pilot.

[@joebennett3937]

perfect landing

[@bowhuntinoh]

I’m sold

[@hotprop92]

I flew a taildragger and a tri- gear maule. It was the first taildragger I ever flew. It was horrible from the start of taxi. The second it started to turn out of the parking spot you needed to IMMEDIATELY if not sooner apply full opposite rudder to the stop. It would complete a 90° turn before it'd stop turning. If you hesitated for a second you'd have to shut down and push the plane back and manually straighten her out. That the plane was sluggish to respond to pedal inputs would be an understatement. Now that's just taxing around, as sprightly as a loaded barge. I race formula cars, motorcycles and motocross, drive in snow like a maniac, drove them big ol' trucks. I've flown Zlins, Citabrias, Huskies, Cubs, Super Cubs with/without tundra tires, Super Decathlons and a Stearman with the bladder brakes, if the he-man types here know what they are, walked an intentionally stalled Husky down to a couple hundred feet to clear a really tall tree on the approach since then and they were all fun, aerobatics too. So don't tell me I can't fly, ride or drive anything, I'll piss on your graves. In hindsight I believe that there's something not quite right with some of these birds. Cable routing, a missing strut or weld, landing gear bracing missing or misplaced, something that makes some of them wild on landing and responsive as an overloaded barge on the taxiways. I dreaded the touchdown since you couldn't predict which way she'd run when the wheels touched and with a 40ft wide tarmac with planes parked down one side you had to be spring loaded like a boxer anticipating a jab, or was this going to be a kick in the nuts.

[@Nils-H]

Sounds like someone needs to go back to tri-gear! ;)

[@hotprop92]

@@Nils-H What it looks, smells and sounds like is someone needs to go and learn how to read.

[@Nils-H]

@@hotprop92 ok. Let's not be kids then. There clearly was something wrong with the Maule you flew. The old M5 we have handles like a dream. I'd guess you had problems with the tailwheel lock up mechanism. It does have a steerable tailwheel, but it needs to be well maintained to handle properly.

[@abidfarooqui-sla3301]

LOL. Yeah same for me in a J3 17 hours ago. Now not a problem. Tailwheels require you to anticipate and be ahead of the behavior not even a second behind. It does become easier with some training and hours

[@hotprop92]

@@abidfarooqui-sla3301 yeh no kidding Sherlock. Congratulations on your mastery of a J-3. I have a few hundred hours in J-3's, Super Cubs, Huskies, a ZLIN, a Stearman, Citabria, Super Decathlon among others. Reread my post, it's a cautionary review of a plane that can bite. If you know how to search a database than look it up yourself. I find this plane to have an inordinate amount of landing and even takeoff accidents. The FBO sold the plane before I could have someone very knowledgeable with conventional gear have a look at it. I thought it was a one off problem with this particular A/C but after I checked the accident database I'm leaning towards different conclusions.

[@dambatta]

How much does this Aircraft cost?

[@ellonysman]

Nicholbacks drummer has a Maule...on steroids

[@chronodiver300]

So---it sounds like it's really lacking on useful load if I heard his numbers right

[@Jaden48108]

Useful load is 1,100 lbs (499 kg).

[@thelegleg1]

nice.but some airports int'l don't have mo gas let alone av gas. .please either jet or diesel fuel only

[@cartmanrlsusall]

always take a rubber hose with you and a 5 gallon gas can,seriously if you are capable of flying this little rocketship stol bird,finding some car gas at an airport is not gonna be a problem

[@thelegleg1]

cartmanrlsusall Some airports don't have mo-gas (overseas ) even in the US do you find in LAX or S.FRAN or NY KENNEDY !!! Same thing Abu Dhabi or Doha airports and 5 galons will take you to nearest airport and you will have to do it again. .you will look like a beggar

[@cartmanrlsusall]

a Maule can land in most parking lots,taking one into lax is suicidal,land on the road near a gas station and taxi to a pump

[@thelegleg1]

+cartmanrlsusall yeah in perfect world😂

[@cartmanrlsusall]

in this world

[@flycubfly]

Sounds like Mr "C" is making excuses

[@guillensuarezmartinez831]

23610

[@quinnjim]

I can't believe this plane has such a pathetic useful load. It won't carry anything. It's also surprisingly slow for a fabric airplane with 235 horsepower. I guess it takes off and lands quick as long as you don't put any weight in it....

[@guillensuarezmartinez831]

23511

[@hotprop92]

The landing characteristics of these A/C are appalling. The stats bear me out. A query of NTSB accidents for the M-7 came up with 44 accidents. When I just asked for Maule in the query than I got 225 total. I didn't go thru all 225 but I'd bet dollars to pennies that the ratios would be pretty close to the same. Using the 44 total accidents and just to give Mr Wellner's hopeful view of this A/C a fair reading I didn't count float plane landings but included them in the total of accidents even though they are a different breed of cat and don't have a tail wheel. In so doing I came up with 44 accidents total from 2001 till 2013 of which 24 were loss of or failure to maintain control while landing. That's well over half and even if thru nitpicking you threw out half of the 24 it still is a significant stat. It's a dog that turns on it's owner for no apparent reason. If I were to be stuck with one I would try to investigate further for a cause for it's unpredictable habits. Judging by other quirks that it has I would look at excessive frame flexing as a potential for cause. If you love them then God bless you. Myself personally, I'm surprised that the FAA still allows them to be produced.

[@mrmaule6251]

+neburex Ever flown one? I bet there's more accidents in them because they're not airport to airport planes like a 172. People end up doing some crazy stuff with them in questionable places and end up in a mess. If you are sensible and safe this thing is very safe and stable. I love mine.

[@lovetofly32]

Sounds like it's stupid people that want a plane to fly itself. Most accidents are pilot error. And that's what all those are.. Pilots that aren't good pilots. It's not the plane. Just like not all vehicles drive the same.

[@hotprop92]

I'd check the NTSB accident reports before I'd plunk down any cash for this tailgragger. This plane seems to be a magnet for the most inept pilots. Maybe they fixed the ground handling, maybe they didn't, just sayin'.

[@RichWellner]

+neburex "I'd check the NTSB accident reports before I'd plunk down any cash for this tailgragger" Yeah, let's do that. The NTSB database has ten incidents in 2015. All were nonfatal. Two happened recently enough that not even a preliminary report is available. Two occurred when pilots hit something on the ground during an off airport landing. Three occurred with pilots who had very little experience with the airplanes. Less than 20 hours. Of these one was density altitude related, one had never landed on bushwheels before and screwed up when he tried to do so the first time without a CFI on board. One was an engine failure and forced landing in a field. The remaining two are the only ones that had the kind of ground handling problem to which you allude. "The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, a wind gust elevated the right wing and the airplane veered right and exited the runway" and "The pilot maneuvered the airplane to land and noted moderate gusting wind from the left. During the landing, the airplane encountered a strong gust of wind; the airplane began a left turn and then a hard right turn" The Maule fleet size is about 1500 according to the current FAA database.

[@HybridVW]

Or MAYBE, instead of scaring yourself by reading NTSB reports, you could find one and go for a ride and learn about the handling qualities first hand. I've had my M4-220 for a couple of years now, and while it's a different beast than my Stinson was, it's not a big deal. You tell it where to go, and it goes there. Don't blame the plane if you decided to take a break from being PIC for a bit!

[@TheAlmightyShowOFFF]

Me high af watching random general aviation videos 🥴🤤

[@shadowsrwolf]

seems like a bearhawk ripoff

[@richardrackley6524]

SWolf I

[@swolf950]

Good point

[@guillensuarezmartinez831]

23700