EAA Sport Aviation - August 2011

MAULE AIRCRAFT DATA

Wing Span: 32 feet, 11 inches Length: 23 feet, 8 inches Best Climb Speed: 90 mph

Wing Area: 165.6 square feet

Height: 6 feet, 4 inches (tailwheel); 8 feet, 4 inches (nosewheel) Fuel Capacity: 73 U.S. gallons (standard) 85 U.S. gallons (optional)

the M- 7 are similar except the cabin in the M- 7 is taller, so there’s 3 more inches headroom, and it’s longer, so there’s 5 more inches room in the cargo area for the optional fifth seat.” The overall fuselage lengths are the same. Landing gear options include oleo strut or aluminum spring main landing gear and tail wheel or steerable nose gear.

MX- 7 engine options include a 180-hp Lycoming O-360 with constant-speed propeller; the M- 7 engine options include a Lycoming 235-hp O-540 or IO-540 with constant-speed propeller, or a Lycoming 260-hp IO-540 with a constant-speed propeller. Each engine comes with a spin-on oil filter and a stainless steel exhaust system.

At Sun ’n Fun 1998, a Maule MX-7-420 on amphibious floats (modified by Missouri Turbine Maule with a 420-shp Allison 250 turboprop) set a world record of 4 minutes, 29 seconds for a climb to 10,000 feet.

Brent reports that the number of orders received during the first half of 2011 have already exceeded the total sales numbers for 2009- 2010. In addition to a swelling order book, Maule is anticipating a surge in worldwide sales with the introduction of the Maule M- 9, a new model featuring powerplant and maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) upgrades for the company’s rugged and dependable M- 7 series airframes.

The 300-pound increase in MTOW to 2,800 pounds will give M- 9 buyers useful loads of approximately 1, 100 pounds. Powerplant options include two versions of the robust fuel-injected six-cylinder Lycoming 540 series engines—that burn avgas—or a fuel-injected turbocharged four-cylinder 230-hp SR305-230E compression-ignition (diesel-cycle) engine from SMA that burns Jet A.

The Maule M- 7 is the current incarnation of BD's original M- 4 design. The MX- 7 (shown above) is 3 inches shorter in height and 5 inches shorter in the cargo area than the M- 7 fuselage. All Maule aircraft are four seaters, though the M- 7 and MT- 7 have an optional fifth seat.

In commemoration of the company’s 50th anniversary, Maule re-introduced an upgraded version of BD’s original M- 4, the company’s first airplane. The M-4- 180V Jetasen II features a 180-hp four-cylinder Lycoming O-360 and can be purchased with either a fixed-pitch or constant-speed prop. It has two seats and a large cargo area with a cargo door, STOL-like performance, an average useful load of a little more than 900 pounds, and a five-page option list that includes everything from full IFR glass panels to extended range fuel tanks.

As the M- 9 nears certification Maule Air is well positioned for the future. The well-rounded product-line, the stable leadership, and the companywide spirit of respect and kindness spiced with a dash of music and fun has sustained Maule Air for 50 years through the inevitable hard times. That spirit will undoubtedly continue to sustain it on into the equally inevitable better times.