Pawnee 235 vs Cessna Bird Dog vs Maule as towplanes

On Thursday, August 21, 2014 9:35:59 AM UTC-6, kirk.stant wrote:
I realize this has been hashed over in the past, but looking for a fresh discussion on the relative merits of these three towplanes.



Specifically, how does a stock Bird Dog compare to a 235 Pawnee, and how do various Maules do as towplanes.



Our club is considering various options for adding to our towplane fleet and any info/personal experiences/good stories would be appreciated.



Kirk

66

This is my best recollection from a long-ago experience towing with a Maule. The memory may be wrong and the airplane may have changed over the intervening years.

IIRC, the Maule seemed to tow with a pronounced nose-up attitude so jerks on the rope tended to cause it to rock alarmingly in pitch. It was a very unpleasant tow plane for both the tug pilot and glider pilot.