Group Poll: Best 2+kids or 4 place taildragger?

Dashi wrote:

Maule is good!

Not necessarily. You'd better be good friends with the person in the other seat
in your row, 'cause there ain't much room. If you bought the 160hp model, the
useful load with full fuel is going to be around 550 lbs. If you bought the 235,
it may be less than that (of course, full fuel is more gallons on that model).
And you won't get anyone into the plane unless they're in real good shape and
pretty flexible (or you have a *big* shoehorn). That big fin makes it a real
bear to handle in any crosswind over about 12 knots (want an audience for your
landing, just announce you're coming in in a Maule when the wind is over 15 and
gusting).

As I said in an earlier post, a 180hp Maule is something to consider, but the
Cessna 180 is a better plane (if you can afford one).

BTW, I own a Maule MX-7-160.

George Patterson
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something that can be learned
no other way.

Great point about the cross wind, pushed me back to the 260SE 182 line of
thinking again.

I fly out of 49S Babb, MT, when I can find a airplane to fly.
Pat Thronson


"G.R. Patterson III" wrote in message
...


Dashi wrote:

Maule is good!

Not necessarily. You'd better be good friends with the person in the other
seat
in your row, 'cause there ain't much room. If you bought the 160hp model,
the
useful load with full fuel is going to be around 550 lbs. If you bought
the 235,
it may be less than that (of course, full fuel is more gallons on that
model).
And you won't get anyone into the plane unless they're in real good shape
and
pretty flexible (or you have a *big* shoehorn). That big fin makes it a
real
bear to handle in any crosswind over about 12 knots (want an audience for
your
landing, just announce you're coming in in a Maule when the wind is over
15 and
gusting).

As I said in an earlier post, a 180hp Maule is something to consider, but
the
Cessna 180 is a better plane (if you can afford one).

BTW, I own a Maule MX-7-160.

George Patterson
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something that can be
learned
no other way.

"G.R. Patterson III" writes:

That big fin makes it a real bear to handle in any crosswind over
about 12 knots (want an audience for your landing, just announce
you're coming in in a Maule when the wind is over 15 and gusting).

This summer I landed my M6-235 at The Pas, MB with the winds gusting
to 29 knots straight across the runway. Not only that, but the runway
was half width because they were paving it half at a time, divided the
long way.

Yup, everyone came out to watch. Fortunately, I didn't give the
onlookers too exciting a show but I had the advantage of being on
Wipline 3000A's so it wasn't a taildragger anymore.

-Dave

Which model of the Maule has the small ailerons?
This also has an effect on the aircraft's crosswind capability.

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote:

That big [Maule] fin makes it a real bear to handle
in any crosswind over about 12 knots

Indeed. I vastly prefer the smaller, rounded vertical
fin of my M4-210C (been flying it since 1971) to the
billboard-sized "whale tail" fins of the M5's and later.

When the wind is down the runway, the big vertical fin
of the M5's (and later) probably makes it easier to stay
straight, which I guess is nice for a beginner tailwheel
pilot. But does it ever weathervane in a strong crosswind!

fwiw in the M4-210C, I have done takeoffs (a cinch) and
landings (not a cinch) with a direct crosswind of
15G40 knots - runway 24 @ CYSH after a strong cold
frontal passage, wind out of the north at 330 magnetic.

I don't think that would be possible in an M5 or later.

P.S. Pop quiz - why did I chose the wind from the right
with a 90 degree crosswind? Think about what would
happen during an overshoot because of weathervaning, with
the application of power.

--
ATP http://www.pittspecials.com/images/oz_inv.jpg

In article , Jim wrote:
What's your opinion about the best taildragger that has room for at least 2
adults plus kids? Reasons and experiences please.

Depending on where you live, a Cessna 170 may turn out to be a good
economical 4-seat taildragger. I've carried 4 adults and full fuel in
one (admittedly only one of the adults was on the rotund side). The nice
thing about the C170 is that the forward visibility on the ground is
better than the forward visibility in a PA-28 due to its down-sloping
nose. The view over the nose in flight is awesome.

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"

In article , Steve Robertson wrote:
You don't need a taildragger to operate off grass - Especially 5000 feet! You
need a Bonanza. Great on on grass, great on short fields (not that yours

I second that - good strong gear, lots of power, effective flaps. A
Bonanza can be landed shorter and taken off shorter than a C172, and
copes with rough fields well (tough gear, plenty of prop clearance). But
a Bonanza is a lot more expensive to run than a C170 or Stinson 108!
--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"

Depending on where you live, a Cessna 170 may turn out to be a good
economical 4-seat taildragger. I've carried 4 adults and full fuel in
one (admittedly only one of the adults was on the rotund side). The nice
thing about the C170 is that the forward visibility on the ground is
better than the forward visibility in a PA-28 due to its down-sloping
nose. The view over the nose in flight is awesome.

I used to own a C170 and it was a fun airplane to fly.
I eventually traded up to my C185 and now that my family
is larger (wife + 2 kids) I appreciate the C185 more than ever.
I've done quite a few trips half way and even all the way
across the country with the whole family. I don't think they
would have had the patience to do that trip in the C170
not to mention that sometimes we were loaded to the gills.
The C170 is not exactly a load hauler and is underpowered
for any high altitude operations with four people.
So bottom line, if you can scrape enough money together,
buy a C180/C185. You will never regret it. If you can't
afford it, go with the C170 and you will have fun with
that too.

~Paul