Maule Air
Encyclopedia
Maule Air, Inc. is a manufacturer of light, single-engined, short take-off and landing (STOL
) aircraft
, based in Moultrie, Georgia
, USA. Maule has delivered 2,500 aircraft in its first 50 years of business.
, widow of B.D. Maule, died in 2009 at the age of 92. She remained directly involved with Maule Air's factory production until her death.
to market his own starter design. In 1941 The B.D. Maule Co. was founded. Maule produced tailwheels and fabric testers. In 1953 Maule started design work, and started aircraft production with the "Bee-Dee" M-4 in 1957. The aircraft produced by Maule Air are tube-and-fabric
designs and are popular with bush pilots, thanks to their very low stall speed, their tundra tires and very forgiving oleo strut landing gear. Most Maules are built with tailwheel or amphibious
configurations, although the newer MXT models have tricycle gear
.
A Maule M-5 was featured in the Burt Reynolds
movie The Cannonball Run. The aircraft demonstrates its extraordinary STOL
capabilities by executing a landing and later take-off from a small town street among trees, buildings, and skirting under power lines.
An amphibious Maule crashes into a tower on an oil tanker in the Sandra Bullock
movie Speed 2: Cruise Control
. An amphibious Maule was also featured in the Danny Glover
movie Gone Fishin'
.
The Maule M-7 is one of the default aircraft in Microsoft Flight Simulator X
, both with and without ski
s.
STOL
STOL is an acronym for short take-off and landing, a term used to describe aircraft with very short runway requirements.-Definitions:There is no one accepted definition of STOL and many different definitions have been used by different authorities and nations at various times and for a myriad of...
) aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
, based in Moultrie, Georgia
Moultrie, Georgia
Moultrie is the county seat and largest city of Colquitt County and the third largest in Southwest Georgia behind Thomasville and Albany. As of 2009, Moultrie's population is 15,199 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 6.07 percent....
, USA. Maule has delivered 2,500 aircraft in its first 50 years of business.
History
Founded in 1941 by Belford D. Maule (1911–1995), it is still a family-owned enterprise. The company's owner, June MauleJune Maule
June D. Maule was an American businesswoman. Maule was the owner and manager of Maule Air, a manufacturer of light, single-engined STOL aircraft headquartered in Moultrie, Georgia.-Life:...
, widow of B.D. Maule, died in 2009 at the age of 92. She remained directly involved with Maule Air's factory production until her death.
Products
B.D. Maule designed his own aircraft, the M-1 starting at age 19. He started the company Mechanical Products Co. in Jackson, MichiganJackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
to market his own starter design. In 1941 The B.D. Maule Co. was founded. Maule produced tailwheels and fabric testers. In 1953 Maule started design work, and started aircraft production with the "Bee-Dee" M-4 in 1957. The aircraft produced by Maule Air are tube-and-fabric
Tube-and-fabric construction
Tube-and-fabric construction is a method of building airframes, which include the fuselages and wings of airplanes. It consists of making a framework of metal tubes and then covering the framework with an aircraft fabric covering....
designs and are popular with bush pilots, thanks to their very low stall speed, their tundra tires and very forgiving oleo strut landing gear. Most Maules are built with tailwheel or amphibious
Amphibious aircraft
An amphibious aircraft or amphibian is an aircraft that can take off and land on either land or water. Fixed-wing amphibious aircraft are seaplanes that are equipped with retractable wheels, at the expense of extra weight and complexity, plus diminished range and fuel economy compared to planes...
configurations, although the newer MXT models have tricycle gear
Tricycle gear
Tricycle gear describes an aircraft undercarriage, or landing gear, arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has one wheel in the front, called the nose wheel, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity...
.
Aircraft models
| Model | Wingspan | Engine | Gross weight | Vso | VLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M4-210 | 29'8" | 210 HP Continental | 2300 lbs | 28 MPH | 145 MPH |
| M4-220 | 220 HP Franklin | ||||
| M-5-180C | 30'10" | 180 HP Lycoming Carb | 2400 lbs | 38 MPH | 135 MPH |
| M-5-200C | 200 HP Lycoming Injected | 2500 lbs | 38 MPH | 140 MPH | |
| M-5-210TC | 210 HP Lycoming Turbo | 2500 lbs | 38 mph | 196 mph | |
| M-5-210C | 210 HP Continental Injected | 2500 lbs | 38 mph | 145 mph | |
| M-5-235C | 235 HP Lycoming carb | 2500 lbs | 38 mph | 158 mph | |
| M-5-235C | 235 HP Lycoming injected | 2500 lbs | 39 mph | 158 mph | |
| M-6-235 | 32' 11" | 235 HP Lycoming O-540-J1A5D | 2500 lbs | 35 mph | 160 mph |
| M-6-235 | 235 HP Lycoming IO-540-W1A5D | ||||
| M-7 | 33' 6" | 235 HP Lycoming IO-540-W | |||
| M-9 | 230 HP SMA SR305 Diesel | ||||
Maule aircraft in popular culture
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
movie The Cannonball Run. The aircraft demonstrates its extraordinary STOL
STOL
STOL is an acronym for short take-off and landing, a term used to describe aircraft with very short runway requirements.-Definitions:There is no one accepted definition of STOL and many different definitions have been used by different authorities and nations at various times and for a myriad of...
capabilities by executing a landing and later take-off from a small town street among trees, buildings, and skirting under power lines.
An amphibious Maule crashes into a tower on an oil tanker in the Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
movie Speed 2: Cruise Control
Speed 2: Cruise Control
Speed 2: Cruise Control is a 1997 action–thriller film, and a sequel to Speed . The film was produced and directed by Jan de Bont, and written by Randall McCormick and Jeff Nathanson, based on a story by de Bont and McCormick. Sandra Bullock stars in the film, reprising her role from Speed,...
. An amphibious Maule was also featured in the Danny Glover
Danny Glover
Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
movie Gone Fishin'
Gone Fishin' (film)
Gone Fishin' is a 1997 American comedy film starring Joe Pesci and Danny Glover as two bumbling fishing enthusiasts. Nick Brimble, Rosanna Arquette, Lynn Whitfield, and Willie Nelson costar.-Plot synopsis:...
.
The Maule M-7 is one of the default aircraft in Microsoft Flight Simulator X
Microsoft Flight Simulator X
Microsoft Flight Simulator X, also known as FSX, is the latest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator after Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004...
, both with and without ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
s.