Melbourne to Noosa in Maule Comet YMT

[Jeff Gordon]

Flying to Noosa last Easter for ANZAC service with mates in Bli Bli

 

 

 

[dazza 38]

Jeff, your Maule looks very neat and look after.Good onya

 

 

[Jeff Gordon]

Thanks Dazza, I love the Comet, and it performs well. Would have been happy to stay RAA, but have two boys aged 10 and 12 and 2 up just dosn't do it for me. Maybe we will catch up at a Flyin one day.

 

 

[Jeff Gordon]

The Maule MXT-7-180A Comet. Great plane with Patroller doors. I have retro fitted Vortex generators and gap seals, which were removed during the trip to Oz.

 

I love flying this plane and after qualifying in RAA in a Tecnam did my PPL license in it with an instructor who has quite a lot of experience. He taught me a landing technique, which involves taking the plane as close as possible to stall with just a couple of feet under the wheels. Not for the faint hearted and I have had a couple of pilots alongside who have become quite vocal, but it's a great way to drop (and I mean drop) the plane onto the runway at minimum speed.

 

His thinking is that the Maule with its high lift wing would be succeptable to lift off again in gusty conditions, or with too much speed on landing. So its important to wash off as much speed as possible on landing. I now have a 35k stall with the vgs at 40 degree flaps so am usually at around 70k on glide, 60k over the fence and 50k and decreasing to finish. Depends on the day but with a head wind of 20k like last Saturday it can look very good from a spectators point of view. I am usually off and into the air before the keys, if I am only two up.

 

The Maule 180 has a MTOW of 1,134 kg and an empty weight of 695kg So an effective Useful load of 439kg. The plane will take 150 ltrs in the mains and 100 ltrs in the aux tanks for a total fuel weight of 180kg. Making a Payload of 259 kg. With a 35lph burn the Maule has over 7 hours in the air with that sort of fuel. Way too long for my bladder.

 

I have been told* that you can fill the tanks, plus the reserves and have four adults up with a bit of gear and still climb out OK in 20 -25 degrees C OAT. But I would not try this, especially at any altitude.

 

In my view if you are not flying at altitude much the 180 with the cs prop would be the pick of the Maules and they are not expensive (age compared) to Cessnas. Just everyone knows about Cessnas.

 

Most Maules are taildraggers, I like the safety of the nosewheel, As a low hours Pilot it has got me out of trouble a couple of times already.

 

 

* by other Maule Drivers

 

_________________

 

Jeff Gordon

 

"An Aviator's life may be full of ups and downs, but the only hard thing about flying is the ground."

 

Charles Kingsford Smith

 

 

[dazza 38]

Hi Jeff, it would be good to catch up one day. I own all but the last one of Greg Millers videos.He realy knows how to fly his Maule (Bushwacker).They have always been a great aircraft.Im glad your enjoying yours. Cheers