Thursday, 21 March 2013

Maule M-4 is an American four-seat cabin monoplane designed by Belford Maule and built by the Maule Aircraft Company.


POONAM SINGH

MAULE M-4:
The Maule M-4 is an American four-seat cabin monoplane designed by Belford Maule and built by the Maule Aircraft Company.







DESIGN and DEVELOPMENT:
The design of the M-4 was started in 1956 by Belford Maule and the prototype Bee Dee first flew in February 1957. Maule started the Maule Aircraft Company to develop and build the aircraft in Napoleon, Michigan as the Maule M-4. The first M-4 flew on September 8, 1960. The M-4 is a steel-tube and fabric high-wing braced-monoplane with a cantilever tailplane with a single fin and rudder. It has a fixed tailwheel landing gear, and the prototype was powered by a nose-mounted 145 hp (108 kW) Continental O-300 engine. It has an enclosed cabin with two rows of side-by-side seating for a pilot and three passengers. The prototype first flew on September 8, 1961 and production started in 1963. Other variants were introduced including the Rocket which is powered by a 210 hp (157 kW) Continental IO-360-A engine, a deluxe Franklin-powered M-4 Astro-Rocket and a Franklin-powered Rocket which is known as the M-4 Strata-Rocket.
A STOL variant of the Strata Rocket was developed as the Maule M-5 Lunar Rocket.


MAULE M-4 to M-7:
4-5 seat STOL capable light aircraft

HISTORY:  
The originator of this rugged series of STOL light aircraft was the M-4 Bee Dee (named after its designer Belford D Maule).
Although it was originally intended to offer the M-4 (which first flew on September 8 1960) as a kitbuilt aircraft, it was placed into series production and a prolific series of variants and sub variants followed.
The first of the line was the M-4 series, which remained in production between 1962 and 1973. The initial M-4 Bee Dee, or later M-4C Jetasen, was quite basic, featuring a 108kW (145hp) O-300 and fixed pitch prop; other M-4 variants were the 155kW (210hp) Continental IO-360 powered M-4-210C Rocket and the 118kW (220hp) Franklin 6A-350 powered M-4-220C Strata Rocket.
The M-5 series went into production in 1973 and featured a large swept back vertical tail surface, four cabin doors, optional extra fuel and the cambered wingtips first introduced on later series M-4s. Variants included the Franklin powered M-5-220C and Lycoming O-540 powered M-5-225C Lunar Rockets; the Continental powered M-5-210C and M-5-180C (with a four cylinder O-360); and the turbocharged Lycoming TIO-360 powered M-5-210TC.
The M-6 was only built in small numbers but introduced changes such as greater wing span and fuel tankage.
Maule Aircraft Production ceased in 1975, while Maule Air Inc was formed in 1984 to build the M-5 and improved M-7
The M-7 forms the basis of a prolific family of subvariants. Current production models include the tricycle undercarriage MXT-7 Trainer (available in 120kW/160hp and 135kW/180hp forms);
MX-7-180A Sportplane;
MXT-7-180A Trainer;
MX-7-180B Star Rocket;
MXT-7-180 Star Craft;
M-7-235 Super Rocket five seater
MT-7-235 with tricycle undercarriage
MX-7-235 Super Rocket four seater.
The M-7-420 and MX-7-420 Starcraft models were Allison 250 turboprop powered.



M-4C - One 108kW (145hp):
# Continental O-300A flat six piston engine driving a two blade fixed pitch propeller.
# Performance: Max speed 245km/h (132kt), max cruising speed 233km/h (125kt). Initial rate of climb 700ft/min. Service ceiling 12,000ft. Max range with no reserves 1130km (610nm).
# Weights: Empty 500kg (1100lb), max takeoff 953kg (2100lb).
# Dimensions: Wing span 9.04m (29ft 8in), length 6.71m (22ft 0in), height 1.89m (6ft 3in). Wing area 14.2m2 (152.5sq ft).
# Capacity: Standard seating for four

MX-7-235 - One 175kW (235hp):
# Textron Lycoming O-540-J1A5D flat six or fuel injected IO-540-W1A5D driving a two or three blade prop.
# Performance: Max speed 273km/h (147kt), max cruising speed 257km/h (140kt). Initial rate of climb 2000ft/min. Service ceiling 20,000ft. Range with standard fuel 790km (425nm), range with auxiliary fuel 1496km (807nm).
# Weights: Empty 669kg (1475lb), max takeoff 1247kg (2750lb).
# Dimensions: Wing span 9.40m (30ft 10in), length 7.16m (23ft 6in), height 1.93m (6ft 4in). Wing area 15.4m2 (165.6sq ft).
# Capacity: It has seats for five.

MAULE M-4 THROUGH M8:
STANDARD DATA:(M-4 Jetasen) Seats 4. Gross wt. 2,100. Empty wt. 1,100. Fuel capacity 42. Engine 145-hp Continental.
PERFORMANCE: Top mph 157. Cruise mph Stall mph 40. Initial climb rate 700. Ceiling 12,000. Range 750. Takeoff distance 585. Landing distance (50') 600.

STANDARD DATA: (M-4 Rocket) Seats 4. Gross wt. 2,100. Empty wt. 1,190. Fuel capacity 42. Engine 210-hp Continental.
PERFORMANCE: Top mph 170. Cruise mph 165. Stall mph 40. Initial climb rate 1,250. Range 680. Ceiling 18,000. Takeoff distance (50') 585. Landing distance (50') 600.

STANDARD DATA: (M-5-210C) Seats 4. Gross wt. 2,300. Empty wt. 1,350. Fuel capacity 42. Engine 210-hp Continental.
PERFORMANCE: Top mph 158. Cruise mph 150. Stall mph 56. Initial climb rate 1,250. Ceiling 18,000. Range 600. Takeoff distance (50') 600. Landing distance (50') 600.

STANDARD DATA: (M-5-235C) Seat 4. Gross wt. 2,300. Empty wt. 1,400. Fuel capacity 40-63. Engine 235-hp Lycoming.
PERFORMANCE: Cruise 150 kts. Stall mph 33 kts. Initial climb rate 1,350. Range 360 nm. Ceiling 20,000. Takeoff distance (50') 600. Landing distance (50') 600.

STANDARD DATA: (M-7-235) Seat 4-5. Gross wt. 2,500. Empty wt. 1,500. Fuel capacity 40-70. Engine 235-hp Lycoming O-540-J3A5.
PERFORMANCE: Cruise 148 kts. Stall 40 kts. Initial climb rate 1,350. Range 478. Ceiling 20,000. Takeoff distance (50') 600. Landing distance (50') 600.

STANDARD DATA: (M-7-420AC) Seat 5. Gross wt. 2,500. Empty wt. 1,570. Fuel capacity 85. Engine 420-shp Allison 250-B17-C turbine.
PERFORMANCE: Cruise 168 kts. Stall 50 kts. Initial climb rate 2,800 fpm. Ceiling 20,000. Takeoff distance (50') 600. Landing distance (50') 500.

Belford D. (B.D.) Maule began a family airplane manufacturing business that received its first FAA type certificate in 1961. The first production model, known as the Jetasen M-4 was delivered in April 1962. Then, as now, all Maules are constructed in Moutrie, Georgia. The welded steel-tube fuselage is covered with fiberglass, and the shortspan wing is all-metal with a thick, high-lift airfoil. The airplane accomplishes its short-field performance with two-position flaps of an unusually high-lift capability and without the elaborate spoilers, slots, and other items normally associated with STOL design.

The original M-4 was powered by a 145-hp Continental engine, and in 1965, the Rocket entered production with a 210-hp Continental powerplant and a constant-speed propeller. The Astro-Rocket was a deluxe version of the Jetasen, housing a 180-hp Franklin. In 1967, the Strata-Rocket was introduced into the line. Basically similar to the Rocket, it was powered by a 220-hp Franklin. All aircraft mentioned thus far shared the same M-4 designation.

The first M-5 Lunar-Rockets were delivered in 1974 as M-5-21OCs with 210-hp Continental engines. As expected, the M-5-220C houses a 220-hp Franklin. These models differ from the earlier M-4s by having four cabin doors for hauling cargo as the “C” in the model number implies; otherwise, the M-5 has a 30% increase in flap area and enlarged tail surfaces to enhance its short-field performance. The 220-hp version was discontinued when the Franklin engine was no longer available, and the M-5-235C was added to the line in 1976 employing a 235-hp Lycoming.

In 1981, Maule installed an IO-540-W1A5D out front and began delivering the M-6, also available with EDO floats. Two years later the model would morph into the M-7 and in 1989, the M-8. In 1991, the company experimented with a turbine Maule, installing an Allison 420 shp 250-B17-C and eventually offered the design in both taildragger and tricycle gear configurations. The family continues to create endless variations and improvements on the original airframe, with the original fuselage jig designed by founder B.D. Maule still in use.


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