| |
|
|
Flying
A number of years ago two friends and I put new fabric on a '46 Aeronca Chief. Even though we had no real experience in recovering airplanes before this project we went by the book and had it inspected throughout. I even got the name "Suzie Homemaker" because I was the only one willing to run a sewing machine. At one point we had to weld on new wing strut brackets to the fuselage. You can believe I thought about those welds when I was up in the air.
Dave
|
|
 Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Flying
I did not take off or land the Beaver. I did get to fly it through some fantastic country around Ketchikan. I had chartered it for flight-seeing and got into pilot talk with the operator. The company owner was an instructor and took me and my wife out for a ride and I flew it with him as PIC. He did the takeoff and landing. I had never been in a float plane before.
The area we flew in is called the Misty Fijords. You can fly next to vertical rock walls and through some beautiful areas. One of the coolest things was to fly just above the water and we went over a waterfall. One moment you are maybe fifty feet up and the next you are several hundred feet high looking straight down the falling water.
That kind of flying really reinforces my desire for a Maule MX7. It is kind of like a Super Cub on steriods and you can get it built with hardpoints for pontoons. Around here, we don't have enough water to make pontoons useful, but I would probably get the mounts on the framework.
General Note: Please resist the temptation to change the direction of this thread!
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Flying
I flew beavers before I had started my licence at the airline I worked for. We would dead head back from a logging camp and the pilots would allow us to fly. A beaver is a very forgiving plane so empty there was little danger. I landed once or twice on floats.
A beaver is STOL and without floats it will perform almost like the best of them. Most were built for the US Army and were use in Vietnam for the jungle fields. There were a couple of kits to improve their performance. One was developed by Kenair in Seattle.
Their were few turbo Beavers built but are a larger plane and kind of missed the market.
The Otter was not as good at STOL, a little under powered with the large radial. No one wanted it near water with the high tip speeds. I think Kenair's turbine conversion has made the beast more popular. I have not seen one take off but on TV so seening is believing.
The Maule has good performance from the info. I only saw them on floats once or twice 20 years ago. Not sure how it compares to a Helio Currier or Cessna 180 with STOL kit. The Helio will take off in the roll length on floats without head wind and will fly less than 50 MPH. Unfortunately it has complicated leading edge flaps. The 180 with Robertson STOL kit is not as good as a Beaver on floats but much better than a standard 180 or 185.
Peters
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Flying
I expect that the Maule with a 180 HP engine performs similarly to a Cessna 182 with STOL. I flew one down a runway at about 35 MPH. The difference between airborne and landing was just the setting on the CS prop.
The thing that I really like about the Maule, however is that it will easily handle the Lycoming IO540 engine which generates somewhere around 240 HP at sea level. Combine the taildragger configuration with a 3 blade CS prop and some decent tires and you have a pretty good rough field plane that is good for fairly short takeoffs and landings. If you have a spare $500K sitting around you can even get a turboprop engine.
Maule used to have an advertising picture of an MX5 that was airborne coming out of the hanger door. I thought that it was a nice advertising picture. It turns out that it is real. I have been to the hanger where the photo was taken in Georgia. They don't do that anymore because on one attempt they clipped the top of the rudder on the top of the door opening. No crash occurred, but it ruined the day for a bunch of people.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Flying
I saw the picture from the angle out the door I suspected they started in the hanger. The Helio would do that with with maybe the tail in the door.
I never flew a beaver with out floats but have seen them take off with floats empty and a 15 mph head wind in one length of the plane.
Have you ever seen a Buffalo make a full STOL landing and takeoff? One plane length each and this is a big plane.
I am not sure you could get me to cough up 500K for a Maule turbo. I guess I would look at something a little more rugged if I was going to spend that much. I guess Beaver are near that now though and not exactly new.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Flying
I wasn't joking about the turboprop being available for the Maule, but I was kidding about anyone paying the price for one. I have never seen a Maule turboprop in service. For me the Lycoming engine will be just fine.
Aircraft performance is different where I live in the mountains. Some planes like a Cessna 152 can become land bound when the heated air density goes too low. Many of the 172s have been upgraded in the motors, but I am not sure what the modifications are.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Flying
I assume that the turbine would help in this problem, but most turbines are quite thirsty. I have a few friends that are flying in New Ginuea with MAF. I would suspect that if anyone knew what to fly in the high alt. and tough conditions it would be them. I think they are flying some Pilatus. A refurbed one is 300K.
Link:
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Flying
Mark: I maintain a 2nd class medical. Being 33 and in fairly good health the exam is little more than an eye exam and a breif physical check (heart, lungs, reflexes and med history). Nothing to be overly concerned with if you have no magor problems in your history.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Flying
I flew cobra helicopter gunships in Viet Nam 69-70. I soloed in 1968.
Now I get a thrill landing a $4,000,000 Dauphine medical helicopter on the Massachusetts Turnpike during rush hour to pick up a auto accident victim. I just love backing up traffic 20 miles in each direction.The motorists always wave to me when I take off. Well it looks like a wave!!!!
Cpt.dave
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Flying
Dave, I don't think their trying to wave hello to you.
I get the same thing from people in canoes who have spent days paddling into the bush to reach the same I lake as we get to in about 10 minutes.
Their trying to say they think we're # 1 not hello.
At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Best of luck.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
Gas Generator Weather Protecti
12-23-2003, 10:52 
Pics
Reply
Digg It 
Del.icio.us 
