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

How about the Maule - I have a '95 MX7180a. Simple, newer, cheaper

We use it to haul 2 and anything we want. Can take 4 adults plus bags and
2/3rd fuel. 1,000 lb useful, 180 horses is a cost/ performance sweet spot.
Fixed prop is cheap and easy. 114knot cruise with our normal load and full
power. I plan and get 110 with it backed off 100rpms. 10gph first hour
9gph afterwards. Can easily get 8gph but why.

Why a tail dragger? There is no good reason other than 'something to do' in
this pilot's opinion. I love it but have no illusions. Maule is 'more
different' than most ramp visitors. Nice to standout from the Cessna/Piper
crowd.

I'd love more and bigger but can't justify the price. CS prop, bigger
engine, bigger body Maule would all be good but...

Minuses might include fabric and paint quality. You need a hangar. Butt
dragging will cost you in insurance - much at first, less later if you are
new to it.

Cessna 180s and 185s seem great but older stuff is well, older, and clean
newer stuff is expensive - especially the 185s. Will cost more to operate
in any case. Will maintain value until they belly up.


"Jim" wrote in message
...
What's your opinion about the best taildragger that has room for at least
2
adults plus kids? Reasons and experiences please.
--
Jim Burns III

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Why a tail dragger? There is no good reason other than 'something to do'
in
this pilot's opinion.

Exactly my idea. Just something to have fun in but still use to haul the
wife and kids around when needed. I have the opportunity to put a 1/2 mile
grass strip right infront of my house and am currently getting a good
tailwheel checkout. I'm torn between two goals. I can either pursue a
partnership in a faster complex plane for some serious cross country flying
(which I do enough of to justify it), or I could go it on my own and pick up
a fairly nice Cessna 170 and eventually build a hanger and a strip at my
house. I'd still be able to rent a faster larger plane for the longer cross
country trips.
--
Jim Burns III

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"Jim" wrote in
:

Why a tail dragger? There is no good reason other than 'something to
do'
in
this pilot's opinion.

Exactly my idea. Just something to have fun in but still use to haul
the wife and kids around when needed. I have the opportunity to put a
1/2 mile grass strip right infront of my house and am currently
getting a good tailwheel checkout. I'm torn between two goals. I can
either pursue a partnership in a faster complex plane for some serious
cross country flying (which I do enough of to justify it), or I could
go it on my own and pick up a fairly nice Cessna 170 and eventually
build a hanger and a strip at my house. I'd still be able to rent a
faster larger plane for the longer cross country trips.

I have no experience here, and this IS an experimental, and therefore
probably not what your looking for (some assembly required ;-)) But
this seems to fit the bill: 4 place 1100-1300lbs+ usefull load, 40mph
landing speed, up to 160mph cruising speed depending on engine.

http://www.bearhawkaircraft.com/Bear...rhawkMain.html

Cost will be between 50K-100K depending on engine choice and avionics...
oh, plus a year or three of your life grin
(base "alleged quickbuild" firewall back kit is 28K)

I like the BIG cargo door.... better keep a scale in there, even with
the capacity, seems it'd be easy to be tempted to fill it up with
camping gear, moutain bike, cooler full of ice, 3 hunting dogs...... and
get over wieght/out of balance.

Take the above for what it cost you heh from an aviation newbie who's
never even MET a CFI... (well, yet anyway)

--
ET


"A common mistake people make when trying to design something
completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete
fools."---- Douglas Adams

Don't count yourself short. The Bearhawk was on the cover of NAFI's
magazine last month and believe me, I checked it out. No way do I have
time to build one though.
--
Jim Burns III

Remove "nospam" to reply

"ET" wrote in message
...
"Jim" wrote in
:

Why a tail dragger? There is no good reason other than 'something to
do'
in
this pilot's opinion.

Exactly my idea. Just something to have fun in but still use to haul
the wife and kids around when needed. I have the opportunity to put a
1/2 mile grass strip right infront of my house and am currently
getting a good tailwheel checkout. I'm torn between two goals. I can
either pursue a partnership in a faster complex plane for some serious
cross country flying (which I do enough of to justify it), or I could
go it on my own and pick up a fairly nice Cessna 170 and eventually
build a hanger and a strip at my house. I'd still be able to rent a
faster larger plane for the longer cross country trips.

I have no experience here, and this IS an experimental, and therefore
probably not what your looking for (some assembly required ;-)) But
this seems to fit the bill: 4 place 1100-1300lbs+ usefull load, 40mph
landing speed, up to 160mph cruising speed depending on engine.

http://www.bearhawkaircraft.com/Bear...rhawkMain.html

Cost will be between 50K-100K depending on engine choice and avionics...
oh, plus a year or three of your life grin
(base "alleged quickbuild" firewall back kit is 28K)

I like the BIG cargo door.... better keep a scale in there, even with
the capacity, seems it'd be easy to be tempted to fill it up with
camping gear, moutain bike, cooler full of ice, 3 hunting dogs...... and
get over wieght/out of balance.

Take the above for what it cost you heh from an aviation newbie who's
never even MET a CFI... (well, yet anyway)

--
ET


"A common mistake people make when trying to design something
completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete
fools."---- Douglas Adams

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 will be
short), and fast. You have pretty much described the mission profile for an
older Bone. But tri-gear Cessnas are fine on grass. As are Piper Tri-Pacers.

Best regards,

Steve Robertson
N4732J 1967 Beechcraft Muskeer

Jim wrote:

Why a tail dragger? There is no good reason other than 'something to do'
in
this pilot's opinion.

Exactly my idea. Just something to have fun in but still use to haul the
wife and kids around when needed. I have the opportunity to put a 1/2 mile
grass strip right infront of my house and am currently getting a good
tailwheel checkout. I'm torn between two goals. I can either pursue a
partnership in a faster complex plane for some serious cross country flying
(which I do enough of to justify it), or I could go it on my own and pick up
a fairly nice Cessna 170 and eventually build a hanger and a strip at my
house. I'd still be able to rent a faster larger plane for the longer cross
country trips.
--
Jim Burns III

Remove "nospam" to reply

Steve Robertson wrote:

You don't need a taildragger to operate off grass - Especially 5000 feet!

Since when is a half mile 5,000'?

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

Whoops! Well, it never was. Fortunately, 2600 feet plus or minus is still plenty
enough for all of the aircraft mentioned so far in this thread.

Best,

Steve Robertson
N4732J 1967 Beechcraft Musketeer

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote:

Steve Robertson wrote:

You don't need a taildragger to operate off grass - Especially 5000 feet!

Since when is a half mile 5,000'?

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

Maule is good!

Dashi

"Steve Robertson" wrote in message
...
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
will be
short), and fast. You have pretty much described the mission profile for
an
older Bone. But tri-gear Cessnas are fine on grass. As are Piper
Tri-Pacers.

Best regards,

Steve Robertson
N4732J 1967 Beechcraft Muskeer

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.