Maule M–5-210C
Mix and match, slice and dice. That’s how the original Maule evolved into many models from the M–4 through the M–7, most of them tailwheel models. The 210-horsepower fabric-covered M–5-210C was certified in the early 1970s and meets a budget of $50,000. A dealer said that the top model costs $350,000.
Two things to know about a Maule: It can climb, and it can haul a load. We’re stretching it a little to suggest you will find an M–5-210 for $50,000. The price is more like $65,000 to $85,000, but it is in the ballpark that defines our “budget buy.” Well, close. You might have to dip down to the M–4 series for a top-value $50,000 airplane, and even then you will need a motivated seller. Remember what I said about mix and match? Even if you get an M–4 it might be so similar to the M–5 that no one could tell the difference.
The real world
Dr. Dale E. Long of Lewisburg, Kentucky, got his Maule M–5-210 for $28,500 four years ago but has way more than that in it. “I probably have $75,000 in it, and it’s worth $45,000,” he said. The insurance company will only cover $45,000. “It is not your typical Cessna or Piper when it comes in for a proper landing to do a short, STOL [short takeoff and landing] landing,” he said. “It’s kind of intense and it takes a little while to learn that.” (Another source, Dave Leisner of Sutton Aircraft Salvage in Palmer, Alaska, said his mechanic warned that you lose a lot of control close to the ground.) Long gets a lot of information online (www.maules.com and www.maulepilots.org). He put a new elevator and horizontal stabilizer on it that came already covered. It’s not a hands-off airplane. “You fly the thing, all the time. You don’t let go of [it] much,” he said. It burns 7.5 gallons per hour at 57-percent horsepower. If you don’t let the power come back slowly, you will ka-thunk, and hit really hard. That can shear the bolts on the landing gear, Long said. There was an airworthiness directive to change the bolts to a better quality bolt. “If you’re good at wheel landings it does fine,” he said. “It’s a little fussy, but it’s a good price. I think it’s a good deal if somebody buys one that somebody else fixed.
Email [email protected]
Whom to contact
Maule Air, 2099 Georgia Highway 133 South, Moultrie, Georgia; 229-985-2045; e-mail [email protected].
Vref value
Vref, the AOPA partner offering aircraft value estimates, suggests a base value for the Maule M–5-210C of $25,000 for a 1973 model and $29,000 for a 1977 model.
Recent advertised prices
Listed in Trade-A-Plane at the time this was written was one Maule M–5-210 costing $67,000. There were 14 on Barnstormers.com ranging in price from $40,000 to $85,000. The average price was $65,000.
Insurance costs
AOPA Insurance Services estimates a $65,000 Maule M–5-210 flown by a low-time pilot will cost $4,400 per year to insure. You may be able to insure it at a lower value of $45,000. If you have more total time, say 2,000 hours, and a couple of hundred hours of tailwheel time, you might pay $1,800 to $2,200 per year.
How many in the fleet?
AIRPAC PlaneBase shows an FAA-registered fleet of 109 Maule M–5-210 aircraft.
Financing
AOPA Finance estimates $450 per month for a $65,000 loan at 5.5 percent with 15 percent down.
Airworthiness directives
There are lots of airworthiness directives, but no hard ones. You’ll find most have been complied with. Check the bolts in the landing gear to see if the aircraft had a hard landing.
Biggest plus
Hauls a lot.
Biggest minus
Has Cessna 172 speed.
Things to watch out for
Assume the aircraft has had a hard landing and replace landing-gear bolts.
What else to consider
American Champion Scout, Aviat Husky, American Legend Cub, CubCrafters Top Cub
