Maule M-7-235 (M-5 / M-7 family)

B.D. Maule founded Maule Aircraft in 1953 in Spotswood, New Jersey, eventually moving the company to Moultrie, Georgia where it operates today. The first Maule M-4 launched in 1962 as a four-seat utility taildragger with steel tube fuselage and fabric covering. The design philosophy was simple: maximum useful load and shortest takeoff and landing distance in a four-seat certified airplane.

The M-5 and M-7 families followed the M-4 with progressively larger engines, more useful load, and refined construction. The M-7-235 with its 235 hp Lycoming O-540 became the dominant variant for serious backcountry use through the 1980s and beyond. The 180 hp O-360 M-5-180 and M-7-180 variants offer lower acquisition cost and similar capability at slightly reduced payload.

Maule Aircraft continues low-volume production in 2026 from the same Moultrie, Georgia factory the family has run for decades. The company has resisted modernization pressures that would change the airframe's character, which means new Maule airplanes today share the basic design philosophy of the original 1962 M-4. As of mid-2026, several thousand Maule airplanes are in service worldwide, with strong concentrations in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and other backcountry-active regions.

The M-7-235 with 235 hp produces takeoff and climb performance that defines backcountry capability. Sea-level takeoff distance at gross weight is 400 to 500 feet on a hard surface, less on grass. Climb at sea level is 1,200 to 1,400 fpm. Maule's published short-field numbers are conservative. Experienced pilots regularly achieve shorter distances than the POH suggests.

Cruise is moderate. The O-540 with a fixed-pitch or constant-speed prop cruises at 130 to 140 KTAS at 65% power, burning 10.5 to 12.5 gph. The Maule's blunt-nosed fuselage and high-lift wing trade cruise efficiency for short-field performance. Cross-country missions are slower than a Cessna 182 or Cherokee Six, but the Maule earns its keep on the runways at either end of the trip.

Useful load is competitive. A typical M-7-235 has 1,000 to 1,200 pounds of useful load. Full fuel is 50 to 70 gallons depending on tank configuration, leaving 700 to 900 pounds for occupants and bags. The cabin handles four adults plus camping gear comfortably. The rear baggage area is sized for serious loads with proper tie-down points.

The Lycoming O-540-J1A5D (235 hp, six-cylinder, carbureted) is the standard engine on the M-7-235. Lycoming's published TBO is 2,000 hours per Lycoming Service Instruction 1009 BE. The carbureted O-540 is one of the most reliable Lycomings in service, with simple construction, broad mechanic familiarity, and abundant parts supply.

Field overhaul of an O-540 runs $45,000 to $65,000 in 2026 at a name-brand shop. The carbureted variant is cheaper to overhaul than fuel-injected IO-540 versions because the carb is simpler than fuel injection and there's no turbo system to address. Top overhauls between TBOs are uncommon on an O-540 used in normally-aspirated Maule service.

Propeller varies. Older Maules ran fixed-pitch metal props. Most M-7-235 airplanes run Hartzell or McCauley constant-speed propellers. The CS prop adds climb and takeoff performance at the cost of a 2,400-hour or six-year overhaul cycle per Hartzell Service Letter HC-SL-61-61Y Rev 12. CS overhaul runs $3,500 to $6,000 in 2026.

The Maule M-7-235 is moderately expensive to operate per hour, with most of the cost driven by the O-540's fuel and overhaul economics rather than airframe complexity.

Fuel runs $60 to $90 per hour at $5.50 to $7 per gallon and 10.5 to 12.5 gph. Engine reserve is $22 to $33 per hour ($45,000 to $65,000 overhaul amortized across 2,000 hours). Prop reserve is $1 to $3 per hour. Airframe maintenance reserve is $15 to $25 per hour, the high end of the certified piston single range because of fabric work and backcountry stress. All-in at 100 hours a year runs $115 to $165 per hour, plus $4,500 to $8,500 in annual fixed costs.

Fabric re-cover is the major calendar expense. A complete Maule re-cover runs $30,000 to $50,000 in 2026 and is typically needed every 15 to 25 years. Backcountry airplanes accumulate fabric damage faster than tarmac-only airplanes, so the high end of that range is realistic for serious bush operations.

Acquisition cost in mid-2026 runs $100,000 to $145,000 for an older M-5-235 with original fabric and steam gauges, $145,000 to $200,000 for a clean M-7-235 with recent fabric and modern panel. Recent-build factory new M-7-235 airplanes from Maule list around $325,000 to $400,000 depending on options.