Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/96284
W h a t o ur M e m b e r s a r e B uil d in g David Wright and Chuck Schroll's homebuilt clipped-wing Maule. A Homebuilt Maule Clipped-wing style By Lynne Wainfan David Wright and Chuck Schroll were on their way home from the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida, in 2004 when they hatched an idea: Build a clipped-wing Maule. Not familiar with Maule aircraft? You should be. The Maule factory has produced more than 1,800 airplanes in its 50-year existence. Maule aircraft have earned a reputation for being reliable, rugged, and capable of going anywhere—on wheels, skis, or floats. David loves the Maule design—a high-wing, STOL taildragger with a chromoly steel truss fuselage, and metal spars. He had worked in the company's engineering department for eight years, helping to develop the 260-hp and diesel engine Maules. A few years ago he left Maule Air Inc. "I had to catch up at home," he said, "so I took a leave from Maule. But I still haven't caught up at home." Now David owns Wright Aircraft Technology LLC down the 28 NO. 4/ DECEMB ER 2012 street from Maule Air Inc. in Moultrie, Georgia. "I work on Maule aircraft and anything related to them," he said. David starts with older models, tears them down to bare metal, and rebuilds them to look like new. "Better than new, actually," he said. "We add any modern upgrades that the company has come up with—metal stringers, for instance." After talking with Chuck, David liked the idea of building a clipped-wing Maule. "I learned to fly in a Maule. But the newer models have longer and longer wings." In addition to his sentimental attachment to shorterwinged Maules, David had another motivation: He wanted to go fast. As you probably know, one way to increase a vehicle's speed is to reduce its drag. Drag is proportional to a Photography by Jim Raeder