Maule M-5-210C Strata Rocket (c/n 6034C, OK-ESM), taxiing for sightseeing flight within Den ve vzduchu 2025 air show, Plasy, April 2025.
The story of Maule aircraft starts in 1911, with Belford David Maule, who was born in Ohio, the United States.
Fascinated by aviation from a young age, Maule self-taught to fly and then, aged eighteen, enlisted to the 19th Airship Company of the US Army Air Service. Yet next year, he built his first single-engine, single-seat aircraft, designated M-1.
In 1940, after leaving the army, Maule founded his first enterprise, Mechanical Products Co., to manufacture mechanical aircraft starters he developed. Next year, Maule transferred the company into B.D. Maule Company and began production of light aeroplanes.
In the mid-1950s, Maule began development of short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft. The prototype, designated ´Bee Dee´ from the initials of the designer, performed its maiden flight in February of 1957. Serial production of the aeroplane, now named Maule M-4, commenced in September of 1960.
The Maule M-4 was a four-seat, high-wing monoplane with fixed conventional undercarriage. The aeroplane was powered by a single, Continental O-300 piston engine, generating 145 hp, and had the fuselage made of steel tubes covered with fabric.
The M-4 was manufactured until the early 1980s and approximately 470 examples of the aircraft were built. About ten different variants of the aeroplane were developed, including the prototype. They differed from each other by engine, onboard equipment and seat/door configuration.
At the beginning of the 1970s, B.D. Maule developed another version of the M-4 aircraft, characterised by improved STOL performance. The aeroplane, was officially designated M-5 and performed its first flight in 1971.
There were two prototypes of the M-5 built, powered by 210 hp and 220 hp engines, respectively. In comparison to its predecessor, the new aircraft featured increased flap area and enlarged tail surface.
Serial manufacture of the M-5 was launched in 1974 and the first production variant of the aeroplane, known as M-5-180C was eventually powered by 180 hp Lycoming O-360 powerplant. Consecutive versions of the aircraft were equipped with more powerful engines, generating from 200 to 235 hp.
The Maule M-5 was produced until 1983, with more than 850 examples of the aircraft built.
Belford David Maule was managing his aviation company until his death in 1995. Then, the business was taken over by his wife, June Maule, who controlled the factory until 2009. The company, now known as Maule Air Inc., survived until today and is still producing light aircraft. The enterprise is still being entirely owned and operated by the Maule family.
The M-5-210C Strata Rocket variant of the aircraft, featured within our Photo of the Week series, is a direct derivative of the aforementioned M-5-180C version, but equipped with more powerful, Continental IO-360-D engine, generating 210 hp.
The aircraft is operated by BEMOAIR flying school, with its seat in the Czech Republic and operating from Brno and Benešov airfields.
