Stinson Model 108 Voyager

I owned a Stinson 108-1 (N97569) for about 20 years. What a great plane! Mine had a 150 HP Franklin and was slow compared to some other planes of the time, but was very stable, hard to stall and spin-proof. The slots at the wing tips allowed a very slow, mushing descent in which there was complete lateral control -- the ailerons never lost their effect. Full flap, power on approaches were STOL-like and the run-out on the runway was very short. A burst of power was required to stop the descent and flare, otherwise, the plane would continue descending and could damage the gear, but I felt that in an emergency one could make a safe landing in a very small footprint and walk away -- the criterion for a successful landing!
It was a good cross country plane and I flew several cross-continental flights with the family (four of us). Once trimmed, in smooth air, one could fly for hours with hands off and simply correct course with the rudder. It lacked the ability to get much higher that 10,000 feet in the summer with a max gross load, but that will do in most places in the USA.
Eventually, I metalized the plane, but doing so, I felt destroyed the pleasing lines of the fuselage. It is a great old man's plane -- wish I still had it!

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My friemd had a Station Wagon and we flew it from Palmer, Alaska to Merrill Field in Anchorage 1951-53 when we were serving with the USAF stationed at Elmendorf, AFB. I was a staff announcer and dee jay with Armed Forces Radio Service also worked at KFQD. Both Johnny Gorc my late friend and I were living in Palmer as civilians then joined the USAF. My flight training was in a J-3 in Michigan when I was 16. Never got to fly an "airknocker" what a beautiful plane.
I have a photo of a beautiful refurbished Voyager I would like to ad to the web site.

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I owned 108-1 N97896 in 1966. Got my commercial & CFI in it. The 108,108-1 and 108-2 had the small tail. The 108-3 and Piper Stinson 49 had the tall tail. I liked the Franklin engine. I soloed in a Bell 47D-1 in 68 that had the vertical Franklin. The Stinson in the picture is not a 108 series airplane.

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The aircraft in photo is a Stinson L5 "Sentinel" a derivative of the Stinson 105 Voyager, the Model 10 /10A and the HW-75. Having wood wings and tail surfaces with fabric covering. The L-5 was powered by a Lyc O435 engine with a fixed pitch propeller. Some were modified with radial engine after the war. Makes a great tow plane either way.

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I owned and soloed in a 1947 108-2 in 1957. Had it until 1959. Had been recovered completely in metal. I understand it is still flying in Alaska. Very enjoyable to fly but noisy with the metal "tin can" sound.

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As a new 20 year old licenced pilot 50 years ago, I flew my dad's 1946 Stinson Station Wagon, known for it's wood trimmed cabin. It was a great handling airplane except in cross wind landings. The extreme verticle stablizer made these landings quite a challenge at times. Many happy memories are with me flying with dad in his plane.

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I have a Stinson 108-1 and have owned it for the last 21 years or more. It's a flyer, fly's every year, all year and has the Franklin 165 exchanged for original 150hp. Franklin engine is an opposed 6 cyl. and "inverted" doesn't apply. That applies to inline engines for "inverted" and "right side-up"
CFI and A&P
PS I used to fly a Bell 47 helicopter that had a Franklin and those engines were VO or vertically opposed engines. They stood on end.
PSS I agree with others, This photo is an L5

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I owned and also took my check ride (1971)IN A 1947 STAION WAGON. THE PLANE WAS VERY DOCEL AND ALMOST IMPOSSABLE TO STALL. GREAT X COUNTRY PLANE.

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this is an l-5 not a 108. own a 108-3 station wagon. the franklin used in stinson 108 are opposed 6 cyl engines 150hp or 165hp mounted " " rightside up.

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The photo of VR-HFD does not show a Model 108 Voyager. It would appear to me to be a L-5 Sentinel "observer" model that has been converted to civilian use. The horizontal stab on a 108 is located much higher, for instance. What country is "VR"?

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I took my private test in a Stinson Station Wagon in 1963. Don't know the year of the plane. Comfortable, quiet ride. Original models had an inverted Franklin engine in them, but the model I flew had the "right side up" engine, still a Franklin.

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Stinson also made a model called the Flying Station Wagon which was almost identical to the Voyager. I saw some at Detroit City Airport in 1946 and later.

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