Stinson 108

File:Stinson108-3photo03.jpg

A Stinson 108-3 with gear adaptation for snow. The partial span leading edge slot is visible

The Stinson 108 was a popular general aviation aircraft produced by the [[United States|American airplane company Consolidated Vultee, from immediately after World War II to 1950, when the company was bought by Piper Aircraft. Production continued for a few years under Piper. The fuselage was of fabric-covered steel tube. Aftermarket modifiers have obtained supplemental type certificates (STC) allowing conversion to an aluminum covering. Many different engines have been installed in the 108 by STC such as the Lycoming O-360, Franklin 220, and Continental O-470.

One distinctive feature was the partial leading edge slot installed on the wings and aligned with the ailerons on the trailing edge, ensuring that the portion of the wing containing the aileron remains unstalled at higher angles of attack, thus contributing to docile stall behaviour.

In the past, gatherings of "fly-ins" for Stinson owners have been held in Minden, Nebraska. Currently the International Stinson Club holds annual fly-ins in Columbia, California.

Design Variants

The 108 variants closely resemble each other but can be visually distinguished by their design changes:

• The 108 does not have a right-side cargo door on the fuselage;
• The 108-1 does have a right-side cargo door on the fuselage;
• The 108-2 was esentialy the same as 108-1, with exception of 165 HP replacing 150 HP engine & inflight adjustable rudder trim
• The 108-3 introduced a taller vertical fin whose rudder has a straight trailing edge. Larger fuel tanks weree also incorperated into the wings.

Specifications (108, 108-1, 108-2, 108-3 Voyager/Voyager Station Wagon)

General characteristics

• Crew: one, pilot
• Capacity: 2-3 passengers
• Length: 25 ft 3 in (7.70 m)
• Wingspan: 34 ft 0 in (10.36 m)
• Height: 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
• Wing area: ft² ( m²)
• Empty: 1350-1500lb ( kg)
• Loaded: 2,400 lb ( kg)
• Maximum takeoff: lb (1,090 kg)
• Powerplant: 1x Franklin 6A4, 165 hp (123 kW) horizontally-opposed piston engine

Performance

• Maximum speed: 133 mph (213 km/h)
• Range: 500 miles ( 800 km)
• Service ceiling: 13,000 ft (4,000 m)
• Rate of climb: 650 ft/min ( 200 m/min)
• Wing loading: lb/ft² ( kg/m²)
• Power/Mass: hp/lb ( kW/kg)
• Takeoff roll: 620 feet (190 m)
• Landing roll: 290 feet (85 m)

reference http://www.stinsonflyer.com/avphoto/stnad-1c.jpg

Related content

Related development:

Comparable aircraft:

• Aeronca Sedan

Designation sequence: 76 - 105 - 106 - 108

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Stinson 108".