Stinson 108


The Stinson 108 was a popular general aviation aircraft produced by the Stinson division of the American airplane company Consolidated Vultee, from immediately after World War II to 1950. It was developed from the prewar Model 10A Voyager. Stinson was bought by Piper Aircraft in 1949. All Stinson model 108, 108-1, 108-2, 108-3 and 108-4 aircraft were built by Stinson at Wayne, Michigan. When Stinson sold the type certificate to Piper in 1949, approximately 325 airplanes of the 5,260 model 108s built by Stinson were complete but unsold. These 325 model 108s went to Piper as part of the sale. Piper then sold that inventory as the Piper-Stinson over the next few years.

Design and development

The fuselage was of fabric-covered steel tube. Aftermarket modifiers have obtained supplemental type certificates allowing conversion to an aluminum covering. Many different engines have been installed in the 108 by STC such as the Lycoming O-360, Franklin O-350, 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 behavior.
Total new production of the Stinson Model 108, by Stinson, was 5,260; this total does not include the two converted prototypes. Stinson delivered approximately 4,935 aircraft and Piper delivered approximately 325 aircraft. Piper later sold the type certificate to Univair Aircraft Corporation. Univair built and certified the model 108-5, but built only one example. Total new model production by Stinson and Univair was 5,261 aircraft.

Variants

The 108 variants closely resemble each other but can be visually distinguished by their design changes:
;Prototype 108
;108 Voyager 125
;108 Voyager 150
;108-1
;108-2
;108-3
;108-4
;Flying Station Wagon
;108-5

Operators