Stinson 108 Voyager / Station Wagon

The Stinson 108 is a four-seat, fabric-covered, steel-tube, high-wing tailwheel utility airplane produced from 1946 to 1950. More than 5,260 were built by the Stinson Division of Consolidated Vultee (Convair), with production continuing briefly under Piper Aircraft after Piper acquired the Stinson Division in late 1948. The 108 represented Stinson's post-WWII bid for the anticipated private-aviation boom — a roomy, comfortable, honestly-built family airplane one step up from the Cubs, Champs, and Luscombes that dominated the era. When the boom fizzled, Piper scrapped the tooling and the line died; the 108 is the last airplane to wear the Stinson name.

Today the 108 is one of the best values in vintage GA: four real seats, 1,000 lb useful load on the 108-3, honest 100-knot cruise, and a reputation as one of the sweetest-handling taildraggers ever certified. Owners describe it as "a Cessna 170 with character" — bigger cabin, better controls, heavier build, and roughly half the price. The Station Wagon variants (with wood-paneled utility interior and reinforced floor) carry genuine hauling credentials and are beloved by backcountry and bush operators. The airplane is MOSAIC-eligible at its 2,400 lb MTOW under the new 3,000 lb LSA threshold (see mosaic), opening it to sport pilots and dramatically improving its long-term desirability.

The Flying Station Wagon was offered as an option on the -1, -2, and -3, distinguished by a varnished mahogany plywood utility interior, reinforced floor (rated for 600 lb of cargo in the passenger compartment), and side cargo loading. Frontmatter numbers reflect the most common variant on the market, the 108-3 Voyager.

Book cruise is 104 KTAS at 75% power on the 165 HP Franklin, and real-world owners consistently report this as honest — a Stinson 108-3 trued at 100-105 knots is not unusual. The large Hershey-bar wing and generous fabric drag mean it will not go faster no matter how much fuel you feed it; the payoff is that Vs0 is around 50 KIAS and short-field numbers are competitive with dedicated utility airplanes. Takeoff over 50 ft is ~1,475 ft at gross, but at typical two-pilot weights the 108 will clear the trees in well under 1,000 ft. Rate of climb at gross is modest (~610 fpm) and density altitude performance is noticeably worse than a Cessna 170 due to the Franklin's limited breathing at altitude.

The 16,500 ft service ceiling is published but academic — the airplane is happiest between 2,000 and 8,000 ft. Range on 50 gallons usable (108-3) is a legitimate 500+ NM with reserves at 9-10 GPH; the 108-1 and 108-2 with 40-gallon tanks top out nearer 400 NM. Handling is the airplane's party trick: well-harmonized controls, a solid but not twitchy tailwheel, and a forgiving stall. It is widely considered easier to land than a Cessna 170 or 180.

With a 1,000 lb useful load (108-3) and 300 lb of fuel at full 50 gallons, the airplane offers 700 lb cabin load at full fuel — genuine four-adults-plus-bags territory, nearly unmatched in 1940s four-seaters.

• Full fuel + 2 pax (340 lb): 360 lb remaining for baggage/gear; ~500 NM range; ideal family trip configuration.
• Full fuel + 4 pax (680 lb): 20 lb baggage; 500 NM; legal but tight.
• 3/4 fuel (225 lb) + 4 pax (680 lb): 95 lb baggage; ~375 NM; realistic four-person short-trip loading.
• Station Wagon cargo config: front two seats occupied (340 lb) + 600 lb cabin cargo (rated floor loading) + 60 lb fuel (10 gal) for a ~100 NM ferry leg — demonstrates the utility credentials.

The 108-1 and 108-2 with 40-gallon tanks and 2,230 lb gross trade about 170 lb of useful load and 100 NM of range for the same cabin volume — the 108-3 is materially more airplane and justifies its price premium.

Local fun flying (9/10): This is where the 108 shines. It looks beautiful, flies beautifully, costs little to own, and turns heads on every ramp. For a pilot who wants character without paying cessna-170 money, there is no better buy in vintage GA.

Backcountry (6/10): The Station Wagon variants with reinforced floors and 1,000 lb useful load genuinely haul gear into grass and dirt strips. Stock landing gear is sturdy and the airplane is docile on rough surfaces. It loses points to purpose-built bush machines on brake authority, prop clearance, and climb at altitude — the Franklin's thin-air performance is a real limitation in mountain country. Comparable to the piper-pa14-family-cruiser in the same role.

Cargo hauling (6/10): Station Wagon variants with the utility interior and 600 lb cabin-load rating are legitimate small-payload haulers. The 1,000 lb useful load on the -3 is class-leading for a 1940s four-seater.

Cross-country (5/10): 100 KTAS and 500 NM range is respectable for the era but outclassed by any modern four-seater. No factory IFR capability; most are flown day VFR only.

Flight training (4/10): Not a primary trainer — the tailwheel, fabric, and vintage systems make it a poor first airplane. However, it is an excellent tailwheel-transition and complex-vintage training platform.

Surveying (5/10): Slow enough to be useful, with good visibility from the high wing, but no factory provisions for camera ports and the fabric belly complicates modifications.

Business travel (3/10): No IFR, no speed, no weather capability. Strictly day-VFR recreation.

Aerobatics (1/10): Not certified for aerobatics; normal category only.

Most 108s flying today are day-VFR with minimal panels: a handheld or panel-mount comm, a portable GPS, and a transponder with ADS-B Out (uAvionix tailBeacon or similar) to meet 2020 mandate. Typical panel investment is $3,000-$8,000. A handful have been upgraded with Garmin GTN 650 or GNC 355 installations and a modern transponder, pushing invested avionics to $15,000-$20,000 — rarely justified economically against hull value. See avionics-pricing.

IFR certification is theoretically possible but practically nonexistent: the airplane has no factory IFR approval, no gyro vacuum system as standard, and the fabric structure complicates antenna installations. The right answer for most owners is a clean VFR panel with ADS-B In on an iPad.

• Lycoming O-360 180 HP conversion — The single most valuable STC available for the 108. Replaces the Franklin with a Lycoming O-360-A (180 HP), adds 15 HP, eliminates Franklin parts risk, improves hot-and-high performance, and dramatically simplifies maintenance. Install cost $35,000-$55,000 with a new engine; STC held by several vendors including Hangar 9 Aeroworks and others. Adds $15,000-$25,000 to hull value. Some airframes have received Lycoming O-540 conversions for maximum performance, but these are rare and add weight forward that can amplify ground-handling tendencies.
• Continental O-470 STC — Older conversion, less common today; 230 HP possible but weight and CG penalties are significant.
• Franklin O-350 STC — Replaces the original 6A4-165 with a larger Franklin for more power while staying Franklin-based.
• Univair cowling, brake, and gear upgrades — Univair holds extensive parts support and sells modernized brake conversions and cowling kits.
• EDO 2425 floats — Classic floatplane conversion, popular in Alaska and the upper Midwest.
• Cleveland wheel and brake conversion — Common, replaces original Goodyear expander-tube brakes with modern hydraulic discs; major safety and maintenance improvement.
• STOL kits — Various vortex generator and leading-edge cuff kits available; modest improvement over an already-docile airframe.

Parts availability: good. Univair Aircraft Corporation holds the type certificate and tooling for the 108 airframe and stocks an extensive parts inventory — struts, fittings, fabric patches, control cables, brake parts, wheel pants, cowlings. This is the single most important factor keeping the fleet flying and is why the 108 rates better than most contemporaries. The International Stinson Club (stinsonowners.org) provides an active technical forum, type-specific mentorship, and a fly-in community.

Mechanic familiarity: common. Any A&P familiar with fabric tube-and-rag construction can work on the airframe; Piper J-3/PA-18 experience transfers directly. The Franklin engine is the complication — the type certificate is held by PZL in Poland, factory support is essentially nonexistent, and only a handful of shops (Franklin Aircraft Engines in Florida being the best known) overhaul them. Parts remain available but difficult items (crankshafts, mag drive gears) can take months to source. Owners willing to convert to Lycoming O-360 get a parts/support experience equivalent to a Cessna 172. See maintenance-ecosystem.

Typical annual costs:

• Annual inspection: $1,000-$2,000 (fabric airplane, modest complexity)
• Miscellaneous maintenance reserve: $1,500-$3,000/year
• Fabric recover (every 20-30 years): $18,000-$30,000 amortized
• Franklin engine reserve: $15-$20/hour toward overhaul
• Total fixed + variable annual ownership: $7,000-$10,000 assuming 75 hours/year

Expensive items: Franklin overhaul ($25,000-$35,000 at a qualified shop), fabric recover, wing spar rework on wooden-spar variants, brake/gear overhaul.

Current market (2025-2026) is $25,000 on the low end for a tired Franklin-powered 108-1 or 108-2 needing fabric, up to $50,000+ for an excellent 108-3 Station Wagon with good fabric and fresh engine. Exceptional examples with Lycoming O-360 conversions can reach $65,000-$85,000. See valuation-methodology.

Primary price drivers:

• Engine type and time — Franklin with <500 SMOH: baseline. Franklin run-out: -$15,000. Lycoming O-360 STC: +$15,000-$25,000.
• Fabric age — fresh cover (<10 yr) adds $10,000-$15,000; old cover (>20 yr) is a known future expense.
• Variant — 108-3 commands $5,000-$10,000 premium over 108-2 for the larger tanks, higher gross, and better tail. Station Wagon trim adds another $3,000-$8,000.
• MOSAIC eligibility — under the new LSA rules with the 3,000 lb MTOW threshold, the 108 is eligible, which is expected to increase demand from the sport-pilot market and lift prices $5,000-$10,000 across the fleet over the next few years.
• Logbook completeness on 75-year-old airplanes is a meaningful discount/premium factor.

Roughly half the price of an equivalent cessna-170 for equal or better utility — one of the best dollar-per-smile deals in vintage GA.

Airworthiness directives on the 108 are few and mostly one-time fixes — roughly five applying to the airframe. Key items:

• AD 49-16-02 — Wing fabric upper-surface inspection at the fuel tank area on 108-2/108-3 (serial 2250 and up); one-time inspection and rework if required.
• AD 95-12-01 — Forward wing spar inspection; applies to certain serial ranges, primarily concerned with corrosion and wood condition on the wooden spars of early aircraft. This is the most important AD on the airplane and must be addressed at pre-buy.
• AD 2013-NM (various) — Generic wing lift strut inspection/replacement AD applicable to many fabric taildraggers; Univair stocks replacement struts.
• Franklin engine ADs — Several, centered on accessory drives and crankshafts; original Franklins of unknown provenance should be scrutinized.

Pre-buy red flags:

• Wooden wing spars (108 and 108-1 only — later models went to metal) — rot, glue separation, water damage. A no-go item unless recently inspected.
• Tube corrosion in the tailcone and around the tailwheel — water collects there and eats the steel. Requires fabric removal and tube replacement if advanced.
• Fabric age and condition — modern Ceconite/Stits lasts 20+ years if hangared; a cover is due at 25-30 years regardless and costs $18,000-$30,000.
• Franklin engine hours since overhaul, compression, and spare-parts history — a tired Franklin with no overhauler in the wings is a $25,000-$55,000 decision.
• Mag drive gear — difficult-to-source Franklin part, verify condition.
• Landing gear attach points and brake condition (original Goodyear expander brakes are marginal).

Vintage tailwheel rates are surprisingly benign because hull values are low and accident history is benign. BWI and other brokers quote liability-only policies at $500-$750/year for qualified pilots, and full hull + liability in the $1,200-$1,800/year range for typical $35,000-$45,000 hulls. First-year premiums for pilots transitioning from nosewheel run 25-40% higher and usually require 5-10 hours dual in type. Flying-club and partnership use pushes premiums up ~50%. See insurance-underwriting.

Underwriting factors:

• Total time and tailwheel time (hours in make/model especially valuable)
• Recent training and currency
• Hull value (lower is cheaper, obviously)
• Engine type (Lycoming conversions are viewed more favorably than original Franklins)
• Grass/float operations add a modest surcharge but are not prohibitive
• Hangared vs tied-down materially affects hull rates on fabric airplanes