Anyone have opinions on the Stinson L-5, or its Continental O-200 220hp radial engine?

Found one for about $35,000.

I've seen this one advertised in Trade a Plane for about a year now. Be advised that the Stinson L5 Sentinel was powered by a Lycoming O-435 of 190 horsepower (not a real well spoke of engine) and at least some of them came with a controllable (NOT constant speed) prop.
Lots of Stinson 108's have been fitted with an O-435 out of an L5, but this is the only re-engined L5 I've ever heard of.
The Continental W670 is an awesome (radial) engine, installed on all sorts of airplanes including Waco's, Travelair's, Cessna 190's, & Stearman's,but is much bigger & heavier than the L5's original engine. IMHO this airplane couldn't help but have problems with CG as well as with prop clearance.

Eric

Thanks. Saw it on aso.com and it piqued my interest, because I had never seen such a bird before.

Hey Pico,

Thanks for the reminder to check out ASO every once in a while. Did you see this when you were lookin' in the classic section? This plane was on loan to the EAA museum. $50,000 and it's yours. Drooooool.

IT'S SOLD! I saw that Monocoupe at Oshkosh in 2003, it was a very clean plane.

I had an L-5 when I was stationed in Fairbanks , AK , about 55 years ago. '47 to '51 to be exact. I had a hell of a lot of fun with it and it always performed perfectly. Never had even one problem with the engine or airplane and flew it into every sort of place all over the territory. That was before AK statehood. I thought the Lycoming O-435-11 engine was bullet proof. It was only rated 190 HP but it only turned 2550 RPM max. I used the prop from a PT-19
which was a little thinner in pitch and it performed admirably on beaches, sand and gravel bars, and even on runways. When I was transferred to Randolph AFB in San Antonio, Tex., I flew it all the way. I was an instructor flight engineer on B-29s and they had me flying six hours a day six days a week and I kind of had enough flying so I sold it. Last time I checked it was still on the registry----
N63970. I sure would love to have it again. I sold it for $900, but you have to remember that in 1951 it was just an old surplus WW2 airplane. This was many, many years before the 'Warbird" craze.

Here is a 108...looks like a nice plane actually. Almost like a Maule predecessor?

Zane, take a look at a good side-view of an M4 Maule. Then take a look at a side-view of a Piper Pacer. I think you'll see where old BD got his inspiration. Especially when you consider that the Pacer had recently been discontinued about the time BD was designing his new airplane. The new 2-place M4-180 really looks Pacer-ish, due to it's lack of rear doors & windows.

Eric