RDUStinson wrote:Probably true, but there's little reason to be. The Franklin's a fine engine if properly overhauled and maintained, and most engine parts can be had. The tough item is the crank, but even those can be had with persistence. There are several folks offering reliable overhauls.
The key questions on the engine would be who overhauled it, and when. If not done by a reputable builder, I'd approach with great caution.
Metallized wings or fuse on a Stinson are generally considered undesirable for several reasons, incuding weight and difficulty in inspecting the internals of the wing which can suffer intergranular corrosion.
The airframe is fully supported by Univair (the TC holder)- you can buy about any part you need brand new. Perhaps the best thing about the Stinson is that there are several very active user groups including the International Stinson Club (full disclosure- I'm a club officer) and a Yahoo group.
If you're interested in the Stinson and there's anything I can do to help, please let me know. You've probably noticed that there are several proud Stinson owners here...
-Bill
That's pretty much everything I've learned in this last year learning and shopping for Pacers and Stinsons. When I look at a Stinson I want at least a 165HC, lower and more recent overhaul the better. I like when spare parts come with the deal. Most folks that try to steer me away from Stinsons is simply due to support for Franklins, but it does seem that it's not that bad really...yet. I figure a 165 Stinson will perform pretty equal to a 150hp Pacer where I live so big deal. As for the metalization I'm not really a fan, but if only the wings were metalized I'd still be interested I guess....I mean I have plans to build a bearhawk in the next few decades and it's got metal wings..haha.
It seems that in the past year the average stinson is in the low 20s and the average Pacer is in the 25's. So not a huge difference in price.
Looks like a good deal to me.
?
