The Restoration of a 1946 Stinson Voyager 108-1
By Doug Reeve EAA Chapter 322
This is about restoring a classic aircraft in the Normal transport category and not the old LS 1 category. I hope this will help future restorers to avoid the mistakes and delays I had.
I have always been interested in old planes since I was a schoolboy building first line control and later radio control model aircraft – my main interest was scale models not sport models. I got immense satisfaction out of doing the research on the originals –just as much as the actual building of the models. I bought a weight shift micro light and started flying myself but always wanted an original old fashioned style plane .After looking at what was available in the South African market all the good planes seemed to be very expensive (I was later to find out why well restored classics cost so much) and the cheaper flying examples all seemed to have problems or time-ex motors. I made the decision to find a project and restore it myself. So I started looking for a rebuild-able basket case. The months went by without finding anything I could afford. The Stinson found me- Some months before the Stinson had arrived at Krugersdorp and the then owner Mat Ford had similar ideas to me and had bought the plane-but hadn’t done any work yet-I had told Mat that if he ever wanted to sell it he should contact me. The date came when he phoned and we made the deal.
The plane was completely stripped down including the motor. Mat had made a list of what he thought were missing parts (Man was he wrong).The aircraft was still on the CAA register as ZS-BHL but hadn’t been in the air since about 1972. All the log books were missing – no problem I thought as I would be rebuilding the plane myself in LS1. Mike Spence of EAA told me it could be done like this.
OK so now I own the mess of bits in my hanger- what to do next / register the plane in my name in LS1. Off to CAA…
Problem no 1: Mat Ford hadn’t registered it in his name.
Problem no 2: I was told that the CAA would no longer register factory built aircraft with a civil type certificate in the LS1 . I then had to track down the original owner and get his signature on the change of ownership form. Back to CAA with all the usual motivations for getting an old plane into LS1category i.e.:
- Plane is no longer factory supported: Forget this argument for CAA now has the Univair and Aircraft Spruce catalogues on their desks.
- Next motivation 150 hp Franklins are no longer in production with no spares available: That doesn’t work either they look up STC’s for alternative motors, there are 4 for the Stinson. Total block by CAA.
The plane remained in the normal category. Big lesson here for anyone wanting to buy an old plane and put it into LS1, for the chances are you won’t get it in to LS1. It can be done but not with out a lot of support paperwork from type certificate holders etc.
Now what? Sell the plane? Who would buy it? I liked the plane so I decided to carry on.
I started out phoning the well known professionals – this was one of the most frustrating phases of the rebuild- none will give you a fixed quote or commit to a time period. I phoned one re-builder at Rand. He says bring it in, we will have a look. Come on, I have two truck loads of bits and they want me to bring it in for a quote. What they want is you to bring the plane in and give them a blank cheque. I was on a limited budget and wasn’t going to walk into that trap.
I talked it over with our local AMO and we came to an agreement – I would do all the research and supply all the parts and he would do the work. We agreed on a fixed labour price for the project including the covering and spray painting but excluding the Interior upholstery etc. This system worked very well for us and we later rebuilt my Cessna 170 on the same agreement- this way I could source the parts we needed at the best prices I could get and avoid heavy mark-ups from the AMO.
A time period of one year was agreed on. Forget it. No AMO understands a time program. I am a contractor that constantly works to time program. AMO’s just don’t seem to understand this it can cause frustration with his client. It can also cost you money E.g. the AMO said he needed the motor urgently at one point so I had it air freighted out from the US instead of sea freighted a huge increase in shipping costs. The motor arrived in SA and lay in its crate for about 8 weeks.
So the project started the AMO’s apprentices stripping everything down to bare metal and me on the internet getting info on the plane. I had decided to restore it as close to factory original as possible. As the reassembly started we found more and more parts missing, sheet metal parts damaged beyond repair etc. We are not in LS 1 so every part that is to be replaced has to have a bit of paper with it. Box files of paper – our CAA loves paper.
I get prices from the US and shipping prices for the bigger sheet metal bits (Big numbers here…). The people at Univair are very helpful but it will cost you a lot to just import everything you need. A score for me was finding Peter De Klerk, a Stinson Fundi with a project Stinson in his back garden. He gave me loads of advice and very kindly allowed me to take parts off his plane to make patterns for missing and damaged sheet metal parts. All the new sheet metal parts were made by Ken Jones at Rand airport. His work was first class and his prices cheaper than importing parts. He also delivered everything on time with the correct paperwork. (He is a rare breed in aviation – Thanks Ken).
So for the next 12 months or so the rebuilt continues in fits and starts depending on how busy the AMO was and how loud I shouted.
Next big challenge- plane came from the factory with a 150 hp Franklin motor. Small Franklins have been out of production for about 40 years so most people who restore Stinson’s fit 180 HP Lycoming motors. As my motor was beyond repair everyone I talked to here and in the US said put in the STC’d Lycoming. I wanted a 150 Franklin- if you restore an MG you don’t fit a Toyota motor, and I had never seen a Restored tiger moth with a Lycoming.
I placed an ad on the BarnStormers web site saying I was looking for an overhauled 150 Franklin. A few weeks went by and a chap in the US e-mailed me that he had a 150 Franklin core and could rebuild the motor for me. His company overhauled Franklin cylinders and sold new Polish built 220 hp Franklin motors. We agreed on a price and I deposited half the money into his account. Here I was taking a huge risk – I had just put a big chunk of my money into someone’s bank account I had never met. The months go by and as I start to worry I phone the US and send e-mails. Each time he assures that he is very busy but the motor is in progress- two more months go by and I start to think I have lost my money. Then one day I get an e-mail to say the motor is complete He wants the balance of his money and a shipping address. (I was to pay for the shipping.)
I get hold of our CAA here to find out what paperwork is needed.
Oh man! Big problems! This is what you need to bring in a motor from the US
For a certified plane,
- the US log book with all rebuild history including all paperwork for every part that was fitted etc.
- Import permit
- Letter from our CAA to the FAA for permission to bring the motor into SA.
- The most important ant document of all – An EXPORT C of A. This bit of paper comes from a person called a DAR in the US. Without this you can’t do anything with the motor it is just a boat anchor.
OK. I start sorting it all out on this side, no big problems, just dealing with about 5 Government departments in Africa (I will say no more on this). In the US we have new problems. The company that did my motor normally just issues new logbooks and a C of A for a US plane they had never heard of a DAR. The DAR is contacted and he comes out to check the paper work and the motor. He is happy with everything but because my motor is not a factory re-man motor he wants a 10 hour proving run with oil sample analyzed after the test running. He also bills $240 for his work so far and the Rand was about 12 to 1 at the time. This bill I have to pay. New problem – there is no test cell within 200 miles of the motor re-builder – fate steps in Eddie gets an Aeronca in for an engine rebuild that has the same motor as mine – My motor is mounted in the Aeronca and the 10 hour test is done flying the plane, oil sample checked etc. DAR comes out again and issues the Export C of A ($240 again plus the labour of fitting and removing of the motor to the Aeronca. Scary stuff… One thing that is in our favour despite all the costs with the DAR he is there to protect the buyer of a motor that is to be exported… My motor runs very well with out any oil leaks. The money I spent on the DAR was worth it.
While all the above is going on the plane is moving along and its time to paint it. What colour? Here the Stinson club helps out- They look up my planes serial no. And give me the exact colour scheme my plane came out the factory with including a drawing with the sizes and positions of the trim lines, fantastic support from these guys.
New problem: how do you get Stinson Maroon and cream mixed here without a sample? Peter De Klerk to the rescue again – His wheel spats were removed from his plane many years ago and still have the original factory paint on them- some CarNew polish to bring out the old colour and we get an exact match. It’s now time to sort out the interior- Stinson used old automotive fabrics back in the 1940’s (mohair cotton etc). Back on the internet all the correct fabrics are available in the US from companies specializing in vintage cars. I tell my AMO we are sorted – he tells me everything we use has to have a FAA or our CAA approved burn test certificate- this is the dumbest thing in the project. I have a plane covered in fabric that burns with wooden formers and floorboards but the seat fabric can’t burn – Nuts.
I contact Airtex in the US. They do a kit for the Stinson but not with the original fabrics, just modern FAA approved stuff. Dead end again. Here we had to depart from the original. My plane has leather seats and a cotton head liner- The head liner has started to sag and will have to be replaced as soon as I can find something that looks authentic enough.
Finally the big day arrives 2 half years after we began the project time to start the motor washed out to get rid of the inhibiting oil and primed. CLEAR- motor starts 1st time- I am a very happy man.
Now time for what I called the CAA period. (I hated this time my plane is completed but you can’t fly it. What follows is more or less what you have to go through –
- The AMO applies to CAA for a test flight permit -You pay and wait about a week for it.
- AMO makes out all new logbooks and spends about a week sorting out about 4 box files of paper.
- You now need a CAA registered test pilot that is type rated to do the test flights. Just a Stinson pilot is not good enough- Finding a test pilot rated on an old rare classic is not easy believe me. Hansel DuBruin steps in here and somehow makes all this happen for me (A huge thanks here to Hansel).
- While we are sorting out steps 3 and 4 above and some bad weather the test permit expires .They are only valid for about 10 days.
- Redo step 1
- Finally the big day. A small crowed who were involved and interested in the project gathers at FAKR and Hansel does the longest pre-flight I have ever seen. My plane taxies out and Hansel does a very long motor run up- She rolls down and takes off no problem. It’s the 1st time in over 30 years ZS – BHL flies. Both Corie Lombard (AME) and myself have tears in our eyes.
- Over the next few days Hansel does all the official tests e.g. Climb test all up weight tests etc. Throughout all of this a couple of very minor snags are sorted out.
- Time for the CAA inspectors to finalize things. They come out in two and check everything on the paperwork side and the airframe. This takes the whole day. In the end I had to organize a radio station license and Corrie had to fit one washer under a bolt and turn one bolt around. Very good job by Peak aviation. This little exercise costs about R2500 to the CAA.
- At last we get the C of A. Stinson can fly free as a bird again.
Over the next week I complete my conversion with Hansel, this takes me about 5 hours.
And that folks is about what it takes for an old classic to get airborne again. Would I do it again – Yes I did it again with a 1953 Cessna 170. Again???? No next time I will go LS 1.
To finish off
The Stinson now has about 80 hours on her since the rebuild it’s a joy to fly, and I am very happy. The only small problem we have had are a spat bracket cracking, and a generator charging problem, both sorted out without any problem.
I have written all of the above about the rebuilding of a certified classic. If anyone wants more info on the Stinson itself S A Flyer (March 2003 edition) did a very good article on it. One last thing – The Stinson won the trophy at the Potch AirWeek for the most original restoration and the trophy for the best restoration of a classic.
If anyone wants any more info I can be contacted on 0824923587 office hours or e mail intercon@corpdial.co.za. Don’t try to phone me on weekends – I will be in the sky with my Stinson.
Regards
Doug Reeve
Johannesburg
