The Stinson 108 Voyager and
Flying Station Wagon Instrument Panel Page
by Larry Westin

Images of the Stinson 108, and other Stinson light aircraft, instrument panels.

Added 01/01/05

My thanks to David Talley for providing the Stinsonflyer server to store these images on!

 
  • Instrument Panel of the Voyager 125 NX31519. This instrument panel view shows its ancestry as this airplane was a modified model 10 and this instrument panel is very close to the model 10.   Some interesting points, the girl is labeled on the press release as "an American girl sits in the cockpit."  The radio is installed on the right side of the instrument panel, as radios were far less essential than they are today.  I wondered if a person wearing a skirt could actually get into a Stinson, this lady proves it can be done.  Note the control wheel emblems which say Voyager 125.  Added 06/27/04, about 114K.

  • Early Stinson model 108 Control Wheel. This control wheel was only used on early 1946 model Stinson 108's. To see the much more common Stinson 108 control wheel take a look at the instrument panel view below.  B&W photo. Added 03/01/02. About 57K.
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    The Standard Stinson 108 Factory Instrument Panels

    Stinson 108's were delivered from the factory with one of 3 type instrument panels.  All 3 panels are interchangeable.  Each is painted the same color, dark blue.  Note the Stinson instrument panel logo is missing from the advanced blind flight panel.  The next 3 images are factory photographs showing the different instrument panels available from the factory.  Included with each airplane regardless of panel was a two way radio.  In the model 108 it was a GE AS-1B, in the model 108-1, 108-2 and 108-3 it was a Hallicrafter CA-2.  It is the Hallicrafters CA-2 radio shown in each of these three factory instrument panel photographs.  The press release with this information is dated 6/17/47, making these instrument panels as installed on the model 108-2.

  •    STANDARD PANEL. The standard panel was the least expensive.  It contained 8 instruments; a compass, airspeed indicator, altimeter (NON-Sensitive), time-recording tachometer, oil pressure gauge, oil temperature guage, fuel supply guage, and ammeter.  These are instruments required for day contact (Visual Flight Rules today) flight.  B&W photo about 88K. Added 01/01/05.

  •   PRIMARY BLIND FLIGHT PANEL. This panel has all the instruments of the standard panel except the NON-Sensitive altimeter is replaced by a sensitive altimeter, and 3 instruments are added; a clock (wind up), turn and bank, and a rate of climb indicator.  The turn and bank is electric, and there is an additional switch added on the right side of the instrument panel when this electric turn and bank is installed.  No venturi is needed for this panel.  B&W photo about 99K. Added 01/01/05.

  •   ADVANCED FLIND FLIGHT PANEL. This panel has all the instruments of the primary blind flight panel, and 2 more instruments added; directional gyro and attitude gyro added, and the compass used in the standard and primary flind flight panels is replaced by a direction indicator.  The attitude gyro is of a newly developed type which cannot tumble according to the press release with this photograph.  B&W photo about 114K. Added 01/01/05.

    The following are various other Stinson 108 Instrument Panels

  • Photo of a Standard Stinson 108 Instrument Panel.  This photograph shows the standard insturment without any blind flying instruments.  It appears as if the airplane is not new, but close inspection reveals it still has the Hallicrafters CA-2 radio, making this either a 108-1, 108-2 or 108-3.  Registration not available.  Photo courtesy of Ron Dupas who tells me the photo was taken by himself at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in the late 1950's or early 1960's.   Ron maintains a very nice homepage with many images, please take a look at  1000AircraftPhotos.com  for many other aircraft images.  B&W, about 83K, Added 07/25/04.
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  • Stinson 108-3 Airspeed Indicator. Stinson 108's are licensed in both the Normal and Utility category. Somewhat unusual is that the never exceed speed (red line) is different for each category. This image shows a model 108-3 airspeed indicator with two red lines. The "N" is for normal category (158 mph max), and the "U" is for utility category (170 mph max). Added 03/01/02, about 22K.
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  • Full Blind Flying Instrument Panel of Stinson Voyager View of the instrument panel of 1948 Stinson Voyager 108-3 N6968M.  This panel has an artificial horizon and directional gyro plus all other standard insturments to make it a full blind flying panel.  The gyros are rebuilt units from WWII, and in fact rebuilt WWII gyros were used in all light aircraft manufactured up until the middle 1960's.  Panel is shown with modern transistorized radios.  This is serial number 108-4968, completed 5/21/48, and was one of the airplanes included with the sale of Stinson to Piper in December 1948.  Instrument panel rebuilt during restoration 1983-1991 using a basic advanced blind flying panel purchased from Univair. Added 03/16/97. About 48K.


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