Initially we hoped we could just sand and repaint the fabric on the Stinson, but after closer inspection it was apparent more work was needed. So this week the fabric was removed from the fuselage. It was carefully removed so it can be used as reference when it’s time to recover the airplane. The bad news is that it’s a bit more work than originally planned, the good news is the airplane will look even better now with all new fabric and paint. It’s getting exciting thinking about how great this classic will look when it’s all done!!

A little over a month ago, we managed to get back down to Kenmore and get the Stinson off of the floats and loaded on to the trailer. After a some careful driving, it made the trip north. So far we’ve manged to pull much of the cockpit apart, including the doors. Much of the wood was a bit worse than we first thought and will have to be replaced. It’s also looking like it will be wiser to replace the fabric as well. It’s decent, but with so much work now going into the plane, it’s probably a better idea to do it right.

We’ll be providing more updates in the coming weeks on the progress of the disassembly as well as the assembly of the Waco and getting the engine back together on the Fairchild.

Don’t forget our Biplane Fly-In is June 27-28, the Vintage Fly-In is July 24-25, and be sure to stop by and see some of our planes (including the Ryan ST-A Special) at the golden age of aviation display at Arlington.