Ever since getting the fabric off of the Stinson SR-9C Reliant we acquired last winter, it’s been no secret that there is a lot of work to be done on this airplane. Most of the wood work will have to be redone and there’s a fair amount of metal work as well.
Recently Jim removed the baggage door from the airframe and in some ways it seems like that little part is indicative of the bigger plane. A lot of the wood on this airplane hasn’t been touched since new. And with this SR-9C spending a fair part of its life on floats, there is plenty of wood needing some attention.
The Stinson receives most of the restoration hours these days. Over the winter, there are several other projects to be worked on, but the Reliant will see a lot of progress. Here’s a look inside the door. The good news is that most of the wood throughout the airplane is still in good enough shape to use as a template for fabricating the new pieces.
A look inside the baggage door on the Stinson SR-9C
A close up look at the latch area on the Stinson Reliant door
Baggage door frame on SR-9C