Home    Stinson    Aeronca                                                                                                                  ... by John Baker

In 1947, Stinson introduced a "utility" model of it's 108 Voyager aircraft, called the "Flying Station Wagon."  The "Wagon" featured removable rear seats, vinyl upholstery and a reinforced floor capable of carrying additional loads. One of the more unique features of the "Wagon" is the manner in which the rear passenger compartment is finished in wood panels similar to automotive station wagons of the thirties and forties.   These panels, appearing similar to what you would have seen on the outside of a 1948 Ford wagon, were made of thin mahogany plywood trimmed in basswood.

Over the years, the panels on my airplane had received enough abuse that they could not be easily salvaged.  Cracked, stained, delaminated, and in some places suffering from wood rot, I knew they would have to be replaced.  Reproducing these panels would not be too hard a job for an amateur woodworker if not for the "elbow room" feature of the later models.  The 108-2 had side panels that were flat but the side panels on the 108-3 had a compound curve in the rear of each panel to provide more elbow space for passengers.  Forming the plywood and trim to the original shape was a challenge I was not looking forward to!  I could easily predict much wasted material as I taught myself to replicate the original.

Fortunately, another Stinson restorer in Oregon, Gene Mc Bee, developed a system to build replicas of the panels for the 108-3.   Gene's process uses a very thin veneer of mahogany applied to a backing of aluminum.  This process was developed after many tries at forming the panels with thicker mahogany sheets.   The aluminum adds strength that would not otherwise be possible within the constraints of the original thickness of the panels.  The trim on Gene's panels are of birch. The birch strip at the top of the panel is formed of thin birch laminations, "bent" to shape.  Recently, Gene turned over the production of these panels to Tom Buce, an A&P in Kimberly, Oregon.

In this photo above, the left and rear panels as received from Gene are set in place  on  NC6197M
for a trial fit.  The panels come "undrilled", so it is necessary to drill the mounting holes.  The aluminum strip is in
place to retain the upper edge of the carpet that will line the lower edges of the panels.

Here's another photo during the trial fitting.
The upper edge of the rear panel will be trimmed in fabric that matches the headliner.

I purchased a set of panels from Gene in 1998 and was pleased with the product.  He offered the complete set, including the rear panel, for $650.   Mine came finished in Minwax polyurethane and Gene provided extra strips of birch that I could use on the front door side panels.  Given the amount of material I would waste during the "learning curve", I estimated I could not have made the panels myself for much less than that myself. 

Beginning in March of 2001, Tom Buce began producing these panels, taking over the business from Gene McBee.  While I have not seen panels produced by Tom, I would expect similar quality.   In the January 2006 issue of the ISC newsletter, Tom indicated that he would not be taking new orders for the panels, at least for a while, to concentrate on other things, including a 180HP Lycoming STC for the Stinson.  You can contact Tom at:

Tom Buce and his wife Carol operate a fly-in Bed & Breakfast in Oregan called Lands Inn.  Tom also offers aircraft maintenance at their strip in Kimberly.  They have a website that includes information on the Inn, the Stinson Woody Panels, and other services offered.