Back in Tail Dragger Business

Two years ago I took my wife to Oshkosh and she fell in love with radial engines and Stinson Gullwings. So much so she suggested we get one. The search was on! We found one that looked beautiful, so we sold the Super Cub. The pictures looked a lot better than the real thing, so we did not get it. Now we were without an anti-gravity machine, we had to find something to fly. We ended up with a C-182 that seemed decent. Although we had an airplane, we continued to look for a Gullwing.

Yesterday our our search ended. We now have a 1942 V-77. This plane was a lend-lease for the British during WWII. I have documents that show it spend its time with the British in India. So the history is interesting.

The best eat thing is when my mother-in-law asked what we were going to do with the 182, my wife said, “We are keeping it.” It doesn’t get any better than that!

Nice, comfortable airplanes. Use to fly in one in the DFW wing of the CAF.

I helped a friend re cover a V77 in the late 70’s. We used inflated dunnage bags to get the wings up high enough to attach them. Loved flying in it. Not the fastest but when you get there you arrive in style.

Congratulations.

If you have owner history, I guess there’s a small chance it’s the same. The owner was Tom Hutchins.

Rich

Nice!

So, I assume you got it home okay? Tell us how the trip went.

Looks great. Some of the classiest airplanes ever built!

MTV

phdigger123 said:

Two years ago I took my wife to Oshkosh and she fell in love with radial engines and Stinson Gullwings. So much so she suggested we get one. The search was on! . . .

The best thing is when my mother-in-law asked what we were going to do with the 182, my wife said, “We are keeping it.” It doesn’t get any better than that!

Click to expand...

Your wife’s a keeper, for sure!

That looks a lot like the one I test-flew in Ramona. I did the first flight since November 1958. Beautiful ship, new engine, interior looked just like yours. Flew like a dream.

mvivion said:

So, I assume you got it home okay? Tell us how the trip went.

Looks great. Some of the classiest airplanes ever built!

MTV

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Mike, the one in Montana didn’t work out. I found this one just west of Minneapolis, so the trip home was short. From looking at the paperwork, it looks like this plane went to Watertown SD after WWII for several years. It then went to the Billings area and then on to Oregon. In 1971 it appears that a restoration was started and it travelled down to Texas and then back to South Dakota and the restoration was completed in 2010. It then came to Minnesota where it has been ever since. From the little bit that I have flown it, I think I am going to really enjoy this airplane.

Congratulations! Fabulous birds to fly.

I had a V-77 for a few years trying a commercial tour with it. Was the most fun flying you could imagine- even made international tv segments with it.

Mine had flown in Cochine (sp) India in WWII, it seems many were there.

Enjoy, and let me know if you ever need someone to exercise or ferry it for you.

One other note: Don't plan on being in a hurry when stopping for fuel anywhere- Gullwings draw a crowd!

Lycoming 680 on the nose? THgat's the standard engine, apparently Stinson really liked Lycomings,
but the Pt Townsend Aero Museum had one donated a few years ago with a 985 Pratt.
It had been owned by Roy Franklin of Island Sky Ferries (in Washington's San Juan Islands) fame.
Unfortunately the previous director decided to sell it off--too bad, it had a lot of local history.
A friend of mine on Orcas Island told me his dad got flown to Bellingham in it, for an emergency appendectomy.

Nice!

hotrod180 said:

Lycoming 680 on the nose? THgat's the standard engine, apparently Stinson really liked Lycomings,
but the Pt Townsend Aero Museum had one donated a few years ago with a 985 Pratt.
It had been owned by Roy Franklin of Island Sky Ferries (in Washington's San Juan Islands) fame.
Unfortunately the previous director decided to sell it off--too bad, it had a lot of local history.
A friend of mine on Orcas Island told me his dad got flown to Bellingham in it, for an emergency appendectomy.

Click to expand...

The V-77 were pretty much R-680s from my research, other SR's had the bigger engine, I think the 10 did from the factory. I recall someone talking about a mod to put the 985 on the earlier Gullwings also.

Quite a performer with the 300 hp if you knew how to fly her. I had a cub pilot pretty amazed when I would take off and land as short or shorter than he would.

Still wish I had her today.

Like I said, I think Stinson was a Lycoming lover, or else just got a better deal on them.
The SM-8 Detroiters had the 680, as did the Gullwings.
The 985-powered Gullwing I mentioned was a "Bushman" conversion.

Congratulations on the V-77!!!! Beautiful bird!