Stinson Model A

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Stinson Model A
American Airways Stinson Model A
American Airways Stinson Model A
Type: Passenger plane
Design country:

United StatesUnited States United States

Manufacturer:

Stinson Aircraft Company

First flight:

April 27, 1934

Commissioning:

July 2, 1935

Production time:

1934-1936

Number of pieces:

31

The Stinson Model A (also known as Stinson A for short ) was a three-engine passenger aircraft produced by the American manufacturer Stinson Aircraft Company .

history

The Stinson A was a low- wing aircraft with braced wings , which was introduced in November 1933 as the successor to the Stinson SM-6000 . The machine had three Neunzylinder- radial engines of the type Lycoming R-680 -5 with an output of 194 kW (260 HP), of which two, and the third at the both sides of wings gondolas aircraft nose were mounted. The fuselage consisted of a welded tubular steel construction. The front part of the fuselage below the cockpit was clad with sheet metal made of duraluminum , the rear section including the tail unit was covered with fabric. The soundproofed, heated cabin equipped with a central aisle offered space for eight passengers, with the passenger seats arranged in three rows one behind the other. The entrance door, the luggage compartment and a toilet were located in the rear of the cabin. The landing gear was electrically retractable. The wings, the wing spars of which were made of steel tubes, were clad on the fuselage side with sheet metal and in the further outward part with a fabric covering. The aircraft had very good slow flight characteristics and could therefore also be used on short runways.

The prototype made its maiden flight on April 27, 1934. Although the Stinson A was offered much cheaper than the twin-engine Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2 , very few orders were received. Compared to these much larger competing models, the aircraft had a lower cruising speed and a considerably shorter range. The first Stinson A was delivered to Delta Air Lines on June 22, 1935 , which had ordered three machines. The company put the type into service as the first company on July 2, 1935 on their route from Dallas to Atlanta , which was flown with eight stopovers. Other US customers were American Airlines and Central Airlines with fifteen and five aircraft, respectively. In addition, four machines with luxurious interiors were delivered to private customers. The three American companies retired the type after a relatively short period of use and ceded their aircraft to the Indian Tata Airlines and other companies in the 1930s .

The Airlines of Australia took over four brand new Stinson A's in 1936, including the last aircraft of this type to be built, of which they lost two in accidents the following year. Due to war-related delivery bottlenecks, the two remaining Australian machines were converted to two nine-cylinder radial engines of the Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp type each in 1943 . These more powerful engines delivered 336 kW (450 hp), which meant that the middle engine could be dispensed with. One of the modified Stinson A's lost its left wing in flight on January 31, 1945 due to a structural failure. All ten occupants were killed in the crash. The Australian Aviation Authority then withdrew the operating license for the second converted machine. In total, at least eight Stinson A aircraft were written off as total losses as a result of accidents.

Technical specifications

Stinson A used as a private aircraft, 1947
Parameter Data
crew 2 pilots and 1 flight attendant
Passengers 8th
length 11.20 m
span 18.29 m
height 3.51 m
Wing area 46.45 m²
Empty mass 3266 kg
Max. Takeoff mass 4627 kg
Cruising speed 262 km / h in 1524 m (5000  ft )
274 km / h in 2134 m (7000 ft)
Top speed 290 km / h
Service ceiling 5182 m
Range 789 km
Engines 3 × nine-cylinder radial engine
Lycoming R-680 -5, each 194 kW (260 PS)

See also

Web links

Commons : Stinson Model A  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e ATC # 556 (9-25-1934) Stinson, Model A.
  2. ↑ a b Aero, edition 143, year 1985
  3. ^ A b Delta Flight Museum, Stinson A, 1935–1938
  4. ↑ Ed Coates' Civil Aircraft Photograph Collection, VT-AQX, Stinson Model A (c / n 9127)
  5. ^ A b Terry Denham: World Directory of Airliner Crashes . Patrick Stephens Limited, Sparkford 1996, ISBN 1-85260-554-5 .
  6. ^ Aviation Safety Network, January 31, 1945
  7. ^ Aviation Safety Network, March 28, 1937
  8. ↑ Converted values ​​based on the source ATC # 556 (9-25-1934) Stinson, Model A