Stinson?

[KG]

My wife's Dad recently passed away and in going through old stuff with one of her cousins they came up with an old picture of my wife's Uncle Stanley (the cousin's late father) with his airplane. He kept this plane on their family farm near Swansboro, NC. Uncle Stanley, the heavier set of the two men, is said to have flown the hump in WWll and bought this plane after he returned home. The girls were asking me what kind of plane this is. I think it as a Stinson L-5. Can some of you experts confirm this? He used to land on the beaches of the Outer Banks of North Carolina before that kind of thing became frowned upon.

I am trying to identify the type of airplane. They think this is either the plane he owned or one like it.

The other guy is my wife's Uncle Howard. My wife thought this picture was taken on the farm but judging by the uniforms I think maybe they met up somewhere during their service and had their picture taken together. Her Uncle Howard was in France during WWll and spent another twenty years there after the war.

[doug8082a]

It's an L-5. You can tell by the landing gear, bayonet exhaust, window configuration, cockpit layout, etc.

[GAHorn]

Uncle Stanley outranks Uncle Howard and, although they look similar to their "Classic" series, the tires are not from Desser.

A bit more serious, that pith-helmet was standard issue in S.E. Asia and the tropics, so if the choice is between France or the India-Burma theatre.... I'd guess the latter.

[KG]

that pith-helmet was standard issue in S.E. Asia and the tropics, so if the choice is between France or the India-Burma theatre.... I'd guess the latter.

Thanks Doug and George. I suspect you are right, George. Uncle Howard was in some capacity attached as an aid to the American Ambassador in France. Perhaps he made a trip to Burma and managed to arrange a visit with Uncle Stanley. My wife's cousin remembers her Dad's airplane and says it looked just like this so I suspect he bought one like it when he returned home.

Just in: The story is starting to come together. My wife says her mother had some little statues that Uncle Howard (her brother) had sent to her from India during the war, so it is confirmed that he made a trip to that area. Uncle Howard was actually a cousin but his parents had died so he was adopted and raised as a brother to Uncle Stanley and my wife's mother.

Unfortunately all of these people are gone. I'm sure most of us would have enjoyed talking to them. I'm hoping the girls can come up with some more pictures......

[GAHorn]

... My wife's cousin remembers her Dad's airplane and says it looked just like this so I suspect he bought one like it when he returned home.

They were available at ridiculous prices after the war...some stories tell of buying airplanes and recouping the purchase price by selling-off the fuel in the tanks.

[blueldr]

I had a Stinson L-5G when I was stationed in Fairbanks, AK, that I bought for $2,000. it had about six hours total time in 1948 when I bought it from the guys that had bought it surplus from the government. They bought it new in a box ready to be shipped overseas. I don't know how much they paid for it but an old alaskan bush pilot who also had an L-5, Sam White, told me they made money on it. It was one helluva fun airplane, and the last time I looked it was still in the registry with its original number, N63970.

[KG]

I had a Stinson L-5G when I was stationed in Fairbanks, AK, that I bought for $2,000. it had about six hours total time in 1948 when I bought it from the guys that had bought it surplus from the government. They bought it new in a box ready to be shipped overseas. I don't know how much they paid for it but an old alaskan bush pilot who also had an L-5, Sam White, told me they made money on it. It was one helluva fun airplane, and the last time I looked it was still in the registry with its original number, N63970.

bluelder, I'm guessing that Uncle Sam didn't issue you a pith helmet in Fairbanks.

[blueldr]

You're right. No pith helmet, but Bunny Boots and a good parka. Boy, am I glad I got that cold weather out of my system when I was in my twenties. The redeeming factor was that I was assigned to the "Cold Weather Testing Unit" at Ladd AFB and we did the majority of our work in the winter. That gave us our summers to fish and hunt and generally get to enjoy the country.

[GAHorn]

...bluelder, I'm guessing that Uncle Sam didn't issue you a pith helmet in Fairbanks.

No....bluEldr was issued a generous portion of PITH and VINEGAR!

[blueldr]

George, you seem to be developing a lisp. Maybe you should see if your dentures are getting out of allignment.

[GAHorn]

George, you seem to be developing a lisp. Maybe you should see if your dentures are getting out of allignment.

The Thunder god went riding one day
upon his favorite Filly.
"I'm THOR", he cried,
the horse replied,
"You forgot your thaddle, thilly!"

[blueldr]

The Thunder God went out on the town one evening and made a lucky connection. In the morning as they awakened, the thunder god announced to his partner, "I'm Thor" His partner replied "You're Thor, Thay!" (Lockheed Aircraft, 1940, from Rosie the riveter)