By Eric Dumigan | October 30, 2017 Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 12 seconds.
Purple Hill Air, near London, Ont., recently completed a restoration of a 1939 ex-RCAF Stinson HW-75 (105) Voyager for the Kot family in Collingwood, Ont.
Well-known Ontario warbird operator, Murray Kot, recently purchased a Stinson 105 Voyager project from the Edenvale Classic Aircraft Foundation. The airframe, s/n 7055, was built in 1939 and flew in the RCAF as 3468 from 1940 to 1946.
The civil registration, CF-BST, used for its ferry flight to Canada in 1940, has been retained over the years. Post-war operators include Superior Airways and several civilian owners before the aircraft was purchased and stored by the Edenvale Classic Aircraft Foundation in 2004. In 2016, Murray Kot purchased the project from the Foundation.
In 1940, Canada was developing the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and desperately needed aircraft. The Stinson HW-75, or 105 Voyager as it was more commonly known, was desired for light communication and wireless duties.
American neutrality laws at the time prevented U.S. manufactures from selling to countries at war, so Canada imported 26 Voyagers as commercial aircraft and gave them civil registrations. Once in Canada, the aircraft were transferred to the RCAF.
The Stinson 105 was introduced at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City by the Stinson Aircraft Manufacturing Division, in Wayne, Mich.
Advertised as a three-seat light commercial aircraft, the Stinson 105 featured a fabric-covered welded steel tube fuselage and high-wing wooden wings. A 90-horsepower Franklin engine and leading edge slots in the wings gave the Voyager great short field performance. A total of 277 were built.
The 1939 HW-75 was designed with a geared 75hp Lycoming but was released as the Model 105 with a Continental 80hp engine. The later Stinson 10A had the 90hp Franklin
I met Murray this past week at Collingwood Airport. What an amazing variety of aircraft he has flown during his lengthy career. A real gentleman with a great sense of humour. Happy Thanksgiving, Murray.
As the owner of a 1939 Stinson HW-75 (7134) I am extremely impressed with the interior photo. This is a very authentic restoration. The HW-75, however, was actually delivered with a Continental C-75 engine. The C-80 was not delivered until 1940. I have complete original logbooks that document this.
The “Voyager” name only applies to the Franklin-powered Model 10A and some post-war Model 108’s. Stinson did not use the Voyager name for the HW-75 / Model 105 / Model 10 line.