Stinson SM-1 “Detroiter”
- : United States
- : 1927
- : Lycoming R-680
- 300
- 45 ' 10"
- 122 mph (196 km/hr)
- 3485 lbs (1581 kg)
- : Active
- : Original
Flying was passion for the Stinson family of three beginning with: Katherine, the 4th woman pilot, licensed in 1912 followed by Marjorie, the 9th woman pilot, licensed in 1914 and Eddie, who was licensed in 1915. Eddie, a talented test and exhibition pilot, would go on to form the Stinson Aircraft Corporation in Dayton, Ohio in 1920. By 1925, he had moved the factory to Detroit where he would create the SB-1, a cabin biplane in 1926. It was followed by the very successful SM-1, a cabin monoplane in 1927. The SM-1 “Detroiter” set many records and was popular with the new airline operators of the day including Northwest, Braniff and Delta. The prolific Stinson factory offered a variety of models through 1945 when it was assimilated into several aircraft factories ending with Piper.
In 1972, John Seibold, founder of Scenic Airlines in Las Vegas, bought the defunct Valle Airport near the Grand Canyon. Here, he began collecting vintage transport aircraft and display hangers. As an homage to J. Parker Van Zandt, the 1927 Arizona air tour pioneer, Seibold sought out a Stinson SM-1 for his collection. In 1981, he found a decayed SM-1 in a Pennsylvania barn and turned it over to Chuck Wentworth to restore. Using the SM-1 for patterns and factory plans, Wentworth’s invested four years and over 8,000 hours recreating the plane. The original 220 hp Wright J-5 engine was upgraded to the more powerful 300 hp. Lycoming R-680. It is finished in Nevada Silver and mimics Van Zandt’s 1927 Scenic Airways Inc. plane sporting “The Rainbow Route” emblem. Of the 15 originally built, this is the only survivor.
This magnificent “Detroiter” was donated to ORA in the summer of 2023 by the John Seibold family and Scott Johnson’s SJ Partners, a philanthropic organization. The SM-1’s panoramic heated cabin with seating for six, is ideal for short or long excursions in cooler weather. It joins our open-cockpit New Standard D-25 in offering unique, “all-season” vintage flights over the scenic Hudson Valley.
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