Logan County Airport visitor, historic Stinson Reliant heads home

 

[November 16, 2020] 

Sunday, May 31, was just another day for most folks. It was not just another day for Mark Riedl. As noted in a previous article, Mark was on his way from Chicago to Dallas with his daughter and the previous owner of his 1937 Stinson Reliant airplane when the engine started running rough.

He made a landing at the Logan County Airport to check it out. What he found out was not good.

An inspection determined that the engine was a total loss, completely destroyed. The landing was a minor miracle because he was five miles from an airport; he had friends in the area, and found a bunch of new friends at the Heritage-in-Flight Museum.

HIF made room for Mark’s historic airplane in their hangar by moving one of their airplanes to a place on the ramp. “There are only six Stinson Reliant airplanes left flying in the world,” said Mark. A plan was made to repair the engine. He contacted world renowned Radial Engines Limited in Guthrie, Oklahoma to do the restoration on the unique nine cylinder radial engine. They drove to Lincoln, removed the engine, and took it back to their shop.

As one can imagine, repairing an engine that is almost ninety years old and has not been manufactured in almost that long is not just a matter of taking a few parts off the shelf and bolting them together. Mark’s Stinson found a home in the HIF hangar for almost six months while Radial Engines Limited scoured the world for the parts that needed to be replaced. No one at Heritage-in-Flight minded a bit. The old Stinson painted in spectacular American Airlines livery colors became one of the most popular exhibits at the museum. But that was then, this is now.

Two weeks ago, the Radial Engines’ mechanics showed up with Mark’s newly restored engine, and hung it on the airplane. The tale of the rebuild is fascinating. The motor mounts used to attach the engine to the airframe had to be replaced. Finding replacements was a months’ long search. All of the small parts used to attach the engine cowling, the cover over the engine, had to be replaced. There were none anywhere. They just did not exist.

Modern technology stepped in. One of the parts was sent to a specialty company in Minnesota, and it was duplicated exactly using a laser driven copier. Then the copy was machined into nine brand new parts for the ninety-year-old engine.

The engine was rebuilt, and placed in a test cell and started. “It started immediately and ran smoothly, from idle to full power,” said Caleb Curry, general manager of Radial Engines Limited.

After running the engine for seven hours, Radial Engines loaded it on their truck and brought it back to Lincoln. It was installed in a few hours by Caleb and Eric Turner; the airplane pushed out onto the ramp, and started. “It started almost immediately. I was really happy. There was a celebration on the ramp at the Logan County Airport,” said Mark.

So this is end of the story of Mark Riedl’s memorable first journey with his dream airplane. Last Friday, November, 13, yes, ‘Friday the 13th,’ was a good luck day for the old Stinson to renewed flight to its new home in Dallas. It took to the air from the grass runway at the Logan County Airport, its engine purring smoothly with the distinctive sound of a radial engine, and climbed away into a brilliant blue sky.

“I really want to thank the wonderful friends I have made at Heritage-in-Flight. HIF’s warm reception during a time of extreme stress could not have been more wonderful. They kept my Stinson safe for all of these months in their hangar while I had to go back to Dallas. Members even helped with the restoration work that was necessary before the new engine was installed,” said Mark. He is a pilot for American Airlines based in Dallas.

Mark Riedl’s 1937 Stinson Reliant sports a brand new 85-year-old engine. 

Mark’s Stinson is ready to continue on its journey to Dallas after an unplanned six month stop at the Logan County Airport in Heritage-in-Flight’s hangar. What a beautiful airplane. 

The historic Stinson, one of only six left flying in the world, sits on the ramp in front of the Heritage-in-Flight hangar.  

Ready to lift off from the grass runway at the Logan County Airport. 

What a beautiful sight as the old Stinson takes to the air once again! 

Good Bye: May your journey have blue skies and gentle winds.

Mark has become the latest life member of Heritage-in-Flight.

You meet the nicest people at an airport. Pilots always take care of their brother and sister aviators, no questions asked.

[Curtis Fox]

From the LDN Archives

Right time, right place, right friends: Historic aircraft with engine concern lands Logan County Airport