Aircraft model
STINSON 108-3
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The 1948 Stinson 108-3, the final and best of the line: a taller fin for better directional stability, more fuel, and a 2,400 lb gross weight giving 1,100 lb of useful load. The Flying Station Wagon variant of this model has a reinforced floor and removable rear seats and was sold for light utility work. It is the 108 to want.
The Franklin engine remains the family's defining problem — scarce parts, few overhaul shops, and costs that can exceed the aeroplane's value — and the widespread Lycoming O-360 conversions are worth a substantial premium and are the better buy for most people. After that, fabric is the dominant lifetime cost and the steel tube structure needs a corrosion inspection. As a four-seat taildragger with a usable load and a comfortable cabin it offers a lot for the money, provided the engine question has been settled and the covering is sound. A tailwheel endorsement and genuine currency are required.
Compare with…
Put STINSON 108-3 side by side with up to two other models.
- STINSON 108-3
What it is
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | taildragger |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Franklin 6A4-165-B3 |
| Horsepower | 165 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1948 |
| Production end | 1950 |
| Endorsements required | tailwheel |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 104 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 500 nm |
| Service ceiling | 15,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 780 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 45 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,100 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 800 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 2,400 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,300 lb |
| Usable fuel | 50 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 9.2 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $45,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $75,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,200 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | — |
| Overhaul cost, high | — |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 1,263 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 433 |
| Median year built | 1948.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 24 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 55.431 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 50.812 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 63 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 14.553 |
| Airworthiness directives | 7 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 433 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 433 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 433 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 1.9 of 101 |
| Severity | 8.4 of 102 |
| Access | 3.9 of 103 |
| Support | 7.5 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 1.6 of 105 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown) | 23.3 out of 506 |
- Accident record: class median 28.36 · 202 models in class.
- Severity: class median 11.65.
- Access: class median 767.75.
- Support: class median 141.5.
- Liquidity: class median 19.57.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories.