Since Robert Taylor founded the Antique Airplane Association in 1953, the mission has been to “Keep the Antiques Flying,” and AAA members like you, have done so with creativity and generosity to this day.
Then in 1965 along with J.G. “Jack” Lowe they started the Air Power Museum, which since 1970 has been located at Antique Airfield near Blakesburg, IA.
It’s time now to ask your help in restoring the APM’s first acquisition, the 1931 Stinson Junior “S” NC-12165, to its proper flying status, at an estimated cost of $250,000. The restored Junior will turn heads, at least heads that understand the historical beauty of a cabin monoplane’s radial engine firing up at dawn and lifting into a timeless sky before the sun clears the tree line. Such imagery, as you know, requires support.
The APM has never borrowed money for major projects, including the Mike Gretz Library of Flight, the Gone West Memorial, the Adkisson Hangar, The Restoration Center and others.
Ergo, if we had 136 members donate $1,000 each this Giving Tuesday, the Stinson Junior resurrection will be on its way. Vendor donations of materials (tires, fabric, dope, parts…) are graciously welcome to offset cash requirements. One thousand dollars is not a cap; the sky is never a limit, so larger donations are appreciated as well as smaller ones. It all adds up and it all helps to reach our goal.
Properly done, the Stinson Junior can be airworthy in a timely manner, a vague term that means, quickly without sacrificing quality. We all want to see Junior fly for the first time since 1987. To keep the project moving, some work — such as engine, prop, and instruments — will be farmed out to qualified contractors. Fuselage and wings will go to a qualified shop (AAA member in the restoration business). Smaller items, such as tail surfaces, struts, metal work, and final assembly will be in the hands of journeymen A&P/IAs and volunteers in the APM Restoration Center, the ideal place — made possible by your donations — to bring it all together.
APM’s last fundraising drive was in 2019 for completion of the Gone West Memorial. The Stinson Junior project already has raised $114K, but the restoration won’t begin until we raise the full sum. No one likes a stalled dream, so we ask your help in moving forward.
Pledging $1,000 takes more than casual musing, but what if you could turn back the clock to 1931? There’s no “what if,” because you can by pledging $1,000 today to see NC-12165 — your APM’s 1931 Stinson Junior S — fly into countless tomorrows.
More Information
For Giving Tuesday, we’ve put together a page that has all of the details on this project and how you can support our restoration goal.