The Stinson Reliant was a popular
single-engine four to five seat high-wing monoplane manufactured by
the Stinson Aircraft Division of the Aviation Manufacturing
Corporation of Wayne, Michigan.
1,327 Reliants of all types were made
from 1933 to 1941, in different models, from SR-1 to SR-10. The final
commercial model, the Stinson Reliant SR-10, was introduced in 1938.
A militarized version was first flown in February 1942 and remained
in production through several additional versions (all externally
identical) until late 1943 for the US and British armed forces.
Reliant production can be broken into
two distinct types - the straight wing Reliants (all models up to
SR-6) and the gull wing Reliants (all models from SR-7 and after
including the militarized V-77/AT-19) with there being little in
common between the two groups of types. The straight wing Reliant had
a wing of constant chord and thickness which was supported by two
struts each side with additional bracing struts. In contrast the
taper wing Reliant had the broadest chord and thickness of the wing
at mid span, with the outer wing trailing edge heavily angled forward
and a rounded cutout on the leading edge root, all supported by a
single strut. The taper wing had a significant step up between the
fuselage and the wing, and the changes in wing thickness gave it a
distinct gull appearance from the front.The Reliant was used by the
U.S. Army in World War II as a utility aircraft, designated UC-81,
and as trainer designated AT-19. They were also used by the Royal
Navy and Royal Air Force for light transport and communication
duties.
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