Today’s Top Pick is a 1943 Stinson Vultee V-77.

When pilots think about the golden age of general aviation, small, two-seat, high-wing Pipers, Porterfields, Taylorcrafts, and Aeroncas tend to come to mind.

The era also produced more substantial models with space for a family of four (or five) and enough power to take them aloft easily. This 1943 Stinson Vultee V-77, more commonly known by its civilian name, the Reliant, was one such aircraft.

Machines like this Reliant were the high-performance traveling airplanes of their time, much like a Cirrus SR22 or Beechcraft Bonanza of today. For antique-aircraft enthusiasts who also like to take longer flights to a variety of destinations beyond vintage fly-ins will find the Reliant to be a robust and capable vehicle that also happens to draw crowds wherever it goes.

As a later-model Reliant, this aircraft has the distinctive gull wing that has a wider chord around mid-span that tapers toward the fuselage and tips. Earlier “straight wing” versions have a constant chord wing.

This 1943 Stinson has 1,447 hours on the airframe, 110 hours since overhaul on its 300 hp Lycoming R-680-13 9-cylinder radial engine and 11 hours since overhaul on its Hamilton Standard propeller. The aircraft is also equipped with a Brackett air filter, Cleveland wheels and brakes, Jasco alternator and regulator, navigation and landing lights, and Aeroflash strobe.

The VFR panel includes a Garmin GTR 225 comm, Garmin GTX 335 transponder with ADS-B Out, and PS Engineering PM1200 two-place intercom.

Pilots looking for a classic design from aviation’s golden age that can hold its own in modern times should consider this 1943 Stinson Vultee V-77, which is available for $115,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Pilots Gather at the 2022 Stinson Summit
• FLYING Magazine: Pepsi Stinson SR-7 Turns Heads at EAA AirVenture
• FLYING Magazine: Approachable Aircraft: Stinson 108
• FLYING Magazine: An Old Airplane Gets a Familiar New Owner
• Plane & Pilot: Stinson Reliant
• Plane & Pilot: This Incredible Pilot: Katherine Stinson
• The Aviation Consumer: Antiques and Classics: Owning and Operating

The post This 1943 Stinson Vultee V-77 Is a Gull-Winged ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.