Stinson Aircraft Company

By the early 1920s, Eddie Stinson-a charismatic daredevil pilot-had become nationally known for his fearlessness and skill. In 1926, he and his close friend Bill Mara founded a company to design and manufacture airplanes that combined features then only found in luxury automobiles. In 1932, Stinson was killed in a tragic crash while demonstrating a new model. Although his life was short, the world of aviation still reveres the airplanes built under his name. Featuring many never-before-published photographs and comprehensive biographical information, Stinson Aircraft Company chronicles a remarkable period in airplane development. It details the growth of Stinson's company, which produced more airplanes for a longer period of time than any other Michigan airframe producer. The book also reveals the story of Eddie Stinson and Bill Mara, who together made aviation history. Today, about 3,000 Stinson airplanes remain and are still greatly esteemed by aviation enthusiasts, 50 years after the last one was built.