The Stinson Aircraft Company was an aircraft manufacturer in the United States predominantly in the first half of the 20th century. The Stinson sisters became famous aviatrices in the very early days of aviation (Kathrine Stinson was in fact the first woman to fly in Asia) while the Stinson brothers proved to be competent mechanics and designers. They formed the Stinson aircraft company in the 1920s, where they proceeded to manufacture a number of classic designs including the Reliant "Gullwing", their most distinctive aircraft design. The last Stinson aircraft design produced was the Stinson 108, an immediate post-World War II design competing against contemporary Pipers and Cessnas. Although slow and ponderous, it featured a huge cabin, several luxurious amenities and touches, and had an impressive payload. By 1950 the Stinson company was sold to Piper, who continued to produce 108s for a limited time, and transformed an original Stinson design into the successful Piper Apache, the world's first general aviation all-metal twin-engine modern aircraft.
