The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane formerly used as a military trainer aircraft, of which at least 10,626 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s.[1] Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely known as the Stearman, Boeing Stearman or Kaydet, it served as a primary trainer for the United States Army Air Forces, the United States Navy (as the NS and N2S), and with the Royal Canadian Air Force as the Kaydet throughout World War II. After the conflict was over, thousands of surplus aircraft were sold on the civilian market. In the immediate postwar years they became popular as crop dusters, sports planes, and for aerobatic and wing walking use in air shows.
The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane formerly used as a military trainer aircraft, of which at least 10,626 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely known as the Stearman, Boeing Stearman, or Kaydet, it served as a primary trainer for the United States Army Air Forces, the United States Navy (as the NS and N2S), and with the Royal Canadian Air Force as the Kaydet throughout World War II. After the conflict was over, thousands of surplus aircraft were sold on the civilian market. In the immediate postwar years, they became popular as crop dusters and sports planes, and for aerobatic and wing walking use in air shows.
Design and development
A WAVE in a Boeing Stearman N2S United States Navy training aircraft
United States Navy N2S-2 at NAS Corpus Christi, 1943
United States Navy NS-1s of the NAS Pensacola Flight School, 1936
Boeing Stearman E75 (PT-13D) of 1944
Vintage Boeing-Stearman Model 75, Breitling SA
Boeing Stearman (PT-13D) of the TALOA in Dirgantara Mandala Museum, Indonesia
Boeing Stearman (PT-13) of the Israeli Air Force
United States Navy N2S ambulance at NAS Corpus Christi, 1942
Boeing Stearman PT-17, Museum of Historical Studies Institute of Aerospace in Perú - Lima
PT-17 "Kaydet" on display at the Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB
Boeing Stearman PT-17 Kaydet - Aeronautics Museum of Maracay
The Kaydet was a conventional biplane of rugged construction, with a large, fixed tailwheel undercarriage, and accommodation for the student and instructor in open cockpits in tandem. The radial engine was usually not cowled, although some Stearman operators choose to cowl the engine, most notably the Red Baron Stearman Squadron.
Operational history
Post-war usage[edit]
After World War II, thousands of surplus PT-17s were auctioned off to civilians and former military pilots. Many were modified for cropdusting use, with a hopper for pesticide or fertilizer fitted in place of the front cockpit. Additional equipment included pumps, spray bars, and nozzles mounted below the lower wings. A popular approved modification to increase the maximum takeoff weight and climb performance involved fitting a larger Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior engine and a constant-speed propeller.
