Stearman

The Stearman was a biplane trainer produced by the Stearman Aircraft Company (later purchased by Boeing) between 1934 and 1945.

A 1941 Boeing Stearman

History of the Stearman

• The Stearman Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas introduces a new two-seat, biplane trainer prototype called the Model 70 in 1933 at the height of the Depression, precursor to the production Model 73
• The U.S. Navy orders 61 Model 73 Stearmans in 1934 after approval of the prototype
• Various versions of the Model 73 follow, with Lycoming R-680C-1 or Wright R-760-ET (J-6-7) engines instead of the original 220 hp Wright J-5 Whirlwind engine, as well as other minor improvements to the original design
• The familiar Model 75 Kaydet Trainer Series is produced during WWII, after Stearman becomes a division of Boeing, delivered mostly to the U.S. Navy and Army Air Corps
• The Stearman name continues to be affectionately used by both service and civil pilots anyway
• Various versions of the Model 75 follow, with a variety of engines, markings and design details, although very little change is made to the original design aft of the firewall
• Delivery of 300 Model D-75N1 (PT-27, RCAF Kaydet) to the RCAF with winterization features for Canada occurs between February-October 1942 (one is tested with an enclosed canopy over both cockpits, but this does not become a widely used feature)
• The Model 76 is developed as an export version that included armament and engines in the 320-400 hp range
• The equivalent of 10,346 Stearmans, Models 70-76, are built in total, consisting of 8,584 complete aircraft with the remainder as spare parts
• Post-war, Stearmans are sought after for conversion to crop dusters and sprayers, but are generally replaced by the late 1950’s with purpose-designed aircraft
• Today Stearmans are a popular choice for aircraft restorers and air show pilots
• Model identification requires examination of the aircraft’s paperwork and cockpit nameplate, as a myriad of modifications have been made to most Stearmans in the field

With grateful acknowledgement to Mr. Peter M. Bowers, author of Boeing Aircraft Since 1916, published in 1989 by the Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland 21402. For more detail, please see pp 251-269 of this definitive Boeing history.