The
Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane, of which at least 9,783 were built in the
United
States
during the 1930s and 1940s as a military trainer aircraft. 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
USAAF, as a basic trainer for
the
USN (as the NS & N2S),
and with the RCAF as the Kaydet throughout
World War II. After the conflict was over,
thousands of surplus aircraft were sold on the civil market. In the
immediate post-war years they became popular as
crop dusters and as sports planes.
Design and development
Boeing Stearman NS1, NAS Pensacola
Flight School 1936.
Boeing Stearman E75 (PT-13D) of
1944
Boeing Stearman (PT-13) of the Israeli
Air force
The Kaydet was a conventional biplane of rugged construction with
large, fixed tailwheel undercarriage, and accommodation for the
student and instructor in open
cockpits in
tandem. The radial engine was usually uncowled, although some
Stearman operators choose to cowl the engine, most notably the
Red Baron
Stearman Squadron.
Operational history
Post-War usage
After World War II, the thousands of PT-17 Stearmans were auctioned
off to civilians and former 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 engine and a
constant speed propeller.
Variants
The US Army Air Forces Kaydet had three different designations
based on its power plant:
-
- PT-13 Initial production. R-680-B4B engine. 26
built. Boeing Model 75.
- PT-13A R-680-7 engine. 92 delivered 1937-38.
Model A-75.
- PT-13B R-680-11 engine. 255 delivered
1939-40.
- PT-13C Six PT-13Bs modified for instrument
flying.
- PT-13D PT-13As equipped with the R-680-17
engine. 353 delivered.
- PT-17 with a Continental R-670-5 engine. 3,519
delivered
- PT-17A 18 PT-17s were equipped with
blind-flying instrumention.
- PT-17B Three PT-17s were equipped with
agricultural spraying equipment for pest-control.
- PT-18 PT-13 with a Jacobs R-755 engine, 150 built.
- PT-18A Six PT-18s fitted with blind-flying
instrumention.
- PT-27 Canadian PT-17. This designation was
given to 300 aircraft supplied under Lend-Lease to the RCAF.
The US Navy had several versions including:
- NS-1 Up to 61 delivered. powered by surplus
220 hp (164 kW) Wright J-5
Whirlwind. Model 73.
- N2S Known colloquially as the "Yellow Peril" from its overall-yellow paint
scheme.
- N2S-1 R-670-14 engine. 250 delivered to the US
Navy.
- N2S-2 R-680-8 engine. 125 delivered to the US
Navy.
- N2S-3 R-670-4 engine. 1,875 delivered to the
US Navy.
- N2S-4 99 US Army aircraft were diverted to the
US Navy, plus 577 new aircraft were delivered to the US Navy.
- N2S-5 R-680-17 engine. 1,450 delivered to the
US Navy.
Operators
Survivors
A considerable number of Stearmans remain in flying condition
throughout the world, as the type remains a popular sport plane and
warbird.
Specifications (PT-17)
{{aircraft specifications
| plane or copter?=plane |
| jet or prop?=prop |
ref={name of first source}
|
| crew=two, student and instructor |
| capacity= |
| length main= 24 ft 3 in |
| length alt= 7.39 m |
| span main= 32 ft 2 in |
| span alt= 9.81 m |
| height main= 9 ft 2 in |
| height alt= 2.79 m |
| area main= |
| area alt= |
| airfoil= |
| empty weight main= 1,936 lb |
| empty weight alt= 878 kg |
| loaded weight main= |
| loaded weight alt= |
| useful load main= |
| useful load alt= |
| max takeoff weight main= 2,717 lb |
| max takeoff weight alt= 1,232 kg |
more general=
|
| engine (prop)=Continental
R-670-5 |
| type of prop= |
| number of props=1 |
| power main= 220 hp |
| power alt= 164 kW |
power original=
|
| max speed main=124 mph |
| max speed alt= 198 km/h |
| cruise speed main= |
| cruise speed alt= |
| never exceed speed main= |
| never exceed speed alt= |
| stall speed main= |
| stall speed alt= |
| range main=505 mi |
| range alt= 808 km |
| ceiling main= 11,200 ft |
| ceiling alt= 3,415 m |
| climb rate main= |
| climb rate alt= |
| loading main= |
| loading alt= |
| thrust/weight= |
| power/mass main= |
| power/mass alt= |
| more performance= |
| armament= |
avionics=
}}
See also
References
Notes
- National
Museum of the United States Air Force gives the figure
10,346.
- NMUSAF fact sheet: PT-13 Kaydet
- Bowers 1989, pp.252-253.
- United States Air Force Museum 1975, p. 21.
-
http://www.warbirddepot.com/aircraft_trainers_stearman-cwhm.asp
Bibliography
- Avis, Jim and Bowman, Martin. Stearman: A Pictorial
History. Motorbooks, 1997. ISBN 0-76030-479-3.
- Bowers, Peter M. Boeing Aircraft since 1916.
London:Putnam, 1989. ISBN 0-85177-804-6.
- Phillips, Edward H. Stearman Aircraft: A Detailed
History . Specialty Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58007-087-6.
Videography
- Stearman, Lloyd. Stearmans, You Gotta Love Them. Lap
Records, 2005. (NTSC Format)
External links
|
in Dayton,
Ohio
. This aircraft is the last Kaydet produced.
It was donated in 1959 by the Boeing Aircraft Company, which
purchased the Stearman Company in 1938.
in Norfolk.
Naval and Maritime Museum in Charleston,
SC.
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