Lloyd Stearman, an aeronautical engineer, had worked for a number of aircraft companies before establishing his own company in Venice, California, in 1926. He designed the airplanes, supervised their construction, and was the company’s test pilot. In 1929, the company was sold to the United Aircraft and Transport Company. In 1934, anti-trust legislation forced United to separate its airline and manufacturing operations. Stearman then became a subsidiary of Boeing. F
Shown below are some Stearman airplanes displayed in various museums.
1927 Stearman C-3B:
In 1927, Varney Air Lines turned to Stearman to design a more powerful and dependable mailplane. The result was the Stearman C-3B. This aircraft was on display in the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.
1927 Stearman C3B
This aircraft was on display in the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon.
1928 Stearman C3B
This airplane has a cruising speed of 108 MPH and a top speed of 126 MPH. A total of 122 of these airplanes were built. The engine is a 220 horsepower Wright J-5 Whirlwind.
This aircraft was on display in the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon.
1929 Stearman M-2 Speedmail “Bull Stearman”
This airplane has a cruising speed of 126 MPH and a top speed of 147 MPH. A total of 7 of these airplanes were built. The engine is a 600 horsepower Pratt & Whitney Hornet R-1690.
This aircraft was on display in the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon.
Stearman 4-D Junior Mail
This three-seat open cockpit biplane was first manufactured by Stearman in 1930. It has a top speed of 145 mph, could cruise at 120 mph, and had a range of 720 miles. The 4-D was used by Western Air Express. A total of 8 aircraft were produced. This aircraft was on display in the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California.
Stearman 4-D Junior Mail
This aircraft was on display in the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.
1930 Stearman Model 6L Cloudboy
The Cloudboy was originally designed as a commercial or military trainer. The 6L was fitted with a 200 horsepower Lycoming R-380-3 engine.
This aircraft was on display in the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon.
1931 Stearman Model 4D Jr. Speedmail
The 4D was fitted with the 300 horsepower Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior Engine. Only 8 were built.
This aircraft was on display in the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon.
1933 Stearman Model 70
This aircraft was on display in the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon.
Stearman PT-17
This aircraft was introduced in 1934 as a trainer. More than 10,000 were built in the United States. It has a maximum speed of 135 mph and a cruising speed of 96 mph.
This aircraft was on display in the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California.
Stearman PT13/17 Kaydet
This two-seat biplane was originally built by the Stearman Aircraft Company which was purchased by Boeing in 1934. Boeing renamed the aircraft E-75 Kaydet. According to the display:
“The plane was easy to fly, and relatively forgiving to new pilots. Although during landings, ground looping was a problem for student pilots. The aircraft acquired a reputation as a rugged airplane and a good teacher that could stand up to the riggers of student pilots who often wreaked havoc on training aircraft.”
More than 10,000 Kaydets were built. This aircraft has a cruising speed of 96 mph, a maximum speed of 124 mph, and a range of 505 miles.
This aircraft was on display in the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
Stearman Model 75 “Kaydet”:
These were built by the Stearman Aircraft Division of the Boeing Aircraft Company for the Armed Forces during World War II. This aircraft was on display in the Museum of Mountain Flying in Missoula, Montana.
1941 Stearman Kaydet
This airplane was on display in Historic Flight in Spokane, Washington.
This two-seater biplane was introduced by the Stearman Aircraft Division of Boeing in 1934. Between 1935 and 1944, 8,584 Kaydets were produced for both military and civilian use. According to the display:
“Despite its almost obsolete design, its simple, rugged construction made it idea for novice pilots of the U.S. Army Air Corps (PT-13/-17) and Navy (NS/N2S).”
The plane shown below began military service in 1941.
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Museums 201: Jet airplanes of the 1940s (photo diary)
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Museums 201: World War I Sopwith Airplanes (photo diary)
Museums 201: World War I Fokker Airplanes (photo diary)
Museums 201: The Curtiss Jenny Airplane (photo diary)