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The
Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a
biplane used as a military
trainer aircraft, of which at least 9,783 were built in the
United States during the 1930s and 1940s.
National Museum of the United States Air Force gives the figure 10,346.
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
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.
Distinctive sound
Because the design of the Stearman's propeller is unusual, reaching the
speed of sound in normal operation, the sound of the plane stands out from other, similar aircraft, and is considered something of a trademark.
Operational history
Post-War usage
After World War II, the...
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