Boeing-Stearman Model 75
_(50906088841).jpg) Boeing-Stearman Model 75. Photo: Alan Wilson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Boeing |
|---|---|
| Model | Boeing-Stearman Model 75 |
| Type | Biplane trainer |
| Country |  United States
|
| Number built | 10,626 (includes model 70, 75 and 76) |
| Registered in the US | 1,638 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 2 |
| Engine | Continental R-670-5, 220 hp |
| Cruise speed | 96 mph (PT-17) |
| Service ceiling | 13,200 ft (PT-17) |
| Max weight | 2,635 lb (PT-17)
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The Boeing-Stearman Model 75, widely known as the Stearman or Kaydet, is a biplane built as a military trainer; at least 10,626 were built in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s. Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. It was the primary trainer of the U.S. Army Air Forces, the U.S. Navy (as the NS and N2S) and the Royal Canadian Air Force throughout World War II.[1] In the U.S. there are 1,638 with a valid registration.[2]
History
In late 1933 Stearman engineers Mac Short, Harold W. Zipp and J. Jack Clark took a 1931 Lloyd Stearman design and added cantilever landing gear and adjustable elevator trim tabs to make the Model 70. Strong enough for +12 and −9 g, it used a 210 hp Lycoming R-680 and first flew on January 1, 1934. The Navy then asked for a version to its own specification, the Model 73 or NS-1.[1]
The Army Air Forces flew the Model 75 under three names depending on its radial engine: PT-13 (Lycoming R-680), PT-17 and PT-18.[1] The PT-17 (A75N1) is the most common Stearman on the U.S. register today.[2]
After the war
After World War II thousands of surplus Stearmans were sold to civilians and former military pilots. Many became crop dusters, with a hopper for chemicals in place of the front cockpit and spray bars under the lower wings, and a popular change fitted a bigger Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior with a constant-speed propeller. Others became sport planes and air-show mounts for aerobatics and wing walking.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 1,638 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| A75N1(PT17) | 752 |
| E75 | 257 |
| B75N1 | 239 |
| A75 | 93 |
| E75N1 | 76 |
| A75N1 | 65 |
| PT-17 | 37 |
| D75N1 | 35 |
| PT-13D | 24 |
| 75 | 17 |
| B75 | 15 |
| N2S-3 | 7 |
| N2S-5 | 5 |
| PT-13B | 5 |
| PT-13 | 3 |
| E75(N2S-5) | 2 |
| N2S-4 | 2 |
| B75(N2S-2) | 1 |
| N2S-1 | 1 |
| PT-17A | 1 |
| 1 other model names | 1 |
Specifications (PT-17)
| Item | PT-17 |
|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
| Length | 24 ft 9 in |
| Wingspan | 32 ft 2 in |
| Height | 9 ft 8 in |
| Wing area | 298 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 1,931 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 2,635 lb |
| Fuel | 46 USgal |
| Engine | Continental R-670-5, 220 hp (7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine) |
| Propeller | fixed-pitch propeller |
| Maximum speed | 124 mph |
| Cruise speed | 96 mph |
| Service ceiling | 13,200 ft |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Boeing Stearman E75 (PT-13D) Kaydet, UK registration G-BSWC, at Keevil Airfield, Wiltshire, England. Photo: Arpingstone, Public domain -
Boeing-Stearman NS-1 Bi-plane. Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain -
Boeing-Stearman Model 75. Photo: United States. Office of War Information. Overseas Picture Division. W, Public domain -
IAF Boeing Stearman PT-13. Photo: Uri Ben-Avraham, CC BY-SA 2.5 -
Boeing-Stearman Model 75. Photo: USN, Public domain -
Boeing-Stearman Model 75. Photo: Chuckborri, CC BY 3.0 -
Boeing-Stearman Model 75. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Boeing-Stearman Model 75. Photo: JAlejandroRM, CC BY-SA 3.0
_(50906088841).jpg){kind=link}
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Boeing-Stearman Model 75
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Wikipedia, "Boeing-Stearman Model 75", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.