Boeing-Stearman Model 75

 Boeing-Stearman Model 75

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. In the U.S. there are 1,638 with a valid registration.

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.

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. The PT-17 (A75N1) is the most common Stearman on the U.S. register today.

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.

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.

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.

Owner and mechanic notes: coming soon. What to check before you buy, common problems and what they cost to fix. Airplane Wiki is gathering this from owners and mechanics.

Photos

• 
  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

All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.

Buying a Boeing-Stearman Model 75

For sale listings: coming soon. Airplane Wiki will list Boeing-Stearman Model 75s for sale here, with the facts on this page beside every listing.