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PT-13 "STEARMAN"
The plane that trained a generation of pilots in the 1930s & 1940s
MODEL 75
TYPE
Trainer
MAX SPEED
124 MPH
CREW
2
CEILING
11,200 ft
CRUISE
96 MPH
WINGSPAN
32 ft
INTRODUCTION
1934
NUMBER BUILT
10,000+
LENGTH
24 ft
About The PT-13
Designed by Stearman Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas; Stearman became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. The nickname "Stearman" stuck and in Canada it is known as the "Kaydet".
The Stearman or it's US Army Air Corps designation of PT-13A was the primary pilot trainer of the United States Army Air Forces, the US Navy, and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Kaydet) throughout the 1930s and 40s.
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Various models were built with differing engines, instrumentation, and equipment. The model A75L3 (PT-13) and A75N1 (PT-17) were approved for civilian use and were sold to civilian flight schools and exported abroad.
After the end of World War II, thousands of surplus aircraft were auctioned to civilians and former military pilots. The Stearman became popular as a crop duster and was often used for aerial distribution of fertilizers and pesticides.
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Approximately 1,000 Stearman's remain airworthy today.
(1942) US Navy N2S used for air ambulance work at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Photo: US Library of Congress
