Stearman (Boeing) PT-17 Trainer
Model Airplane News Cover Art for May, 1960
by Jo Kotula
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The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane developed as a military trainer aircraft. 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 PT-17), as a basic trainer for the USN (as the NS & N2S), and with the RCAF as the Kaydet throughout World War II. 9,783 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s.

  

Stearman (Boeing) PT-17 Trainer
Click to Enlarge

After World War II, the thousands of PT-17 Stearmans were auctioned off to civilians and former pilots. Many were modified for cropdusting use, with a hopper for pesticide or fertilizer fitted in place of the front cockpit. Additional equipment included pumps, spray bars, and nozzles mounted below the lower wings. A popular approved modification to increase the maximum takeoff weight and climb performance involved fitting a larger Pratt & Whitney R-985 engine and a constant speed propeller.

Here is a video of the Stearman (Boeing) PT-17 Trainer in action:

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