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|---|---|---|---|
| Description (Photo as of 22 Nov 2005) | |||
| Manufacturer: | Stearman | ||
| Designation: | PT-13 | ||
| Version: | D | ||
| Nickname: | Kaydet | ||
| Type: | Trainer (Primary) | ||
| Specifications | |||
| Length: | 24' 10" | ||
| Height: | 9' 2" | ||
| Wingspan: | 32' 2" | ||
| Cost: | $11,000 | ||
| Gross Weight: | 2,717 lbs | ||
| Propulsion | |||
| No. of Engines: | 1 | ||
| Powerplant: | Lycoming R-680 | ||
| Horsepower (each): | 220 hp | ||
| Performance | |||
| Range: | 450 miles | ||
| Cruise Speed: | 104 mph | ||
| Max Speed: | 125 Mph | ||
| Ceiling: | 14,000 Ft | ||
Usually resplendent in the paint scheme of blue fuselage, yellow wings and red with white striped tail, these sturdy biplanes covered the ramps of Army Air Force Bases and filled with skies over the central and western United States during the war.
From 1940 to 1945, almost every Army and Navy Student pilot earned his wings in a "Kaydet',' or more commonly referred to as the "Stearman'.
Production of the original version of the PT-13 began in October of 1934. In February of 1945, when production had ended, 10,346 "Stearmans" of all variants (PT-13; PT-17, U.S. Navy N2S and Canadian PT-27) and subtypes had been constructed. They were also exported to China and Peru during the war.
According to the website "www.aerofiles.com/_stear.html", the historic chain of ownership of aircraft named "Stearman, Boeing-Stearman, Stearman-Hammond, or Stearman-Northrop" is a function of the year they were in production according to the following: "1926: (Lloyd C) Stearman Aircraft Co, 353 3rd Ave, Venice CA; 1927: Santa Monica CA. 1927: Stearman Aircraft Corp (pres: J Earl Schaefer), Wichita KS. 1929: Merged as Stearman Aircraft Div, United Aircraft Corp, Wichita. 1929: Absorbed Hamilton Metalplane Co. 1931: L C Stearman resigned to join Lockheed Corp, Burbank CA. 1931: Northrop Aircraft, Burbank, and Stearman Aircraft Corp, Wichita. 1936: Stearman-(Dean B) Hammond, Oakland CA. 1941: Stearman Aircraft Div, Boeing Airplane Co, Wichita. July 1968: Reformed as Stearman Aircraft Corp, Washington DC." The website indicates that all PT-13's were manufactured with Lycoming R-680 engines while all PT-17's were manufactured with Continental R-670 engines. The March Field Museum's aircraft S/N 42-16388 is shown to be listed among the production of PT-17 aircraft. The definition of a PT-17 is "PT-13 with 220hp Continental R-670". At some point in time, the museum's aircraft had it's Continental engine removed and replaced with a Lycoming engine, making it into a PT-13 configuration. (Note: over the years we had identified our aircraft (S/N 42-16388) at first as a PT-13D, then later as a PT-17D). Because the engine is Lycoming, so we choose to return to the identification of our aircraft as a PT-13D. This aircraft is on loan from the USAF.
Post war, these maneuverable biplanes were sold surplus for a few hundred dollars. Snapped up by agriculture pilots, they placed crop dusting tanks in the front cockpit and spray bars on the wing trailing edges. These biplanes are featured in numerous airshow acts today.
