The Boeing-Stearman Kaydet has fabric-covered wooden wings, single-leg landing gear and a robust welded steel-tube fuselage which made it well-suited to the stresses which trainee pilots often placed upon an airplane. Being amongst the most vital training platforms, Kaydets were produced in great quantity. Between 1936 and 1944, more than 8,584 examples rolled off the production lines. The equivalent of a further 2,000 airplanes were produced as spare parts.
The Museum’s Kaydet, although marked as a US Navy N2S, was actually built in 1941 as a PT-17 (s/n 41-25254) for the US Army Air Forces. It served as a primary trainer throughout the war and remained in service until its retirement in 1945. The Museum’s aircraft, like many others of the breed, owes its survival to civilian aerial-applicator services. It flew for many years as a crop duster before the Military Aviation Museum acquired it, one of the first aircraft in the collection.
Did You know?
Many primary trainers were brightly colored because they did not have on-board radios. This gave other pilots greater ability to see and avoid trainer aircraft in flight.
Specifications
- Number Built: 8,584 total Kaydets
- Year Produced: 1941
- Serial Number: 41-25254
- Crew: (2) Instructor Pilot, Student Pilot
- Current Pilots:
Dimensions
- Length: 24 ft. 3 in.
- Wingspan: 32 ft. 2 in.
- Empty Weight: 1,936 lbs.
- Loaded Weight: 2,717 lbs.
- Engine: 1x Continental R-670-5 seven-cylinder, air-cooled, radial piston engine
- Engine Power: 220 hp
Performance
- Cruising Speed: 96 mph
- Max Speed: 106 mph
- Range: 505 miles
- Ceiling: 11,200 ft.
- Rate of Climb: 800 ft./min. initial
Armament
- N/A – unarmed
Gallery & Media
