1941 Boeing PT-17 Stearman “Kaydet”
The PT-17 “Kaydet” was the most common variant of the Boeing Stearman series, the primary flight trainer for the military during World War II and one of the most recognizable training aircraft. Post-war, it was used for crop-dusting, sport and stunt flying, and recreational flying.
Specs
Year: 1941
Capacity: One pilot, one student
Empty weight: 1,936 pounds
Wingspan: 32 ft. 2 in.
Maximum speed: 124 mph
Engine: Continental R-670-5, 220 HP
A World War II Trainer
The PT-17 “Kaydet” was the most common variant of the Boeing Stearman series, the primary flight trainer for the military during World War II and one of the most recognizable training aircraft. Post-war, it was used for crop-dusting, sport and stunt flying, and recreational flying.
First flown in 1934, the Stearman name changed depending on the nation and military branch flying it. The most common variant was the PT-17, used by Army and Navy. Regardless of name, the plane served as the primary military trainer for a half dozen nations. Over 8,000 were built in the U.S. and a majority of military pilots were required to solo in a PT-17 before they could earn their license.
Made primarily out of wood and fabric with a steel tube fuselage, the Kaydet was one of the strongest trainers built during World War II. Its welded steel fuselage allowed the plane to take the punishment of student pilots, while the wooden wings and fabric covering reduced costs compared to all-metal airplanes. It was easy to fly, and so made an ideal training aircraft. The tandem cockpit design allowed the student to sit in the front cockpit, with the instructor in the back. With the controls linked between the two cockpits, instructor pilots could easily take control of the plane when student pilots faltered.
Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) transported and trained with many different types of aircraft, including the Kaydet. Local Maryland aviator Elaine Harmon learned to fly with the Civilian Pilot Training Program out of College Park Airport during World War II. She was accepted into the WASP program and trained in Sweetwater, Texas, where half the day was spend in ground school on subjects like meteorology and navigation, and the other half was spent practice flying military aircraft like PT-17 Kaydets.
Our Boeing Stearman
This aircraft was donated by Gus McLeod in 2000.
On April 5, 2000, Gustavus “Gus” McLeod used this Stearman to become the first person to fly to the geographic North Pole in an open cockpit plane. A National Geographic film crew documented the twelve day flight by following in a chase plane. Temperatures at times reached -50 degrees Fahrenheit (-46 degrees Celsius), freezing his instruments and his body despite a specially designed six-layer flight suit. Despite the hardship, McLeod reached the geographic North Pole at 9:07 pm on April 17, 2000.
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