1940 Stearman

Specifications - Stearman Model 75:

• Crew: 2
• Wingspan: 32 ft 2 in
• Length: 24 ft 9 in
• Horsepower: most came with a Continental 220 hp engine, but ours has been upgraded to the Lycoming 300 hp engine.
• Number built: 9,783
• Number still registered today: 2,606
• Maximum speed: 135 mph
• Cruising Speed: 95 mph
• Service Ceiling: 13,200 ft.

The History Of the Stearman Model 75

Lloyd Stearman established the Stearman Aircraft Corporation in 1927.

The Stearman model 75 was used as a military trainer. Almost 10,000 were built in the US during the 1930s and 1940s.

The Stearman Model 75 served as a primary trainer for the US Army Air Force and the US Navy, where they were given the name Kaydet.

After World War 2, thousands of surplus aircraft were sold on the civilian market.

In the immediate post war years, the Stearman Model 75 became popular as a crop duster and sport plane.

Some were fitted with larger engines, up to 600 HP, and lived out their lives as airshow performers.

A national Stearman fly-in is held every year in Galesburg, Illinois.

FLY OUR 1940 STEARMAN!

Naval Air Station Corpus Christi Commissioned on March 12, 1941 by Captain Alva Berhard. Our Stearman was delivered to NAS Corpus Christi just 4 days after its commission on March 16, 1941. It was commissioned in response to the high demand for military pilots. First flight training started on May 5, 1941. In 1941, 800 instructors provided training for more than 300 student pilots per month. The training rate nearly doubled after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. By the end of World War II, over 35,000 naval aviators had earned their wings here. Trivia fact: Former President George H.W. Bush was in the third graduating class in June of 1943 and the youngest pilot ever to graduate. More Stearman Information