Boeing Stearman

The Stearman Kaydet was introduced in 1934 as a biplane 2 seat military trainer. The Stearman company became a subsidiary of the Boeing Aircraft Company the same year. Although it was not the only aircraft built by Stearman it is the best known which has lead to the aircraft being known as the Boeing Stearman.

The aircraft in various forms was adopted as a primary trainer for the US Army and Navy as well as more than a dozen other nations.

After World War 2 many of the military surplus aircraft were sold to civilians and it quickly became popular as an agricultural spraying aircraft (crop duster).

Development of the air tanker

In 1955 a Stearman Kaydet being used as a crop duster was experimentally modified with a simple dump system allowing it to drop its load of 170 gallons of water onto a fire. This aircraft would make several water drops on a forest fire in August 1955 becoming the worlds first operational air tanker.

Similar aircraft would be used as air tankers into the early 1960s. By the mid 1960s more powerful aircraft capable of carrying much larger payloads at higher speeds were being converted into air tankers which made small aircraft like the Stearman obsolete.

Boeing Stearman Kaydet
 * Manufacturer: Boeing Aircraft Company
 * Crew: 1
 * Payload: 150 to 200 gallons (567 to 756 liters) of water or fire retardant
 * Gross Weight: 2635 pounds (878 kg)
 * Cruising Speed: 96 mph (155 kph)
 * Range: 505 miles (812 km)
 * Wing Span: 32 feet 2 inches (9.81 m)
 * Engine: Continental R-670 radial piston engine, 220 horsepower (164 kW)