Warbird Information Exchange

Better yet, you can contact the people who are selling the Stearmans, and see what work they really need instead of relying on speculation.

I still recommend anyone who is seriously considering buying a duster project (or any other Stearman project) to use SRA as a resource... they are a group of very knowledgeable folks that have lots of time under their belts working on the ol' Kaydets. You can get a good idea as to what mods some of the dusters have that you can and can't use in restoration... and what the costs and time of making the wrongs right.

Of course the sellers would know what it may take, but surely they aren't going to be the most unbiased agents to look at... afterall, who is going to buy a hopeless basketcase, so they aren't necessarily going to tell you it is, even if it is

Ryan Keough

Yes good point Ryan, which raises the question of if one should expect the seller to show photos of the aircraft. Also a "pre purchase inspection" is also a good idea.

Chris

A pre-purchase inspection is absolutely required for any airplane, but especially when it comes to a duster Stearman, and anyone who is being upfront about selling one certainly won't have a problem with a potential buyer wanting to conduct one. If they do, PULL UP AND GO-AROUND! Walk out the door and don't look back.

Duster Stearmans run the gamut from veritable disasters to pretty reasonable projects. It depends on who converted them, what they were used for, and how they were maintained. Stearmans that never were dusters are actually kinda rare, so it can be done - don't get discouraged! But a pre-purchase inspection by someone that knows what they are looking at is definately required.

The SRA is a great resource, and if you're really serious about getting a Stearman then joining it should be your first move. They're a really great bunch of people, and the well of knowledge there is exceptional. Second step is to get the manuals - all the manuals. Several people advertise (especially on Ebay) the manuals on CD, and these are nice to have but only if you already have the paper ones. They can be hard to read and grainy, but they're good to have if you're on the road alot - like me, but they are no substitute for a real set of books. What I'm leading up to here is that when you go and look at an airplane you have to know what you're looking at - and conversely, what you're not - because most of it will be conspicuous by it's absense. The CD's of the blueprints are also readily available (they run about $200) and are worth ten times their weight in gold.

A duster Stearman in really good shape, at the absolute outside is only worth about $30K - $40 if she has a really good 450hp P&W, because the essential truth is that more of it will be missing than what is actually there if you intend to rebuild it back to original. Take a real good look at the fuselage frame, especially the tubing in the front cockpit and the lower longerons because it's here where they tended to have suffered the most from the chemicals, and take a real close look at the wing hardware. Some "airworthy" dusters will turn your hair grey when you open up the wings and look inside! And plan on replacing all the wing wood because not only is that a safety factor - you're worth it, right? - but it also adds a great deal to the value of the finished airplane. The wing kits (all new wood - you supply the hardware) are reasonably priced when you consider what you are getting and aren't hard to assemble.

Lastly, take a realistic look at what you're capabilities are. I don't mean that to sound discouraging, but at the very least you will need a garage to build the thing in, as well as some basic tools and a little bit of knowledge.

If anyone is out near my end of the woods (central Alberta) drop me a line and come take a look for yourself. I have a flying E75 and a project B75N1 and both of them were not only dusters, but crashed dusters. :-)

Keep 'em flyin'!

Dan