Warbird Information Exchange

Yep! If you have to use brakes then it is already too late and your only going to aggrevate the situation. I learned to fly never using brakes except for runup and making tight turns when taxiing. You would be surprised at what a little throttle and opposite rudder do to straighten out a botched landing. If it is too botched...go full and fly out of it.

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President National Waco Club
Curator for the Waco Historical Society Air Museum
Writer for VINTAGE AIRPLANE, SKYWAYS, BARNSTORMERS.COM EFLYER

I've used brakes on landing, but only when in the "no man's land" where you just need a little tap to help arrest drift when already at full rudder deflection. I don't think it is wise to try to use a brake if the radius of the turn is still decreasing. It usually leads to overcontrolling. Disc brakes sound like trouble on a Stearman for just that reason. If the brakes can hold you in place during a runup, why would you need more?

Auction is over. I dropped a off note to Salvex Inc. and asked if they got there $30K the owner wanted. Per them:
Yes we had someone bid accordingly however the seller was taking bids
from other companies as well and they said they got a bid in the
$60,000.00 range.
If they got $60K for it, I am speechless.

$60K for a wreck seems very high. Hopefully they've had a pre-buy inspection performed by a qualified mechanic. I don't care how nice it WAS, the new or repaired parts will never match and it won't be as nice as a fresh restoration.

Jeese 3 pages of a wrecked stearman that went for 60K, whats the world comming to!!!! If the new owner contacts me, I will send him a FREE bag of MARSH MELLOWS,Chocolate and Gram crackers for the bonfire!!!! Compliments of N3N owners everywhere!

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

If it was one of those Air Repair Stearmans worth $135,ooo. before the accident then the $60K sounds fair enough. We had a Stearman with a 220 hp. COntinental that a "friend put it overon it's nose and bent the prop to heck. My dad didn't do a tear down or anything and it was fine for another 15 years before he sold it. THe next owner groundlooped it and the engine was rebuilt at that time.
I'ts been a long timesince I have floiwn a Stearman butI used to say, "Brakes will correct 10% orf the problem and rudder 90%. In other words there is plenty of trouble to fix whateever the reason it is leaving the centerline. If you use brakes instead of proper stick or rudder , it only delays the inevitable groundloop. My gut is that the disc brakes only keep people from learning proper use of the rudder and make the airplane much more apt to go over on it's nose.