My favorite Stearman is up for sale!!!!!

[Michel Lemieux]

My favorite Stearman is up for sale!!!!!

No clue how it looks up close....but I really dig the end result.

Posted this a bit ago......I hope to see this bird up close one of these dazed....

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=51182&p=511730&hilit=stearman#p511730

160K$ https://www.hangar67.com/aircraft/2013-john-pike-1929xf/14277

Looks really....well built....



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[C VEICH]

I have always thought that this was an absolutely stunning project and I think it looks fantastic. Despite its obvious presence in and around Arizona I have never managed to run across it in person though.

[JohnB]

Great looking ship, aside from the wing planform, the only thing that gives it away as a Stearman are the modern (i.e. 1930s) landing gear legs as opposed to the "V" struts seen on the FB and P-12 family.

Some Curtiss fighters did have single leg gear... The P-6, F9C and F11C.
because of that, I've always thought the aircraft (or at least the fuselage) looked vaguely Curtiss FC -like.

Also, instead of the XF-9 designation on the tail, I would have made it the imaginary FS-1, as a nod to its Stearman roots, since the Navy did call Stearmans "Stearmans" as opposed to their corporate parent, Boeing....otherwise, the wartime trainers would have been "NB"s , not "NS"s.

Last edited by JohnB on Sun Jan 31, 2021 10:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[airnutz]

Not yer Granpa's Stearman(ish) with 600HP. Very sexxy, tho a bit slutty... they coulda been a bit classier and covered the girls jugs with a nice speed ring.

[Pogo]

Looks like it sported a nose bowl and speed ring at one time...?

Photo from their website.

Attachments

not a stearman.JPG (30.9 KiB) Viewed 3614 times

[airnutz]

Niiiice!! Thanks Pogo!

[Yak 11 Fan]

Saw this aircraft in the CAF hangar in Arizona a couple of years ago while on my road trip around California and Arizona, and was fortunate to meet the owner at Gillespie Field a few days later. Its a lovely looking aircraft and very well built. Would be great to see it in the air one day.

[Michel Lemieux]

Just thinking....looking at all the extra added drag components and all.

Yes the fake guns under the wing all the extra add-ons must have impacted the flight characteristics....

But what about the new tail end feathers!!??? This must change a lot of the expected flying behaviours no? Just curious.

[bdk]

Just thinking....looking at all the extra added drag components and all.

Yes the fake guns under the wing all the extra add-ons must have impacted the flight characteristics....

But what about the new tail end feathers!!??? This must change a lot of the expected flying behaviours no? Just curious.

The empennage looks stock to me except for the rudder. As for added drag, not sure how much it matters. Converting from 220 HP to 450 HP doesn't add much speed, mostly adds climb rate, noise and fuel burn. Would be interesting to know the speeds with the R-1340. I'll bet the climb rate is very impressive!

[airnutz]

Just thinking....looking at all the extra added drag components and all.

Yes the fake guns under the wing all the extra add-ons must have impacted the flight characteristics....

But what about the new tail end feathers!!??? This must change a lot of the expected flying behaviours no? Just curious.

The empennage looks stock to me except for the rudder. As for added drag, not sure how much it matters. Converting from 220 HP to 450 HP doesn't add much speed, mostly adds climb rate, noise and fuel burn. Would be interesting to know the speeds with the R-1340. I'll bet the climb rate is very impressive!

Note that their vitals sheet is saying this one is making 600 HP.

[OD/NG]

Just thinking....looking at all the extra added drag components and all.

Yes the fake guns under the wing all the extra add-ons must have impacted the flight characteristics....

But what about the new tail end feathers!!??? This must change a lot of the expected flying behaviours no? Just curious.

The empennage looks stock to me except for the rudder. As for added drag, not sure how much it matters. Converting from 220 HP to 450 HP doesn't add much speed, mostly adds climb rate, noise and fuel burn. Would be interesting to know the speeds with the R-1340. I'll bet the climb rate is very impressive!

Note that their vitals sheet is saying this one is making 600 HP.

Why is this a surprise? 450 Stearmans use R-985's and that is the appropriate rated h.p. for that engine. 600 Stearmans use R-1340's and that is the appropriate rated h.p. for that engine.

There have been several Stearmans or Stearman type projects utilizing a Stearman airframe over the years that have used both engines. This Stearman is not the first to use a 985 or 1340.

[airnutz]

Mea culpa, I was raised in a nunnery. I was under the impression 1340's were rated in a range of HP's and a coupla' folks were saying this was a 450. I was pointing out the data sheet info. My bad, all 1340's are 600 HP now.

[JohnB]

There have been several Stearmans or Stearman type projects utilizing a Stearman airframe over the years that have used both engines. This Stearman is not the first to use a 985 or 1340.

Weren't many, if not most, duster Stearmans powered by 985s?
There are two 450s, heavily modified with raised rear fuselages, enclosed back cockpits and 4 wing ailerons, on our local field.
Plus at least one 450 hp MCMD (Reade) special nearby.

If you're wondering whatever became of the engines, props and cowls off of parked Beech 18s, now you know.

Last edited by JohnB on Sun Feb 07, 2021 4:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[marine air]

IT's a really nice airplane and captures the spirit of early carrier operations. I hope he gets a nice price and it goes to a good owner. The earliest R-1340's started with around 450 hp. Many had 500 or 550. Eventually the 1340 AN-1 has 600 hp. The Stearman series had a USA 35B airfoil similar to the Piper Cub and Super Cub. You can't make that airfoil go very fast but 600hp should would get it an astonishing climb rate. There was a Stearman export attack fighter that had a different airfoil. So, maybe on this one he changed the airfoil. I've flown the 220 and 450hp Stearmans without cowling and a 300 hp WACO YMF-5D with speed ring. The speed ring looks great but keeps the engine heat compacted and close to the fuselage. It makes it at least 80 degrees in the cockpit. Great in the winter and not so great at other times. Maybe he took the speed ring off to improve pilot comfort.

[Fearless Tower]

That is the one Stearman I'd actually WANT to own.