Stearman

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This a beautiful example of a Boeing Kaydet, made by the Stearman division of Boeing during the 1930’s and 1940’s.  Often known as the Stearman, it was a trainer aircraft for new pilots during World War II.   I imagine many a military pilot started his career flying along in the open cockpit Stearman with an instructor barking orders at them, and a year or two later they would find themselves strapped into a fighter like the Mustang in the background, hurtling through the skies over Europe in combat.     After the war many Stearmans went into civilian use as crop dusters and general sport planes.   This one was on display at the Wichita Flight Festival.