Stearman, 1941

[J2]

My father trained on the Air Force version. My cousin now owns a Navy version. The battle is on over the differences between the two. My father says there were significant differences, particularly in the location of controls. My cousin doubts the old man's memory. Can anybody help? What were the differences? I have been unable to locate a Web site with any detail.

Thanks,

J2

[David Layne]

I think the Navy version was called an N3N and was metal as opposed to fabric.

[GregP]

The N3N was completely different from the Stearman. Army Air Corps used the Stearman and the navy used the N3N from the Naval Aircraft Factory.

[Kutscha]

Isn't the Navy designation N2S?

In 1939 Boeing bought Stearman Aircraft, and as a result acquired the excellent Model 75 developed by Stearman from the X-70 first flown in December 1933. The U.S. Navy had taken 61 of the Model 73 production type with the designation NS-1, and development had then led to the Model 75 accepted by the U.S. Army as the PT-13 with the 160 kW (215 hp) Lycoming R-680-5 radial.

These 26 aircraft were just the beginning of a major development and production program. Further evolution led to 92 PT-13As with the 164 kW (220 hp) R-680-7 engine and improved instrumentation, 255 PT-13Bs with the R-680-11 engine, and six PT-13Cs with night-flying instrumentation. A change was then made to the 164 kW Continental R-670-5 radial for the PT-17, of which 3,510 were built in 1940. Specialist versions were the 18 blind-flying PT-17As and three pest-control PT-17Bs. The navy also operated the Model 75 as the N2S, and this series included 250 N2S-1s with the R-670-14 engine, 125 N2S-2s with the R-680-8 engine, 1,875 N2S-3s with the R-670-4, and 1,051 N2S-4s with the R-670-5 engine. Then came a common army/navy model produced as 318 PT-13Ds and 1,450 N2S-5s with the R-680-17 engine. Variants with Jacobs R-755-7 radials were designated PT-18 and, in the blind-flying role, PT-18A.

Some 300 aircraft supplied to Canada were designated PT-27 by the U.S.A. but were called Kaydet in the receiving country. This name is usually gives to all Model 75 variants."
http://www.mkgraphic.com/airforce/stearman.html

J2, you can get training films on DVD from here, http://zenoswarbirdvideos.com/StearmanNS2html.html