Boeing Stearman?

[Matthew1954]

Hi, can anyone identify the aircraft my father is leaning nonchalantly against? He told my sister it was a Tiger Moth but that appears to have only two wing struts whilst photos of the Boeing Stearman show it having three and the horizontal component. Any help would be gratefully received. Thanks Matthew

 

[Wurger]

I would say - the Stearman. You are right, the Tiger Moth had the different wing struts. Also the rigging looks different.
I'm not sure the training plane was used on the USA territory at all. On the British one ,yes , these were used by the USAAF units to liaison duties. The RAF Tiger Moth planes wore a camouflage consisted of the DarkEarth/ Dark Green camo spots on tops and yellow undersides. Those used by the USAAF retained the RAF camo scheme with the US insignia modified from the British ones. The plane in your pic has the US national marking of the early layout ( the white star on the blue disc with red small disc in the centre ) and a solid colour on the fuselage . Additionally, the Tiger Moth had small "doors" on the port and starboard sides of the fuselage making getting on the plane easier. Also these cockpit "holes" are of different shape for the British plane. And finally, a small detail that can be seen in your image ... there is an handle on the bottom area of the fuselage for manual moving or lifting. The Tiger Mots didn't have a such handle there.

 

[Matthew1954]

Many thanks. I can add a little flesh to the photograph.

 

[gumbyk]

I'm not too sure about it being a Stearman either. The fuselage angle to the ground doesn't seem right to me. The Stearman sits higher at the front than this one looks like.

 

[Airframes]

Could be an Avro Tutor, or the Canadian aircraft the name of which I can't remember, but was one of the Fleet products. This could be particularly true if the photo was taken at one of the 'Empire' schools in Canada.
I agree it's definitely not a tiger Moth, and too small for a Stearman.

 

[Wurger]

Terry , was the Avro Tutor used in the USA ?

 

[Wurger]

I'm not too sure about it being a Stearman either. The fuselage angle to the ground doesn't seem right to me. The Stearman sits higher at the front than this one looks like.

I don't think so...

 

[N4521U]

It has, or did they All have, the stall strip on the leading edge of the lower wing?
It is a little triangular strip of wood under the fabric under his arm and is visible in the front view photo of the 25 plane.
Struts, wires, and cockpit windscreens all match up.

 

[gumbyk]

Could it be a Fleet Finch? I'll have a look at the one out here for the stall strips, next time I'm out at the airfield.

 

[N4521U]

But then having said that, I believe the stall strip was on one wing only?
If it would fall off to the starboard it would be on That wing.
I seem to remember it did not run the full length of the wing, only about a foot long very inboard.

 

[gumbyk]

I've only ever seen them fitted to both wings of an aircraft, to even out the stalling characteristics, and ensure both wings stall at the same time, and stall inboard prior to the outboard, so not usually along the entire length. I wonder if that could be a seam along the leading edge?

 

[R Pope]

Yep, Stearman. The wing brace wires are a dead giveaway. Double flying wires and splayed landing wires all say Stearman.

 

[Airframes]

Just been checking a couple of things, and it's not the Fleet aircraft I was thinking of. Although it looks relatively small in that photo, I think the guys are correct, and it's a Stearman.
Wojtek, I'm not totally sure, but I think Avro Tutors were used in Canada, in the Empire Scheme training schools, along with the Fleet.

 

[Lucky13]

That is a lot of Stearmans!

 

[Wurger]

THX Terry for the info. As I had said it before... there was the US national insignia of the early shape on the wing underside. So I doubt it could be used by the RAF , Canadian or other of the UK training school. But all is always possible.

 

[N4521U]

Would not be a seam.
Fabric is wrapped over the wing like a pillow case, seam at the back overlapped top and bottom. Then a pinked tape over the seam. In fact the stitching over the ribs are half the distance apart in the prop wash as outside the wash on the wing ribbing. This keeps it from flapping up and down in the prop stream. There is a pad of fabric over the sheet metal leading edge Under the fabric.

 

[gumbyk]

Yeah, after writing that, I started thinking about it, and it couldn't be....

Engage brain first, then start writing....

 

[Airframes]

THX Terry for the info. As I had said it before... there was the US national insignia of the early shape on the wing underside. So I doubt it could be used by the RAF , Canadian or other of the UK training school. But all is always possible.


View attachment 254468

Ah! I didn't spot that!
So, probably/possibly RAF pilot under training, at one of the US schools later in WW2, and therefore yes, a Stearman.
Funny how they look smaller in some photos but, for a biplane trainer, they look so big, close up, in real life - and sound even bigger!

 

[Matthew1954]

Hi, thanks for all the information. My father was in the RAF between Oct 1941 and Jul 1946. I don't know if the photo was taken when he was training to be a pilot or when he was training other to be pilots. He spent some time in the USA, I don't know when until I get his records.

 

[N4521U]

There yah go, maybe later in the States.
I got to control a hot rod Stearman. 400hp? 4 ailerons! What a machine........