SCALE MODEL NEWS

NEARLY 11,000 STEARMAN PT-17 TRAINERS were built, from 1934 until 1945. The new Revell kit should satisfy scale builders of aircraft from this era, or model makers who prefer civil versions, many of which are still flying today. SMN report: A widely-used training machine, the Stearman PT-17 introduced thousands of Allied trainees to the world of flight. This Revell kit features the PT-17, which was the standard US Army and US Navy basic trainer aircraft throughout World War II. But you are not limited to military markings, as many were sold off to civil flyers when the war ended. According to the Revell spec, the assembled 1:48 scale PT-17 features: * Two detailed cockpits * A detailed radial engine and cowling * Rotatable two-blade propeller * Detailed landing gear, with moulded tyre tread * Decals include options for either a US Navy or US Army version Judging from the Revell publicity pictures, it looks like the company has nailed it where the Stearman model’s finished appearan...

The Boeing-Stearman Model 75 (also known as the PT-17 and Kaydet) was a biplane first built in the mid-1930s, followed by wide use as a military trainer throughout World War II. David Jefferis: Thousands of Stearmans - some 9,800 in all - rolled off assembly lines and introduced flight trainees to the fundamentals of pilot skills. When World War II ended, thousands of military-surplus Stearman trainers went on to fly a galaxy of civilian jobs, from crop dusting to barnstorming aero displays. A used Stearman was not expensive - you could get a good condition ex-service one for less than half the $11,000 USD it had cost to build - and this, coupled with great flying qualities and easy maintenance, made the aircraft extremely popular with its new owners. As for the Revell kit, it has plenty of detail, including a full interior sub-frame (instruction detail below) support struts, and landing gear, plus a multi-component engine. The metal sub-frame that Revell has modelled is an important ...