Stearman PT-17 15e ARF

Introduced as a primary trainer for the U.S. Army Air Corps in the days leading up to WWII, the Stearman PT-17’s robust construction and good-natured flying manners endeared it to thousands of pilots throughout the war years and beyond. Its sheer numbers (over 10,000 built, by some estimates) and numerous post-war roles, from crop duster to air show star, have made it one of the most recognizable biplanes among the general public to this day.

E-flite has expertly re-created the rugged good looks and benign flight behavior of the full-scale Stearman with this easy-to-assemble 15-size model that is a joy to fly. It comes out of the box constructed of balsa and light plywood and covered in an authentic early-WWII UtlraCote® trim scheme. Other scale touches include a painted fiberglass cowl, painted fiberglass landing gear fairings, and a great-looking 9-cylinder dummy radial engine. Assembly is remarkably simple thanks to the plug-in wings and bolt-on interplane struts. E-flite’s even included specially designed jigs that allow you to keep the upper and lower wing halves connected for easier transport and storage.

In the air the Stearman PT-17 15e’s flat-bottom airfoils and light wing loading translate into exceptionally scale-like flight characteristics that everyone from intermediate to advanced pilots will instantly fall in love with.