Stearman N2S-4 Kaydet

Stearman Aircraft · USA · first flew 1942 · light aircraft

The N2S-4 was a late-production US Navy Stearman Kaydet variant, powered by the Lycoming R-680-17 engine and essentially equivalent in capability and appearance to other N2S marks.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	7.54 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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N2S-4 Navy Kaydet with Lycoming R-680-17 engine
Late-production biplane trainer variant
Open-cockpit equal-span biplane, WWII primary trainer

Visually indistinguishable from other N2S variants in the air; all share the same biplane silhouette with open tandem cockpits, N-struts, and a prominent radial engine.

Specifications

The Stearman N2S-4 Kaydet has a length of 7.54 m (25 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9.8 m (32 ft).
Its maximum speed is 198 km/h (123 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Ordered as engine supply and production scheduling demanded, the N2S-4 continued the Kaydet's role as the Navy's standard biplane primary trainer through the peak of World War II pilot production; the variant distinctions within the N2S series reflect engine sourcing rather than doctrinal differences.

Variants

The N2S-4 was followed by the N2S-5, the final Navy Kaydet variant; after the war, surviving aircraft of all marks were pooled and many were sold as surplus.

Where you'll see it

Operated at Navy primary training commands alongside N2S-1 through N2S-3 and N2S-5 variants; the Kaydet family as a whole trained a generation of naval aviators.

Related aircraft

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