Stearman M-2 Speedmail
Stearman Aircraft Company · United States · first flew 1929 · transport aircraft
The Stearman M-2 Speedmail, nicknamed the Bull Stearman, was a mail-carrying biplane built by the Stearman Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Welded chrome-moly steel tube fuselage faired with wooden formers and fabric aft of the cockpit |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-seat biplane with two large cargo compartments in place of a front cockpit
- Welded chrome-moly steel tube fuselage faired with wooden formers and fabric aft of the cockpit
- Tailwheel instead of a tailskid
Look for a large single-seat mail biplane with a radial engine and cargo compartments ahead of the pilot.
Specifications
- The Stearman M-2 Speedmail has a length of 9.19 m (30 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.02 m (46 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 237 km/h (147 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It first flew on 15 January 1929. Lloyd Stearman and Mac Short designed it to the requirements of Varney Air Lines, which needed greater capacity while still using short unimproved strips, achieved with a Göttingen 398 airfoil.
Variants
The M-2 was powered by a 525 hp Wright Cyclone. The LT-1 was a larger five-seat passenger and mail version, and the CAB-1 Coach had an enclosed cabin; only one CAB-1 was built.
Where you'll see it
Seven M-2s were built. Varney Air Lines pilots found it difficult to handle and the Cyclone engine needed frequent maintenance. The sole survivor is in the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum in Hood River, Oregon.
Related aircraft
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