Stearman

brien23

brien23

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Brien
Thinking of buying a Stearman with the P&W 985 price looks to have been flat over the last 10 years and I understand they can be hard to sell. The one I am looking at is a project and unless I can get it at the right price, I can buy a nice flying one cheaper than I can rebuild this one. Question is for Stearman types their seem to be very nice ones out their for sale at good prices just how hard are they to sell.
 
They're a niche airplane...you just have to find somebody in that niche.
 
Just like anything. You buy a really nice top quality restored bird you will not have a problem selling one day. You buy a project you will probably be stuck with it. Call Robbie at Texasstearmans.com
 
I am thinking I might like to own one.

Many years ago I was driving down the road and saw one flying the same direction I was going, and not much faster. He must have been following the road, possibly 500 feet. I could see his goggles, leather skull cap and scarf flapping in the breeze. Actually that sight made me decide to finally decide I wanted to fly. It has been one of my fantasies to own an open cockpit bi-plane.
 
Mr. "GA is dying" buying a Stearman¿? Shouldn't you be hedging your bets, you know stockpiling bugout bags or something? :D
 
One and only flight in a Stearman was as a passenger sightseeing over the downtown early on a beautiful, dead calm summer morning, watching the poor commuters hustling to their hermetically sealed offices. The fantasy of owning one as a toy, just to do that sort of thing has stuck with me since. Buy the airplane to fly it, not to sell it. Go for it!
 
You will spend more getting a project flying than you will buying a nice one. I've helped rebuild a Stearman and they are a LOT of work. The 985 is heavey and burns a lot of gas. Try to find one with a 300hp Lycoming R680 with Ham C/S prop. Better yet find a N3N with the 300 and get a real Cadillac. I have flown several Stearmans with stock 220 and 225hp, 300 Lyc and 450 Pratt. Also stock 235hp N3n and 300 Lyc. The Lyc is the best engine and the N3N is much lighter on the controls and about 10 mph faster than a Stearman. You can buy a nice Stearman or N3N for around $80,000.
 
Stearman prices have indeed been pretty flat and if anything have dropped a little over the last 5 or so years. Add to that the 450 is really a niche airplane. I have flown both 220 and 450 Stearmans. I enjoyed flying the 450 (I was getting paid) but would not buy a 450 unless it was to operate professionally (crop dusting or airshow acro routine). It has a lot of power (220 is a bit underpowered), but you are burning 22-23 gph vs 12-13 gph and you aren't going much faster.

If you want a fun vintage biplane to fly for fun and have an easier time reselling, the stock PT-17 is the one you want. Personally I think the N3Ns are a good deal, but I've noticed that the N3Ns sit on the market longer waiting for a buyer than PT-17s.
 
Depending on where you live, I've seen some people make some pretty good cash giving quickie biplane rides, those dudes could probably keep it tuning all day!
 
Actually when my friend sold his N3N last year we had a couple of solid buyers and sold it in less than 30 days. The N is a much nicer flying airplane than the Stearman and it is all metal with big access panels that go all the way down the left side of the fuselage making maintenance a breeze.
 
yakdriver said:
Actually when my friend sold his N3N last year we had a couple of solid buyers and sold it in less than 30 days. The N is a much nicer flying airplane than the Stearman and it is all metal with big access panels that go all the way down the left side of the fuselage making maintenance a breeze.
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Of course. You are always going to have cases where the right buyer comes along at the right time. I'm simply pointing out that on average, N3Ns sit longer on the market than Stearmans. Doesn't mean Stearmans are better.
 
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