Page 30 - Volume 13 Number 4

Cloudboy and upgraded the airframe by adding a number of features, some of which had not been employed on any previous Stearman aircraft.
Chief among these was a full cantilever main landing gear that provided a compact, uncluttered installation and reduced parasite drag. Next, the ailerons were mounted only on the lower wing panels and the fuselage’s circular cross section generally resembled that of the handsome Model 80. Last, a new empennage design
was incorporated that featured adjustable trim tabs on the trailing edge of the elevator surfaces. Overall, at least on paper, the team believed they had succeeded in creating a modern, rugged and affordable airplane well suited for training fledglings.1
The first and only Model 70 built was Stearman con- structor number (serial number) 701 and was registered initially as X571Y (X=Experimental). The biplane not only boasted attractive lines but was designed to withstand
The Model 70 was modified into the Model 73. In 1934 the U.S. Navy awarded
the Stearman company a contract to build 41 of the primary trainers designated NS-1. (Courtesy Walter House Collection)
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28 • KING AIR MAGAZINE APRIL 2019