Lonnie Ortega Aviation Art

Stearman Aircraft Corporation was an aircraft manufacturer established by Lloyd Stearman at Wichita, Kansas in 1927. Two years later, he sold it to the United Aircraft and Transport Corporation. In 2005, Boeing sold the civil portion of the former Stearman operations to Onex, forming Spirit AeroSystems, though they have retained the military operations. In September 1934, United was forced to separate its airline and aircraft manufacturing operations. At this time, Boeing became a separate business once again, and Stearman was made a subsidiary of it. Stearman officially ceased to operate as a brand at this point, but it was at this same time that the Stearman plant had created its most successful and enduring product, the Model 75 "Kaydet" that would become the main primary trainer aircraft for the US military during World War II. Although the Stearman company designed a range of other aircraft, the Model 75s have come to be known simply as "Stearmans" or "Boeing Stearmans". A national Stearman fly-in is held every year around Labor Day in Galesburg, IL.