Half Fast Flying Adventures

Airplanes are the keys to the skies.  We love all airplanes, and we are the current custodians for two World War II heroes: the Texan and the Stearman.

Boeing Stearman PT-17

Our Stearman was built for the Army Air Corps and was based at Arcadia, Florida, for training American and British pilots during World War II.  Following the war, it was converted to a crop duster and continued its spraying adventures after being purchased by Brian's dad, Robert Aukes, and used as a crop duster until the engine stalled and it was landed in a field during the floods of '93.  Robert and Brian - with help from many friends - restored it back to its original army configuration in 1995, giving it the number 429 out of respect for Bob's birthday.  It was at this time Brian bought the Stearman from his father, and so it became his first airplane. 
Brian has flown this airplane all over the Midwest, and can usually be seen flying upside down, cutting toilet paper, or doing some kind of aerobatic maneuver. In fact, Brian won the 1997 Aerobatics Champion award at the National Stearman Fly-In in this plane and continues to enjoy dancing in the skies.
Rachel is currently working on her tailwheel endorsement, so you may also see her practicing touch-and-gos and high-speed taxis at the airport.

Boeing Stearman PT-27

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806RB is the newest member of our fleet. Built in 1942, it is actually a PT-27 (rather than a PT-17) because it was part of the first set of Stearmans sent to Canada for primary training during World War II. After the war, this Stearman was also used as a crop duster until the Red Baron Squadron rebuilt it and used it until the group disbanded in 2007. The plane has been highly modified, boasting a 450 HP and inverted tanks, which means it's always up (side down) for a good time.

History of the Stearman

The Stearman Kaydet, a two-seater biplane introduced by Stearman Aircraft Division of Boeing in Wichita, Kansas, in 1934, became an unexpected success during World War II. Its simple, rugged construction made it ideal as a primary trainer for new American and some British pilots.

The Stearman has fabric-covered wooden wings, single-leg landing gear and an over-built welded-steel fuselage. Only radial engines were used. Between 1936 and 1944, Boeing build 8,584 Stearman Kaydets.

Stearman Kaydets were the most popular primary trainer during World War II by both the Navy and Army Air Corps, and the trainers were also sold to Canada, China, the Philippines, Venezuela, Argentia and Brazil for both military and civilian uses. Many were still in service in the early 1990s. Their slow, low-level flying capabilities made them particularly suitable for crop dusting and spraying.

Specs
Classification - Trainer
Power Plant - 220-HP Continental R-670-5 piston radial engine
Wingspan - 32' 2"
Length - 24' 3"
Gross Weight - 2,717 lbs
Top Speed - 186 mph
Cruise Speed - 106 mph
Range - 505 miles
Service Ceiling - 11,200'

North American SNJ-5 Texan

Our Texan, Smoke 'n Noise, was built for the Navy and used as an advanced trainer for U.S. pilots during World War II. It was trainer #9 at Brunswick Navy Base, a large blimp station in Georgia.

Following the war, it was sold to Mexico and there it spent the next 12 years as a trainer and used in missions. After it's tour of duty completed, it returned to the U.S. and was used for flight instruction near Leadville, Colorado. We purchased it in 2006 and have enjoyed making smoke and noise since.

History of the Texan

The Texan was the U.S. military's advanced trainer from 1938 through the 1940s and primary trainer in the 1950s. It is considered the most successful training aircraft ever designed, earning its title, the Pilot Maker. Over 15,000 of the same basic design were produced, with 350 still flying today. In all, the T-6 trained several hundred thousand pilots in 34 countries over a period of 25 years.

The SNJ-5 Texan is the same as the Army Air Corps AT-6 Texan, except for the pain scheme and tail hook for Navy carrier landing training. During that time, it was also called the Harvard when used by the British Royal Air Force. The AT-6 (advanced trainer) was designed as a transition between basic trainers and first-line tactical aircraft. Though most famous as a trainer, the T-6 also won honors in World War II and in the early days of the Korean War.

Not as fast as a fighter, it was easy to maintain and repair, had more maneuverability and was easier to handle. A pilot's airplane, it could roll, loop, spin, snap and vertical roll. It was designed to give the best possible training in all types of tactics, from ground strafing to bombardment and aerial dogfighting. It contained such versatile equipment as bomb racks, blind flying instrumentation, gun and standard cameras, fixed and flexible guns, and just about every other device that military pilots had to operate.

Specs
Classification - Trainer
Power Plant - 600-HP Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 radial engine
Wingspan - 42'
Length - 29' 5"
Height - 11' 8 1/2"
Gross Weight - 5,300 lbs
Armament - 2 fixed-forward .30 cal guns, 1 flex-mount .30 cal rear cockpit gun
Top Speed - 205 mph
Cruise Speed - 170 mph
Range - 750 miles
Service Ceiling - 21,500'

Stinson 108-2

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Our Stinson was built in 1947 and used as a missionary plane in South America for over twenty years. Supplies were dropped via a tube in the floor of the fuselage. After serving its mission well, it returned to the U.S. for private use until it retired to a quiet Iowa corn crib. It rested there for over twenty years until it found a new home with us in the summer of 2009. While it's a little rough around the edges, we see a lot of spunk hidden under years of dust (and other smellier things). Someday the Stinson will fly again - with wheels, floats or skis - and with a shiny new coat of paint (desert pink of course).



History of the Stinson Model 108

The Stinson 108 was a popular general aviation aircraft produced by the Stinson division of the Consolidated Vultee airplane company, from immediately following World War II until 1950. It was developed from the pre-war Model 10A Voyager. All Stinson model 108 aircraft were built by Stinson at Wayne, Michigan. Stinson sold the type certificate to Piper Aircraft in 1948, and the remaining 325 airplanes of the 5,260 model 108's were sold as the Piper-Stinson over the next few years. Piper later sold the type certificate to Univair who built only one 108-5. No United State military use of the Stinson model 108 is known.

One distinctive feature was the partial leading edge slot installed on the wings and aligned with the ailerons on the trailing edge, ensuring that the portion of the wing containing the aileron remains unstalled at higher angles of attack, thus contributing to docile stall behavior. The 108-2 is the same as the original model except it has a right-side cargo door on the fuselage, a larger engine, and an in-flight adjustable rudder trim. 1252 108-2’s were built.

Specs
Classification:               Standard
Crew:                              four (1 pilot, 3 passengers)
Power Plant:                 185 HP Lycoming O-435 reciprocating engine
Fuselage:                      fabric-covered steel tube
Wingspan:                     34’ 0”                                       
Length:                           25’ 3”
Gross Weight:               2,400 lbs                                  
Service Ceiling:            13,000’
Top Speed:                   133 mph                                  
Cruise Speed:              120 mph
Range:                           500 miles                                 
Fuel Consumption:      10 GPH
Takeoff Roll:                  620 feet                                   
Landing Roll:                290 feet