Modern and Vintage Biplanes

Biplanes can still be seen flying today. They are useful as general aviation workhorses, doing such jobs as crop dusting, geological surveying, and air photography. Some are flown by vintage airplane enthusiasts. They enjoy the sen­sation of piloting a plane with an open cockpit and listening to the roar of the engine and the humming of the wires and struts in the wind. Biplanes are also superb for aerobatics because of their

TECH

Boeing/Stearman Model 75

Type: Two-seat basic trainer. Construction: Wood and fabric wings, metal frame body.

First flight: 1933.

Engine: One radial piston engine. Primary use: Training.

Top speed: 124 miles per hour (200 kilometers per hour).

strength and their stability at low speeds. One outstanding aerobatic plane is the Pitts Special, a design first flown in 1947. Today, it remains one of the most powerful, agile aerobatic stunt planes, thrilling crowds at air shows around the world.

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SEE ALSO:

• Aerobatics • Kitty Hawk Flyer

• Lift and Drag • Lilienthal, Otto

• World War I • World War II

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Wright, Orville and Wilbur