N2S-3

The Stearman N2S‑3 is the U.S. Navy’s designation for the Model 75 biplane trainer produced by the Stearman Aircraft Company in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Built under a military contract beginning in 1939, the N2S‑3 became the principal primary trainer for Navy and Marine Corps cadets throughout World War II. Powered by a 450‑horsepower Wright R‑975‑7 radial engine, the aircraft featured a rugged welded‑steel tube fuselage, wooden wings with fabric covering, and a fixed, tailwheel landing gear that could tolerate the rough conditions of training fields. Its open cockpit accommodated an instructor and a student, each with dual controls, offering excellent visibility and forgiving handling characteristics that helped novice pilots master basic flight, aerobatics, and emergency procedures. Over 3,300 Model 75 airframes were built, and many were delivered as N2S‑3s, making the type one of the most widely used trainers of its era. After the war, thousands were sold to civilian owners, forming the backbone of the vintage aerobatic community and preserving a living link to early military aviation training practices. Today, dozens of N2S‑3s remain airworthy in museums and private collections, celebrated for their sturdy construction and classic biplane aesthetics, and they continue to introduce generations to fundamentals of flight.