The PT-13/-17/-18 series began as a company-funded venture in 1934, and nearly every pilot in the Army Air Corps/Army Air Forces, the US Navy, and a number of foreign countries flew the Kaydet as the first step toward earning their wings. The PT-13 replaced the PT-1 as the Army's primary trainer. The prototype was designed and built in only 60 days, and the Kaydet's airframe was stressed to a much higher load factor than it was ever expected to encounter in training operations. The aircraft was commonly called a "Stearman," even after Boeing bought the company. The PT-17 and PT-18 were essentially the same as the PT-13 with different engines and some different minor details. The PT-17 featured a blind-flying hood that fit over the rear cockpit to allow the students to become familiar with instrument flight. The Navy also flew hundreds of these airplanes as the N2S. Military flying schools in the 1930s provided the last market for the biplane as the type had ceased to be a factor even in civil aviation by then. Several thousand of these trainers were on the civil market after World War II, and a surplus Kaydet could be purchased for a few hundred dollars. The PT-27 was essentially a PT-17 with a full canopy to keep out the elements for pilots training in Canada. The last production Kaydet came off the line in 1945 after the type had been in production for 10 years. The Kaydet was the last biplane bought by the Air Force's predecessor organizations.

Contractors:	Stearman Aircraft Division of Boeing Aircraft Co.
Locations Built:	Wichita, Kan.
Number Built: (USAF)	8,585 (4,328)
First Flight:	Early 1934
First Flight Model:	Company Model 70
First Flight Location:	Unconfirmed but most likely Wichita, Kan.
First Flight Pilot:	Unconfirmed
Models/Variants:	PT-13, PT-13A, B, C, D. PT-17, PT-17A, B. PT-18, PT-18A
Powerplant:	One Continental R-670-5 nine-cylinder radial of 220 hp
Wingspan:	32 ft 2 in.
Length:	24 ft 10 in.
Height:	9 ft 8 in.
Weight:	2,635 lb gross
Armament:	None
Accommodation:	Crew of two (student and pilot in separate tandem cockpits)
Cost:	$9,120
Max. Speed:	135 mph
Range:	Approx 450 mi (PT-13D)
Ceiling:	13,200