The 1942 Stearman Next Door

We explore the allure and cost of restoring a classic warbird trainer.

Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 01:47 PM ET

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This 1942 Stearman has lived in the hangar next to ours for many years. We plan to get better-acquainted with our neighbor. [Credit: Jonathan Welsh]

Key Takeaways:

The author, a new airport tenant, discovers a long-idle Boeing Stearman for sale in a neighboring hangar, priced at $70,000 with a spare engine.
The vintage aircraft, having been inactive for at least 15 years, would require extensive and costly restoration, with estimates suggesting expenses far exceeding the asking price to make it airworthy.
While intrigued by the project, the author acknowledges its overwhelming scale and cost, deciding it's a job for a dedicated restorer and plans to explore the hypothetical restoration process further in future articles.

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Antiques have never been a big part of my life, but certain old things can be fun, like my 1982 Suzuki GS1100 motorcycle. It was a hot ride when I was in high school and it took me until a few years ago to get my hands on one. It is about as much nostalgia as I can handle. Or so I thought until recently.

Early this year I was taxiing to our hangar after a flight when I noticed our next-door neighbor’s bay door was open. From a distance I could see an exposed radial engine, long narrowly spaced landing gear and two stout wings—a Boeing Stearman.