Boeing Stearman Model 75, part six. The Stearman in America, part three. Even more American users.

 

The Boeing Stearman Model 75 was an American double-winged two-seater trainer that was employed all around the globe. Among its users, we can count the following ones:

• Guatemala: In mid 1943 the Guatemalan Air Corps acquired two PT-17s as a planned expansion for their Air Force.
  
  
• Honduras: On 6th February 1946 the Honduran Air Force acquired ten PT-17 Kaydets (though some sources claim they were just six) for use at their Air School. They were followed by twelve additional PT-13 two years later, in 1948. Anyway, all twenty-two (or eighteen) of them served as trainers for the next fifteen years, until 1963, when they were written off and were gradually replaced by more modern types such as the North American T-28 Trojan.
  
  
• Mexico: In July 1951 the Mexican Navy bought some Boeing Stearman N2S-5 (a variant of the PT-13D designed for use with the US Navy) to replace their Fairchild PT-19 trainers. They were assigned to the Mexican Naval Aviation School, to train their naval aviators. Three years later, in 1954, two additional machines were acquired. The N2S served with the Mexican Navy until 1969 when they were replaced by three Beechcraft Model 45 Mentor.
  The Mexican Air Force (MAF) employed the PT-17 too, having a total of up to 35 units destined to basic training at the Military Aviation School.
  
  
• Paraguay: Allegedly the Paraguayan Air Force employed the Stearman Model 75, however, we couldn't find any graphical evidence or description and only text references, and both the drawing and its data should be considered as speculative.
  
  
• Peru: The Peruvian Aeronautical Corps acquired a total of eighteen Stearman Model A75N1 (a export version of the PT-17), known locally as PT-27 in 1942. They replaced the ageing Italian Caproni Ca. 113. 
  
  
• Venezuela: In 1940 the Venezuelan Military Aviation signed a deal to buy three Stearman A75L3 and five A75B4 machines. The A75L3 being the export version of a regular PT-13A, while the A75B4 was the export variant of the PT-17 with some minor improvements such as an improved engine and provisions for light armament. 
  They also acquired five A76B4 (the export version of the Model 75 with cowled engine upgrade and light armament) in 1941. 
  According to some sources a total of 29 Stearmans served with the Venezuela Aviation, but other sources claim they were just 17. Anyway, they were employed as trainers and their ultimate fate is unknown.
  
  

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing-Stearman_Model_75

2nd https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anexo:Aeronaves_militares_históricas_de_Honduras#Década_de_1940_(1940-1949) (translated)

3rd https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuerza_Aérea_Guatemalteca (translated)

4th https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historia_de_la_Fuerza_Aérea_del_Perú (translated)

5th https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuerza_Aérea_Paraguaya (translated)

6th https://www.facebook.com/SentinelMexico1/photos/a.439533016150357/5214703231966621/?type=3&locale=es_LA (translated)

7th https://www.uswarplanes.net/pt13pt17.pdf (translated)

8th https://maquetas.mforos.com/353330/13018102-stearman-pt-17-venezolano-revell-1-48/ (translated)

9th https://iehap.pe/noticias/avion-stearman-pt-17-nuevo-atractivo-del-iehap/ (translated)

10th https://maquetas.mforos.com/353330/13018164-stearman-a76-b4-y-a75-l3-venezolanos-lindberg-1-48-2-aviones/ (translated)

Avro Anson, part three, Some American users

The Avro Anson is a British twin-engined multi-role aircraft manufactured by Avro. With more than 11.000 exemplars manufactured, the type was exported to various countries all around the globe.

• Argentina: Various Ansons were acquired by Argentine private companies after the war like SAETA (Servicios Aéreos Explotación Transportes Aéreos - Aerial Exploitation Transports Services) or Cía de tierra del Río Negro (Rio Negro land's company). They were used for cargo and land exploration purposes from the immediate postwar (1948 until the mid-1950s).
• Brazil: Three Ansons Mk.II were acquired by the Brazilian airline Companhia Meridional de Transportes (Southern Transports Company). This short-lived airline was founded in 1944 and, on 5th October 1945 they operated flights from the states of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo, in Brazil. All their fleet comprised of the three Ansons Mk.II that we mentioned and, after a crash on 19th December 1945 which killed all passengers, including the pilot and owner of the company, Álvaro Araújo, in just three months, the company went bankrupt.
• Cuba: Up to 10 Ansons served with various Cuban companies after the war. Most of them were airlines, like the one we've depicted below, which was made in Canada by Federal Aircraft. It served with the Cuban airline ANSA (Aerolíneas del Norte SA - Northern Airlines PLC) operating from the Cuban city of Camagüey. It's worth pointing that this airplane had extra windows. Other Cuban companies that had the Anson in their stocks were Líneas Aéreas Holguin (Holguin Airlines) , Aerolíneas del Sur SA (Southern Airlines PLC) and Corporación Aeronáutica Antillana (Antillean Aeronautical Corporation). Apparently a single one was used as the personal transport of J. Lobo.
• Paraguay: One Anson Mk.V was purchased by the Paraguayan Air Arm in the civilian market in Argentina in July 1947. It was used as a VIP transport. 
• United States of America: Given the need for extra training aircraft, 50 Ansons were transferred to the USA from Canada in 1943. They were named as AT-20. One Anson Mk.IV was also loaned to the USA earlier, in July 1942, but returned to Canada in November of that year. When the USAAF arrived in Europe, they didn't bring communications aircraft with them, so various Ansons, together with other British types, were used in second-line duties. No accurate records have been kept and the exact numbers are unknown, but by late 1944 the Ansons were given back to the Royal Air Force (RAF) as the USAAF had, by that time, shipped their own communications aircraft to the United Kingdom and even France.
  Some few of them were based at either Warton, Lancashire (the location of the main USAAF's depot during the war) or with the 1st Combat Crew Replacement Centre, in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire. One Anson Mk.XII registered as NL137 was allocated to the Station Flight in Northolt, London in January 1945. It was later transferred to Headquarters Flight in Bovingdon. It was given back to the RAF in late 1945 and was assigned to No.1 Ferry Unit, located in Pershore, Worcestershire.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Anson

2. https://loudandclearisnotenought.blogspot.com/2012/08/lv-agj-avro-652a-anson-v-mb-17.html (translated)

3. https://loudandclearisnotenought.blogspot.com/2012/08/lv-fbr-avro-652a-anson-19-2-1507.html (translated)

4. http://britishaviation-ptp.com/avro652_3.html

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companhia_Meridional_de_Transportes

6. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/tag/avro-anson-mk-v

7. Aerial Operations in Paraguay - Helion and Co.

8. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 53 - Avro Anson