Texas Air Museum acquires historic World War II biplane

By Nalani Nuylan

Slatonite Intern

The Texas Air Museum received a new addition to the World War II exhibit.

The Boeing Stearman PT 17 plane is currently in the process of being repaired.

Mike DeLano and the other volunteers are repairing the wings and the engine.  The project is estimated to take three months to complete.

It’s a pretty simple job to put it on the parts,” he said. “It goes on pretty quick.”

Mike DeLano said he got the biplane out of Guthrie.

He brought it to Slaton in a U-Haul truck, fighting the West Texas wind on the drive.

Originating in 1936, the Stearman PT 17 was used in World War II as a trainer plane for the U.S. and the Allied Nations.

The plane was used in both the Army and the Navy to help instructors evaluate student pilots. It can reach an elevation of 14,000 feet and has a range of 350 to 505 miles.

More than 8,400 planes were built during the war in the U.S. After the war, the plane was used as crop dusters and for air shows.

For more  information, please read the Thursday edition of The Slatonite.