The Boeing (Stearman) Model 75 was a biplane used as a military trainer aircraft, of which 9.700 plus were built during the 1930s and 1940s.Stearman became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. It continued to be widely known as the “Stearman.” It served as a basic trainer for the USN designated as a N2S, It was known colloquially as the “yellow Peril due to its predominately yellow paint scheme.
During WWII, when required, N2S aircraft were “borrowed” from the nearest NAS for brief period – a week to as long as 90 days and used in the CG pre-flight introduction and evaluation of individuals desiring to become Coast Guard aviators and Naval Aviation Pilots. (APs). When a Coast Guard aviation facility was co-based with an active NAS, the desired aircraft were provided the same way – drawn from what was termed “pool aircraft”. These machines remained property of the USN Pool they came from. and were returned When their service was no longer required they were returned. These aircraft were not assigned to the USCG.
At the end of WWII the Coast Guard received 11 N2S-3 series machines but only 10 were actually turned over to the USCG while one machine, although designated for the CG, was retained by the USN at NAS Corpus Christi. The first N2S-3 was turned over to the USCG on March 11, 1946. All were turned over the War Assets Administration by September 1947 as the evaluation pre-flight prior program was discontinued.
