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"Ten thousand feet above the California hills. The airplane sailed through the sky with the ease and grace of a sea-gull. It hurdled the clouds, soared over mountaintops, dived toward the sea, and skimmed the waves. Two sets of gleaming golden wings extended on either side of the scarlet body. The motor and cowling were shinning black; the tail was as gold as the wings. And down each side of the body stretched a golden band, bearing in small black letters a name "The Flying Carpet." Richard Halliburton's opening chapter of his book, The Flying Carpet, describing his aircraft named The Flying Carpet (1932). He and Moye Stephens flew this Stearman C3B around the world.The first airplane sold at Wichita was a C-3MD mailplane, delivered to Varney Airlines on December 8, 1927. The three-place C-3 could be used for mail or passenger service. Some fourteen C-3MB mail planes and 122 C-3B Sport Commercials were built between 1927 and 1929. They were powered by 220hp Wright J-5 engines, cruised at 105mph, climbed at 1,000ft a minute and had a top speed of 126mph. The C-3 gained world wide recognition in 1932 when Ross Hadley made a tour of the globe in a C-3B and the team of Richard Halliburton/Moye W. Stephens, Jr. flew a C3B called "The Magic Carpet" around the world. (Over water legs were onboard ship.)
The basic form was a 3 place open cockpit biplane. These Wright "Whirlwind" powered Stearmans became the standard model in production. They quickly earned a reputation for performance and utility that was equaled, but never surpassed. Varney Airlines was one of the first operators to use Stearman equipment on their routes, and many more of the early air carriers soon followed. Besides the daily chores on the "mail routes," many C3B's were used by flying schools to train those going for a transport license. C3's were often used as camera ships during movie shoots because of their inherent stability.
Incorporating several refinements in detail and general up-grading the C3R of 1929 was but a progressive development in the basic C3 series design. It was loaded with extras to provide easier operation and fitted with some finery lacking in the earlier C3B. To attract more customers, the C3R was adapted to the needs of business flying and was called the "Business Speedster." It was powered with the improved 7cyl Wright J6 (R-760) engine of 225 hp. The C3R was also certified as a seaplane on Edo P floats. Some 29 or more examples of the C3R were manufactured by Stearman Aircraft Co at Wichita, Kansas, division of the United Aircraft & Transport Corp.
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| C-3R Business Speedster used the 7 cylinder Wright J-6-7 of 225hp. It was licensed as a land or seaplane and built from 1929 through 1931. The C-3R could be considered to be the Stearman Model 5 and had a 2 place front cockpit. |
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| Floats were approved on the original ATC for the C-3R issued October, 1929. |
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"Spot Landings" Moye W. Stephens/Richard Halliburton And The Flying Carpet [Click Here For This Interesting Tale] |
