Lindberg 77314 Russell Casse's Stearman PT-17 — Independence Day — 1:48 Plastic model aircraft kit

Manufacturer — Lindberg

Lindberg is one of the long-established names in American plastic model kit production. Its roots go back to the pioneering American model industry of the 1940s and 1950s, when companies such as O-Lin, Lindberg and related firms helped establish inexpensive injection-moulded plastic kits as a mainstream hobby.

Lindberg's catalogue became particularly broad, covering aircraft, cars, ships, military subjects and science-fiction/movie subjects. The company was often associated with relatively straightforward kits intended to be accessible to younger modellers as well as established hobbyists.

The 1996 Stearman kit is particularly interesting because it was not simply a conventional reissue of a military trainer. It was marketed as a tie-in to the film Independence Day, released in 1996, and represents the Stearman flown by the character Russell Casse, played by Randy Quaid.

Consequently, the kit has two identities for collectors: it is a 1:48 Stearman PT-17 plastic kit, and it is also a piece of 1990s film merchandise.
What is in the kit?

The kit is identified as:

Lindberg 77314

Stearman PT-17

1:48 scale

1996 production

Plastic construction

Unassembled kit

Russell Casse / Independence Day subject

Marketplace records describe it as a vintage Lindberg aircraft kit and specifically identify the subject as the Stearman PT-17.

The kit depicts the rugged open-cockpit biplane used by Russell Casse in the film. Because the real Stearman existed in several visually similar configurations, it is worth distinguishing the PT-17 designation from the general "Stearman" name.

The PT-17 was the Continental R-670-powered Army version of the Model 75. The Continental engine produced approximately 220 hp. Other Model 75 aircraft were designated PT-13 or PT-18 depending upon the engine installed.

At 1:48 scale, the finished aircraft should be approximately:

Length: 190 mm

Wingspan: approximately 204–208 mm

Those dimensions are calculated from the full-size aircraft's approximately 7.54 m length and 9.81 m upper-wing span.
The film connection — Independence Day

This particular Lindberg release is based around the Stearman belonging to Russell Casse, a crop-duster and former military pilot in Independence Day.

The aircraft plays an important role in the character's story. Russell is initially portrayed as an eccentric crop-duster and recovering alcoholic, but the film establishes that he was previously a military pilot. During the alien invasion, he eventually volunteers to fly a combat mission despite having no modern fighter aircraft available to him.

The film famously has Russell fly his agricultural Stearman against an alien fighter. This gives the otherwise elderly biplane a memorable role in the movie.

The Lindberg kit therefore represents a fictionalised cinematic aircraft, rather than necessarily reproducing one specific historically preserved PT-17 in its original wartime configuration.

The contemporary listing information explicitly identifies the model as Russell Casse's Stearman PT-17 and gives the Independence Day connection.
The real aircraft — Boeing-Stearman Model 75

The full-size aircraft represented by the model is the famous Stearman Model 75 Kaydet, one of the most recognisable American training aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s.

The aircraft's origins go back to Stearman Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas. The design evolved from earlier Stearman biplanes and the Model 70. The Model 75 first flew during the mid-1930s and subsequently became one of the principal primary trainers used by the U.S. military.

The aircraft was conventional but extremely robust. It was a large, fabric-covered, two-seat biplane with:

tandem open cockpits

fixed tailwheel landing gear

radial engine

welded steel-tube fuselage

wooden/fabric-covered wings

two-seat student/instructor arrangement

The construction was deliberately rugged because student pilots could be expected to make mistakes during their earliest flying experience. The aircraft consequently acquired a reputation as an excellent trainer.
Boeing takes over Stearman

Stearman Aircraft became part of Boeing, and production continued under Boeing's control.

Although the aircraft consequently became a Boeing product, the name "Stearman" remained overwhelmingly more familiar among pilots and the public.

During the Second World War, the aircraft became one of America's principal primary trainers.

It was used by both the:

U.S. Army Air Corps / U.S. Army Air Forces

U.S. Navy

The Navy aircraft were generally designated N2S, while Army aircraft received designations such as PT-13, PT-17 and PT-18, depending primarily upon the engine installation.
The PT-17

The particular aircraft represented by this Lindberg kit is the PT-17.

The PT-17 was powered by the Continental R-670-5, a seven-cylinder air-cooled radial producing approximately 220 horsepower.

This was particularly important because wartime demand for the Stearman outstripped the availability of some engines. Rather than relying on one engine manufacturer, the basic Model 75 airframe could accommodate different radial engines.

The resulting designations included:
Designation Engine
PT-13 Lycoming R-680
PT-17 Continental R-670
PT-18 Jacobs R-755
PT-27 Canadian Lend-Lease version

The PT-17 was produced in substantial numbers, with approximately 2,942 delivered according to the detailed variant breakdown.
Training America's wartime pilots

The Stearman's real historical importance goes considerably beyond its attractive appearance.

Thousands of American military pilots encountered the aircraft at the beginning of their flying careers.

The Stearman was deliberately a relatively low-performance aircraft compared with the fighters and bombers its graduates would eventually fly. This gave instructors an opportunity to teach fundamental skills including:

takeoff and landing

stalls

spins

aerobatics

navigation

formation flying

emergency procedures

Its open cockpits provided excellent visibility and its sturdy construction tolerated the sort of abuse associated with elementary flight training.

The aircraft has therefore become closely associated with the enormous expansion of American military aviation immediately before and during the Second World War.

The Stearman Fly-In organisation describes the Model 75 as having trained a generation of wartime pilots and notes that approximately 8,428 Model 75 airframes were completed, excluding the additional parts/spares that sometimes account for the larger published figure of 10,346.

There is consequently some variation in published production totals. The 8,428 completed Model 75 figure is useful when discussing the actual airframes, while larger figures can include other Model 70/75/76 production and spare assemblies.
Specifications of the full-size aircraft

For a typical PT-17/Model 75 configuration:

Crew: 2

Length: 24 ft 9 in / 7.54 m

Wingspan: approximately 32 ft 2 in / 9.81 m

Height: approximately 9 ft 8 in / 2.95 m

Wing area: 298 sq ft / 27.7 m²

Empty weight: approximately 1,931 lb / 876 kg

Maximum take-off weight: approximately 2,635–2,950 lb depending upon configuration

Engine: Continental R-670-5

Power: approximately 220 hp

Maximum speed: approximately 135 mph / 217 km/h

Cruise: approximately 96 mph / 155 km/h

Fuel: approximately 46 US gallons

The Canadian Aviation Museum gives the PT-17's 7.54 m length, 9.81 m span, 1,931 lb empty weight, 2,635 lb maximum take-off weight and 220 hp Continental R-670-5.
Life after military service

One of the most interesting aspects of the Stearman's history is what happened after the war.

Thousands of surplus aircraft became available to civilians. The Stearman proved particularly useful because of its rugged construction, large wing and relatively simple mechanical design.

Many aircraft were converted into agricultural aircraft.

The front cockpit could be replaced or modified to accommodate a chemical hopper, while pumps and spray equipment were installed beneath the wings. The resulting crop-dusters became an important part of American agricultural aviation.

This is particularly relevant to the Lindberg movie kit because Russell Casse is depicted as a crop-duster. Thus, the movie version connects directly with a genuine and extensive post-war use of the real aircraft.

Other surviving Stearmans became:

aerobatic aircraft

airshow performers

private sport aircraft

museum aircraft

warbird restorations

film aircraft

A surprisingly large number remain airworthy today.

The Canadian Aviation Museum notes that many surviving examples continue to fly with private owners, airshow pilots and restoration organisations.
The Stearman in popular culture

The Stearman has appeared in numerous films and television productions because its unmistakable appearance immediately communicates an earlier era of aviation.

Its post-war crop-dusting career also gave it a second cultural identity.

The aircraft is particularly memorable in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest, where a crop-dusting Stearman is involved in the famous aerial pursuit sequence.

The aircraft's cinematic career ultimately made it familiar to people who might never have encountered the type in an aviation museum.

The Lindberg 77314, however, is especially interesting because it is explicitly tied to Independence Day, rather than merely being a generic Stearman kit.