American Airways  Stearman 4-CM-1    NC482W                      (c/n  4030)

                                     

                                          This aircraft was generally known as the 'Senior Speedmail'.   Another version, the Stearman 4-D
                                          was known as the 'Junior Speedmail' and was also flown by several airlines, notably Western Air
                                          Express.   Stearman afficionado Carol Rex indicates that the Stearman Jr. Speedmail was the same
                                          aircraft as the "Senior Speedmail" ..not any smaller, or any larger.......the difference being the front
                                          cockpit which was a  2 seater on the Jr. Speedmail...It was targeted to the sportsman pilot of the
                                         day..  The Senior Speedmail, the air mail version,  had a cover covering a mail pit in place of the
                                         front cockpit (as ssen in the shot above). .  They were designated Model C, D, or E depending on
                                         engine option. 40 were built and there are currently 9 or 10 flying... It was the first aircraft to make
                                         use of the NCAA cowling...  In 1930 American Airways ordered a fleet of 12 Senior Speedmails
                                         to be operated on their air mail routes out of  St. Louis, Chicago,  Evansville and Atlanta bases.
                                         Although small by today's standards, this was a large order indeed for those Depression ridden
                                         times, and the order must have been a godsend to Stearman.     These sturdy biplanes were still
                                         on strength in June of 1934 when, following the cancellation of the air mail contracts, and the US
                                         Army air mail fiasco, American Airways became American Airlines, as evidenced in the photo
                                         below of a Stearman 4-CM-1 in the later titling.
  
                                          Stearman 4-CM-1  NC11722              (c/n  4040)