This Title Could Lead You To Wonder If We’re Talking About The Airplane Flown By Manfred von Richthofen, Or The Red Baron Squadron Pizza Team.

Richthofen was the famous World War I pilot and he actually flew various red airplanes that led to his title of the Red Baron. However, the Schwan Food Company sponsored an airshow aerobatic team known as the Red Baron Squadron to promote their Red Baron frozen pizza products from 1979 into 2007. This story is about one of the Schwan airplanes.

In case you just emerged from a cave, here’s a quick review of what the Schwan Red Baron Squadron was. The team flew four Boeing Stearman bi-planes painted in white and red livery, built between 1938 and 1943, when they were used as a primary trainer for both the Navy and Army Air Force. The Red Baron Squadron had upgraded their Stearmans with Wasp-Junior engines that put out 450 horsepower, almost double the power of early Stearmans.

Their performances always thrilled the crowds because they could perform in-close, the sound of the four radial engines was thrilling, and they brought back an aura of the golden age of aviation. However, when the team was disbanded, the aircraft and equipment was sold and the Red Baron Stearmans disappeared from view.

Now, thedickisonpress.com website reports that one of those airplanes is coming back with its Red Baron Pizza paint scheme. It’s reported that there were 6 Stearmans in the squadron, and the 5th airplane in the team was disassembled for refurbishing at the time the team was disbanded. Brothers Paul and Jarrod Lindeman purchased that airplane and have returned it to service.

The report said the Lindemann brothers run a cropdusting and repair service known as North Valley Aircraft, located in Valley City, ND. It’s reported that most of the airplane was in parts and pieces, but the Lindemann brothers have experience with these kinds of aircraft and were able to perform a quality restoration.

The report quoted Paul Lindemann is as saying, “I remember seeing them (the Red Baron Squadron) in Fargo as a kid in the mid-’90s. To own one is something special,”

(Image of the Lindemann’s Red Baron by North Valley Photo)

FMI: www.northvalleyaircraft.com