The Stampe (pronounced “stomp”) was primarily built of wood and was one of the best aerobatic training aircraft of its period, comparing favorably with the German Bücker Jungmann.

It is still highly valued today as a sport aircraft and can fly circles around its contemporary, the British-built Tiger Moth—though some may call that an “apples and oranges” argument. Over 700 Stampes were produced, and for over a decade, it was the principal training aircraft in France.

In the 1960s and 1970s, a British four-ship flying group called Rothman’s Aerobatic Team used Stampes to dazzle European crowds by performing formation aerobatics, including outside loops with ribbons tied between the four aircraft!

The Stampe has also enjoyed a career as an international movie star. Even though the aircraft was used as a trainer during World War II, more Stampes have been dolled up to represent World War I aircraft than any other airplane type. Look closely the next time you see a World War I flying film. That German Pfalz or British Se-5 just might be a Stampe!

Kermit’s Comments

An interesting feature on the Stampe is its unique starting system. There is an air pump on the engine that compresses air and stores it in a high-pressure bottle. After the pilot primes the engine with fuel and turns the magneto switch on, he opens a valve in the cockpit, which allows the air to flow through a distributor to the engine cylinders. The pressure turns the engine over for starting. The pilot can then get the engine started without help. If there is not enough air for starting, it can still be hand propped, as was the standard of the day.