The Boeing F3B was a
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
fighter and
fighter bomber that served with the
United States Navy from 1928 into the early 1930s.
Design and development
Designed by the company as its Model 74, the plane was an incremental improvement over the
F2B. The Navy-designated prototype XF3B-1 still had the tapered wings of the
F2B for instance, but was built as a single-float
seaplane using the
FB-5 undercarriage. However, the growing use of
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
s took away most of the need for floating fighters, and by the time other test results had been taken into account, the production F3B-1 (Model 77) had a larger upper wing that was slightly swept back and a redesigned tail with surfaces made from corrugated aluminum.
[Jones 1977, pp. 60–62.] It also eliminated the spreader bar arrangement of the undercarriage and revised the vertical tail shape.
[Eden and Moeng 2002, p. 319.]
Operational history
It first flew on 3 February 1928, turning in a respectable performance and garnering Boeing a contract for 73 more. F3Bs served as
fighter-bomber
A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft that has been modified, or used primarily, as a light bomber or attack aircraft. It differs from bomber and attack aircraft primarily in its origins, as a fighter that has been adapted into other roles, wh ...
s for some four years with the squadrons
VF-2B aboard ,
VB-2B aboard (later
VF-6B
Strike Fighter Squadron 106 (VFA-106), also known as the "Gladiators", is a United States Navy F/A-18 Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Fleet Replacement Squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.
Mission
As the East Coast Fle ...
), and
VB-1B
Fighter Squadron 11 or VF-11 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. It was originally established as VF-5 on 1 February 1927, redesignated as VF-5S on 1 July 1927, redesignated as VF-5B in January 1928, redesignated VB-1B on 1 July 1928, ...
on ,
during which period some were fitted with
Townend rings and others with streamlined wheel fairings.
The aircraft remained in first-line service to 1932 and were then retained as "hacks" (command and staff transports) for several more years.
Variants
;XF3B-1:(Model 74) One prototype serial number A7674
;F3B-1:(Model 77) Single-seat fighter biplane for the US Navy, 73 aircraft serial numbers A7675-A7691; A7708-A7763
Operators
;
*
United States Navy
Specifications (F3B-1)
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
* Eden, Paul and Soph Moeng, eds. ''The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. London: Amber Books, 2002. .
* Jones, Lloyd S. ''U.S. Naval Fighters.'' Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers, 1977. .
* Swanborough, Gordon and Peter M. Bowers. ''United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911.'' Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1976. .
External links
Boeing F3B-1s on carrier deck*
{{USN fighters
Boeing F3B
F3B
Carrier-based aircraft
Biplanes
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1928