The Boeing XF6B-1 / XBFB-1 was Boeing's last biplane design for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. Only the one prototype, ''Model 236'', was ever built; although first flying in early 1933, it rammed into a

crash barrier Traffic barriers (sometimes called Armco barriers,AK Steel (formerly Armco) genericized trademark also known in North America as guardrails or guard rails and in Britain as crash barriers) keep vehicles within their roadway and prevent them fro ...

in 1936 and the design was not pursued further.

Design and development

Ordered by the U.S. Navy on 30 June 1931, the fighter aircraft was a derivative of the

Boeing F4B The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...

; it was almost entirely of metal construction, with only the wings still fabric-covered. The aircraft was powered by a 625 hp

Pratt & Whitney R-1535 The Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior was an engine used in American aircraft in the 1930s. The engine was introduced in 1932 as a 14-cylinder version of the 9-cylinder R-985. It was a two-row, air-cooled radial design. Displacement was ...

-44 Twin Wasp engine. The intended role of this design turned out to be uncertain. While its rugged construction was capable of withstanding high ''g''-forces, it weighed in at 3,704 pounds (700 pounds more than the F4B), and did not have the maneuverability needed in a fighter aircraft. It was, however, suitable as a fighter-bomber, and in March 1934 the prototype was redesignated XBFB-1 in recognition of its qualities. Even so, various ideas were tried to improve its fighter qualifications, such as an improved engine

cowling A cowling is the removable covering of a vehicle's engine, most often found on automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, and on outboard boat motors. On airplanes, cowlings are used to reduce drag and to cool the engine. On boats, cowlings are a cove ...

, streamlining around the landing gear, and even a three-bladed propeller (two-bladed props being standard).

Operational history

Performance of the Boeing XF6B remained unsatisfactory with the U.S. Navy instead opting for the

Curtiss F11C Goshawk The Curtiss F11C Goshawk was an American naval biplane fighter aircraft that saw limited success. It was part of a long line of Curtiss Hawk airplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the American military. Design and develo ...

Operators

; *

Specifications

References

Citations

Bibliography

* ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft''. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1965. * Jones, Lloyd S. ''U.S. Naval Fighters''. Fallbrook California: Aero Publishers, 1977, pp. 115–117. . * Taylor, Michael J. H. ''Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation''. London: Studio Editions, 1989. . * ''World Aircraft Information Files''. London: Bright Star Publishing, 1985. {{USN fighters F6B 1930s United States fighter aircraft Boeing BFB-01 Single-engined tractor aircraft Carrier-based aircraft Biplanes Aircraft first flown in 1933