avia.wikisort.org - Aeroplane

The Boeing F3B was a biplane fighter and fighter bomber that served with the United States Navy from 1928 into the early 1930s.

F3B
Boeing F3B-1, U.S. Navy Photo
Role	Carrier-based Fighter-Bomber Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Boeing
First flight	3 February 1928
Introduction	August 1928[1]
Primary user	United States Navy
Number built	74 including the prototype[1]
Developed from	Boeing F2B, FB-5

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 carriers 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.[2] It also eliminated the spreader bar arrangement of the undercarriage and revised the vertical tail shape.[3]

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-bombers for some four years with the squadrons VF-2B aboard USS Langley, VB-2B aboard USS Saratoga (later VF-6B), and VB-1B on USS Lexington,[1][3] during which period some were fitted with Townend rings and others with streamlined wheel fairings.[2] The aircraft remained in first-line service to 1932 and were then retained as "hacks" (command and staff transports) for several more years.[3]

Variants

XF3B-1

(Model 74) One prototype serial number A7674[1]

F3B-1

(Model 77) Single-seat fighter biplane for the US Navy, 73 aircraft serial numbers A7675-A7691; A7708-A7763[1]

Operators

 United States

• United States Navy

Specifications (F3B-1)

Data from The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft [3]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 24 ft 10 in (7.57 m)
• Wingspan: 33 ft 0 in (10.06 m)
• Height: 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m)
• Wing area: 275 sq ft (25.55 m²)
• Empty weight: 2,179 lb (988 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 2,945 lb (1,336 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1340-80 Wasp radial engine, 425 hp (317 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 157 mph (253 km/h, 137 kn)
• Cruise speed: 131 mph (211 km/h, 114 kn)
• Range: 340 mi (547 km, 296 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 21,500 ft (6,555 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,020 ft/min (10.26 m/s)

Armament

• Guns: Two 0.3 in (7.62mm) forward firing Browning machine guns in the forward fuselage
• Bombs: Five 25 lb (11.3 kg) bombs carried under the fuselage and lower wing

See also

Related development

• Boeing F2B
• Boeing Model 15

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of fighter aircraft

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Boeing F3B-1s on carrier deck

На других языках

---

- [en] Boeing F3B

---

[fr] Boeing F3B

Le Boeing F3B est un avion militaire de l'entre-deux-guerres biplan qui a servi comme chasseur bombardier embarqué dans la United States Navy de 1928 à 1932. Il a succédé au Boeing F2B et a été suivi par le Boeing F4B.

---

[it] Boeing F3B

Il Boeing F3B, indicato dall'azienda come Model 74 (prototipo) e 77, fu un aereo da caccia e cacciabombardiere imbarcato monomotore biplano sviluppato dall'azienda statunitense Boeing negli anni venti.

---

---