Boeing Model 15

Last updated
PW-9/FB
Boeing FB-5(2).jpg
USMC Naval variant, Boeing FB-5 of VM-3M VMFA-232
RolePursuit fighter (PW-9)
Carrier Fighter (FB series)
ManufacturerBoeing
First flight2 June 1923
Introduction1923
Primary users United States Army Air Service
United States Navy
United States Marine Corps
Number built158
Variants Boeing XP-4

The Boeing Model 15 was a United States single-seat open-cockpit biplane fighter aircraft of the 1920s, manufactured by the Boeing company. The Model 15 saw service with the United States Army Air Service (as the PW-9 series) and with the United States Navy as a carrier-based fighter (as the FB series).

Contents

Design and development

The design of the Model 15 was based on studies of the Fokker D.VII, [1] of which 142 were brought back to the U.S. for evaluation as part of the Armistice Agreement ending World War I. Many of the features were similar. The Model 15 had a fuselage of welded steel tubing braced with piano wire, while the tapered single bay wings were fabric on a wooden frame, with spruce and mahogany wing spars and three-ply wood ribs. Wing struts were changed from the normal wood used in Boeing designs to streamlined steel tubes. The landing gear had a straight axle, streamlined into a small 16 in (410 mm) chord wing. [2]

The original engine was a 300  hp (220 kW) Wright-Hispano, but when the 435 hp (324 kW) liquid-cooled Curtiss D-12 became available the aircraft was redesigned, moving the radiator from the nose to a "tunnel" under the engine. [1] Along with some other minor design changes to the wings, the design was finalized on January 10, 1922. [2]

The Army expressed interest in the new design, and agreed to provide armament, powerplants, and test the aircraft, while leaving Boeing the rights to the aircraft and design. The contract was signed on April 4, 1923 [1] and the first prototype, designated XPW-9 for "Experimental Pursuit, Water-cooled engine", flew on June 2, 1923. [3] The XPW-9 competed with the Curtiss Model 33 for contracts for a pursuit aircraft to replace the Thomas-Morse MB-3A in the United States Army Air Service. [3]

Ultimately, both models were accepted; the Curtiss aircraft was designated PW-8 and the Model 15 PW-9. The Air Service preferred the PW-9, which outperformed the PW-8 in all performance aspects except speed, and was built on a more rugged and easier to maintain design, ordering 113 aircraft (only 25 PW-8s were procured). [1] A naval version was also developed, designated FB, and 44 aircraft produced.

Operational history

Deliveries of the first 25 PW-9s began on October 30, 1925. [4] Boeing delivered a total of 114 PW-9s of all variants including prototypes to the United States Army Air Corps between 1925 and February 1931. Virtually all PW-9s served with overseas units, in Hawaii with the 5th Composite Group at Luke Field and later the 18th Pursuit Group at Wheeler Field, [5] and in the Philippines with the 4th Composite Group at Clark Field, Luzon. PW-9s equipped the 3rd, 6th, and 19th Pursuit Squadrons between 1925 and 1931.

The FB-1, of which the Navy ordered 16 but received only ten between December 1 and 22, 1924, [6] was not modified for naval operations (for instance, no arresting hook), and was assigned to Marine Corps squadrons VF-1M, VF-2M, and VF-3M, being deployed to China in support of the Marine Expeditionary Force. [7] Two additional planes—designated FB-2—were altered to operate on the carrier Langley with the addition of arresting gear and a straight-across axle for the landing gear. These went into service with VF-2 in December 1925. Generally satisfactory results led to an order for 27 FB-5s, which became the Navy's first fighters intended specifically for carrier operation. They were upgraded to 525 hp (391 kW) Packard 2A-1500 engines, and sported a row of hooks on the bottom of the axle, used to guide the plane via cables on the deck. The FB-5 first flew October 7, 1926 and was delivered to the Navy beginning in the following January, carried on barges in Puget Sound from Boeing's factory to Langley anchored in Seattle's harbor. Hoisted aboard, their first official flights were from the carrier's deck. [8]

Production history

Of the 158 aircraft built, 147 were standard production aircraft and the remaining were aircraft developed for specific interests.[ citation needed ]

The production runs are shown below with the PW designations for Army aircraft and the FB designations being for the Navy.

Number BuiltModelYears BuiltEngine
30PW-91925-1926 Curtiss D-12
24PW-9A1926-1927Curtiss D-12C
40PW-9C1927-1928Curtiss D-12D
16PW-9D1928-1934Curtiss D-12D
10FB-11924Curtiss D-12
27FB-51927-Packard 2A-1500

Variants

XPW-9
Three prototypes built for Air Service evaluation. First aircraft scrapped at McCook Field on February 21, 1925, second static tested in October 1928 and the third was still flying in December 1928. [4]
PW-9
30 produced 1925-26, first production variant, D-12 engine. [1]
PW-9A
24 produced 1926-27, D-12C engine. [1]
PW-9B
One modified PW-9A, delivered as PW-9B in 1927. [1]
PW-9C
40 produced 1927-28, D-12D engine. [1]
PW-9D
16 produced 1928-34, final production variant. [1]
XP-4
Designation of one PW-9 (ser no. 25-324) re-engined with a 510 hp (380 kW) Packard 1A-1500 engine. Boeing Model 58.
AT-3
Designation of one PW-9A (ser no. 26-374) converted to single-seat trainer with a Wright-Hispano engine. [1]
FB-1 Boeing FB-1.jpg
FB-1
FB-1
Ten built as FB-1s from initial order of 16, remaining six modified to other sub-types (FB-2, FB-3, FB-4). Powered by a 435 hp (324 kW) Curtiss D-12. Initial Navy delivery, shore-based only.
FB-2 (Model 53)
Two FB-1s modified for carrier operation, 510 hp (380 kW) Packard 1A-1500 engine. Later converted to FB-1 standard.
A Boeing FB-5 preserved at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Boeing FB-5.jpg
A Boeing FB-5 preserved at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
FB-3 (Model 55)
Three built to evaluate the 510 hp (380 kW) Packard 1A-1500 engine. Like the FB-4, the FB-3 was fitted with floatplanes. Following a crash in December 1925, the remaining two were converted to conventional landing gear.
FB-4 (Model 54)
One built, experimental model with a 450 hp (340 kW) Wright P-1 radial engine and fitted with floatplanes. Later converted to FB-6 standard.
FB-5 (Model 67)
27 built, production version. Powered by a 520 hp (390 kW) Packard 2A-1500 engine.
FB-6
FB-4 re-engined with a 450 hp (340 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-B Wasp engine.
FB-7 (Model 67A)
Development of FB-5, powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-A Wasp engine, not built.
XFB-5 (Model 97)
Designation for one FB-5 (A-7101) used for development tests in 1927.

Operators

Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States

Specifications (PW-9)

Data from Boeing Aircraft since 1916 [9]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtiss Falcon</span> American multirole aircraft

The Curtiss Falcon was a family of military biplane aircraft built by the American aircraft manufacturer Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company during the 1920s. Most saw service as part of the United States Army Air Corps as observation aircraft with the designations O-1 and O-11, or as the attack aircraft designated the A-3 Falcon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seversky P-35</span> 1935 fighter aircraft series by Seversky

The Seversky P-35 is an American fighter aircraft built by the Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-35 was the first single-seat fighter in United States Army Air Corps to feature all-metal construction, retractable landing gear, and an enclosed cockpit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grumman F2F</span> US Navy biplane

The Grumman F2F was a single-engine, biplane fighter aircraft with retractable undercarriage, serving as the standard fighter for the United States Navy between 1936 and 1940. It was designed for both carrier- and land-based operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing P-12</span> US military fighter aircraft in service 1930-1941

The Boeing P-12 or Boeing F4B was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps, United States Marine Corps, and United States Navy. It was the chief fighter aircraft in American service during the early 1930s but also used internationally. By the late 1930s it was replaced in front-line duty by newer designs, but it was still used for training into the early 1940s. Many variants of the aircraft were developed. In the 21st century a handful of surviving air frames are on display in museums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtiss P-1 Hawk</span> 1923 fighter biplane family by Curtiss

The P-1 Hawk was a 1920s open-cockpit biplane fighter aircraft of the United States Army Air Corps. An earlier variant of the same aircraft had been designated PW-8 prior to 1925.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing YB-9</span> Prototype bomber aircraft by Boeing

The Boeing YB-9 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber aircraft designed for the United States Army Air Corps. The YB-9 was a much enlarged twin-engine development of Boeing's single-engine Model 200 Monomail commercial transport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing F2B</span> American fighter aircraft

The Boeing F2B was a biplane fighter aircraft of the United States Navy in the 1920s, familiar to aviation enthusiasts of the era as the craft of the Three Sea Hawks aerobatic flying team, famous for its tied-together formation flying.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing F3B</span> Fighter aircraft family by Boeing

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtiss F6C Hawk</span> Type of aircraft

The Curtiss F6C Hawk was a late 1920s American naval biplane fighter aircraft. It was part of the long line of Curtiss Hawk airplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the American military.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Aircraft Factory TS</span> Type of aircraft

The Naval Aircraft Factory TS-1 was an early biplane fighter aircraft of the United States Navy, serving from 1922 to 1929.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing XP-4</span> Fighter aircraft prototype by Boeing

The Boeing XP-4 was a prototype American biplane fighter of the 1920s. It was grounded permanently after just 4.5 hours of flight testing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing XP-8</span> Fighter aircraft prototype by Boeing

The Boeing XP-8 was a prototype American biplane fighter of the 1920s, notable for its unusual design incorporating the engine radiator into the lower wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Aircraft Factory PN</span> Type of aircraft

The Naval Aircraft Factory PN was a series of open cockpit American flying boats of the 1920s and 1930s. A development of the Felixstowe F5L flying boat of the First World War, variants of the PN were built for the United States Navy by Douglas, Keystone and Martin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtiss CS</span> Type of aircraft

The Curtiss CS was a reconnaissance and torpedo bomber aircraft used by the United States Navy during the 1920s. It was a large single-engine biplane with single-bay unstaggered wings, the design conventional in all respects other than that the lower wing was of greater span than the upper. The CS was built to allow its undercarriage to be quickly and easily interchangeable between wheeled, tailskid undercarriage, and twin pontoons for operation from water. Provision for the carriage of a torpedo was semi-recessed into the underside of the fuselage, blended in behind an aerodynamic fairing. The pilot and gunner sat in tandem open cockpits, while accommodation inside the fuselage was provided for a third crewmember who served as bombardier and radio operator. This station was also provided with a dorsal hatch aft of the gunner's position, and a ventral blister aft of the torpedo recess, which was used for aiming bombs or torpedoes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtiss HS</span> American single engine patrol flying boat (1917–1928)

The Curtiss HS was a single-engined patrol flying boat built for the United States Navy during World War I. Large numbers were built from 1917 to 1919, with the type being used to carry out anti-submarine patrols from bases in France from June 1918. It remained in use with the US Navy until 1928, and was also widely used as a civil passenger and utility aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtiss XP-31 Swift</span> American fighter prototype

The Curtiss XP-31 Swift was a 1930s American experimental monoplane fighter built by Curtiss for the United States Army Air Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin T3M</span> Type of aircraft

The Martin T3M was an American torpedo bomber of the 1920s. A single-engined three-seat biplane, it became a standard torpedo bomber of the U.S. Navy, operating from both land bases and from aircraft carriers from 1926 to 1932.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing XPB</span> Type of aircraft

The Boeing XPB was an American twin-engined biplane long-range patrol flying boat of the 1920s. A single example was built for the United States Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Aircraft Factory NO</span> Type of aircraft

Naval Aircraft Factory NO was an American short-range reconnaissance/gun spotting aircraft of the 1920s. A single-engined three-seat biplane with alternative floats or wheels, six were built for the U.S. Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas-Morse TM-24</span> Type of aircraft

The Thomas-Morse TM-24 was a prototype American two-seat observation aircraft of the 1920s. A single example was built in 1925, but no production followed.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Baugher, Joe. "Boeing PW-9". www.joebaugher.com. Retrieved 2014-07-01.
  2. 1 2 3 Bowers 1989, p. 81.
  3. 1 2 Bowers 1989, p.82.
  4. 1 2 Bowers 1966, p.69.
  5. Ed Phillips (Spring 1985). "Woolaroc!". AAHS Journal.
  6. Bowers 1989, p. 84.
  7. Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p.55.
  8. Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p.56
  9. Bowers 1989, pp. 84–85.

Bibliography

  • Bowers, Peter M. (1966). Boeing aircraft since 1916 (First ed.). London: Putnam Aeronautical Books.
  • Bowers, Peter M. (1989). Boeing aircraft since 1916 (Second ed.). London: Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN   0-85177-804-6.
  • Jones, Lloyd S. (1977). U.S. Naval Fighters. Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers. pp. 35–38. ISBN   0-8168-9254-7.
  • Swanborough, Gordon; Bowers, Peter M. (1976). United States Navy Aircraft since 1911 (Second ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN   0-370-10054-9.