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Boeing P-12, F4B (Aero series 5) By Aeronautical Staff

"One of the most maneuverable airplanes ever built," is the accolade given by service pilots to the P-12-F4B fighter series. These airplanes reigned supreme in their class until the biplane fighter formula was gradually phased out just prior to World War II.

The evolution of the series began in 1922. At the close of World War I, the Boeing Air­craft Company had contracted with the firm of Thomas Morse to build the MB-3 fighter. With fighter production experience behind them, the Boeing Company then undertook the development of a pursuit airplane of their own design, the PW-9. The PW-9 (Pursuit Water-cooled) was powered by a Curtiss D-12 engine of 435 hp and first flew in 1923. The design featured an underslung sloping core radiator with small fuselage frontal area, and an ellip­tical lower wing and tapered upper wing. Subsequent flight testing with this configuration resulted in a production order.

The success of the PW-9 initiated the XP-4 design of 1927 which was an experimental high altitude fighter. Another experimental model of the same period was the XP-7 which was a PW-9 with a different engine installation.

The XP-8 was another BOEING experimental ship incorporating a number of PW-9 de­sign features. It was the only pursuit at that time to use the inverted Packard engine, and was for a time the fastest single seat pursuit in service. Shortly after this, the Boeing Com­pany developed the XP-9. It was the first all-metal stressed skin monoplane in pursuit avia­tion. Fuselage construction was much like the later Boeing P-12E, being all metal semi-monocoque design, while the tail was of corrugated dural sheet.

This geneology continued in the Navy developed PW-9 counterpart, the Boeing FB-1, 2, and 3 Fighters. Experiments were conducted with regards to engine changes and minor airframe modifications. This development ultimately led to the FB-5 fighter produced during 1926-27.

At this point the Navy turned away from water-cooled engines and subsequent Navy fighters built featured radial air-cooled engines.

In 1926 the Boeing F2B-1 Fighter was developed and this featured the more popular radial engine. Three of these fighters became famous from coast to coast for they were flown by the famous "Three Sea Hawks" a Navy precision stunt flying team of the late 1920's. This design led ultimately to the F3B-1 Fighter. It was essentially the same type of construction but Incorporated a number of modifications. It also used the new Pratt & Whit­ney Radial Engine.

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