F4B-3

The Boeing F4B‑3, often catalogued as Model 95, was the final and most refined version of a lineage that began with the Navy’s request for a rugged, carrier‑capable fighter in the early 1920s. First flown in 1925, the F4B‑3 entered service in 1927 and remained active through the early 1930s, bridging the transition from wood‑and‑canvas biplanes to all‑metal monoplanes. It featured a welded‑steel fuselage covered in fabric, a wooden wing structure with a larger wingspan (35 ft 5 in) and increased chord for enhanced lift, and a more powerful Pratt & Whitney R‑1340 Wasp radial engine delivering 425 hp. This powerplant raised the top speed to about 158 mph and gave the aircraft an impressive climb rate, while a 0.30‑in caliber Vickers machine gun mounted in the upper wing provided reliable firepower. The F4B‑3’s improved cockpit ergonomics, stronger landing gear, and reinforced arrestor hooks made carrier operations safer and more efficient. Though quickly supplanted by newer monoplanes, the F4B‑3 proved pivotal in refining carrier‑based tactics, training generations of naval aviators, and demonstrating the viability of radial engines, leaving a lasting imprint on U.S. naval aviation history.