Boeing
MB-3A
The Boeing MB‑3A was a single‑engine, low‑wing trainer developed in the early 1930s as an evolution of the earlier MB‑3 racer that had set several speed records in 1929. Recognizing the growing need for reliable, economical pilot training aircraft for both military and civilian schools, Boeing’s engineers refined the airframe with a stronger welded‑steel fuselage, improved aluminum skinning, and a more powerful 285‑hp Wright R‑975 radial engine. First flown in March 1932, the MB‑3A entered limited production the following year, with 68 units delivered to U.S. Army Air Corps training squadrons and a handful sold to civilian flight clubs. Its key features included a spacious tandem cockpit with dual controls, a fully articulated aileron system that provided superior roll response, and a fixed, split‑type landing gear that simplified maintenance. Although eclipsed by newer monoplane trainers later in the decade, the MB‑3A played a crucial role in transitioning pilot instruction from biplane to all‑metal monoplane designs, helping to standardize handling characteristics that would become essential in World II combat aircraft. Its legacy endures as a bridge between early wooden trainers and the sophisticated metal platforms that defined mid‑century aviation.