Boeing P-12/F4B

Boeing · United States · first flew 1928 · fighter

The Boeing P-12/F4B was a single-seat biplane fighter that served as the principal US Army and Navy pursuit aircraft of the early 1930s. Its clean Pratt & Whitney Wasp-powered airframe represented the pinnacle of classic biplane fighter design.

Recognition (WEFT)

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Spot it by:

• Single-bay biplane with round cowled radial
• Fixed spatted undercarriage
• Open cockpit with headrest fairing

Distinguished by its single-bay equal-chord biplane wings, large Townend-ring radial cowling, and spatted fixed undercarriage — a very clean, compact fighter silhouette.

Specifications

• The Boeing P-12/F4B has a length of 6.12 m (20 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 9.14 m (30 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 301 km/h (187 mph).
• Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed from the private-venture Model 83, the P-12 entered Army service in 1929 and the near-identical F4B entered Navy service simultaneously, becoming the most numerous American biplane fighters of the interwar period. Over 580 examples were built across multiple variants. The type was phased out of front-line US service by the mid-1930s as monoplane fighters arrived.

Variants

The P-12 family ran through P-12B to P-12F for the Army, with the Navy's F4B-1 through F4B-4 incorporating refinements such as an all-metal fuselage and improved cowling on later sub-types.

Where you'll see it

Operated by the US Army Air Corps and US Navy; export examples flew with Brazil and Thailand.

Related aircraft

• Boeing 80
• Boeing XF4B-1
• Boeing XP-8
• Boeing P-12
• Curtiss F8C-1 Falcon
• Curtiss F8C-3 Falcon
• Curtiss XP-10
• Dewoitine D.27

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