Boeing XPBB-1 Sea Ranger
Boeing · United States · first flew 1942 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Boeing XPBB-1 Sea Ranger was a prototype twin-engine, long-range patrol flying boat built for the US Navy during the Second World War.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 28.89 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- twin radial engines set well out on a high straight wing
- large flying-boat hull with wingtip floats
- single tall tail fin over a long hull
A large flying-boat hull with wingtip floats and two radial engines set well out on a high straight wing set it apart from smaller Catalina-type flying boats.
Specifications
- The Boeing XPBB-1 Sea Ranger has a length of 28.89 m (95 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 42.59 m (140 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 345 km/h (214 mph).
- Typical crew: 10.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed for very long over-water patrol endurance, only one prototype was completed; wartime priorities shifted Boeing's factory capacity to B-29 bomber production, so the promising design was cancelled after just the single aircraft.
Variants
No production variants followed; the sole XPBB-1 remained a one-off testbed.
Where you'll see it
The single prototype was used for evaluation and utility flying by the US Navy before being scrapped after the war; it had no UK service.
Related aircraft
- B-29 Superfortress
- Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress
- Boeing XAT-15
- Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress
- Interstate TDR-1
- Naval Aircraft Factory TDN-1
- Tachikawa Ki-77
- Consolidated P4Y-2K Privateer
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