Naval Aircraft Factory PN
Naval Aircraft Factory · United States · first flew 1925 · light aircraft
The Naval Aircraft Factory PN series were biplane flying boats designed for open-ocean patrol duties with the US Navy during the 1920s. They represented the USN's standard patrol flying boat before monoplane designs took over.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 15.26 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Biplane flying boat for US Navy patrol, twin tractor engines
- Hull-type flying boat with parasol wings over hull
- Open cockpits for pilot and observers above the hull
A classic 1920s US Navy biplane flying boat — large central hull, equal-span biplane wings mounted on struts above the hull, twin tractor pusher engines in the wing gap, and floats under the lower wingtips.
Specifications
- The Naval Aircraft Factory PN has a length of 15.26 m (50 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 22.38 m (73 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 193 km/h (120 mph).
- Typical crew: 5.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed from Felixstowe F-5L technology, the PN-7 through PN-12 series progressively refined the patrol flying boat design through the late 1920s. Various engine and airframe combinations were tested across the series. The Consolidated P2Y and Martin PM eventually supplanted the type in the early 1930s.
Variants
PN-7 through PN-12, each with different engines — Packard, Wright Cyclone, and Pratt & Whitney variants were all trialled across the series.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the US Navy on patrol duties from east and west coast naval air stations through the late 1920s into the early 1930s.
Related aircraft
- Naval Aircraft Factory PN-9
- Naval Aircraft Factory PN-7
- Naval Aircraft Factory N2N
- Naval Aircraft Factory PN-10
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- de Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth
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