Boeing XF8B

Template:Infobox Aircraft

The Boeing F8B was a single-engine aircraft developed during World War II to provide the U.S. Navy a long-range shipboard fighter aircraft. The Boeing F8B was intended for operation against the Japanese home islands from aircraft carriers outside the range of Japanese land-based aircraft. Designed for various roles including interceptor, long-range escort fighter, dive-bomber and torpedo bomber, the final design embodied a number of innovative features in order to accomplish the various roles. Despite its formidable capabilities, the XP8B-1 was fated to never enter series production.

The Boeing Model 400 or XF8B-1 was, at the time, the largest and heaviest single-seat, single-engine fighter developed in the United States. Boeing optimistically called the XF8B-1 the "Five-in-one fighter" (fighter, interceptor, dive bomber, torpedo or horizontal bomber). It was powered by a single, 28-cylinder Pratt & Whitney XR-4360-10 3,000-hp (2.2 MW) radial engine that drove two contra-rotating, three-bladed propellors. The large wings featured outer sections which could fold vertically, while the fuselage incorporated an internal bomb bay and large fuel tanks; more fuel could be carried externally. The proposed armament included six 0.50 inch (12.7 mm) machine guns or six 20 mm wing-mounted cannons, and a 6,400 lb (2,900 kg) bomb load or two 2,000 lb (900 kg) torpedoes. The final configuration was a large but streamlined design, featuring a bubble canopy, sturdy main undercarriage that folded into the wings, and topped by a stylish variation on the B-29 vertical tail.

The development of three prototypes (BuNos 57984-57986) began in May 1943, although only one was completed before the war ended. The two remaining prototypes were completed after the war, with the third (BuNo 57986) evaluated at Eglin Air Force Base by the U.S. Army Air Force.^[1]

To expedite testing and evaluation, a second cockpit was fitted to the first two prototypes to allow a flight engineer to help monitor the test flights. The second seat was easily accommodated in the roomy cockpit.^[2]

Although testing of the promising XF8B-I concept continued into 1946 by the USAAF and 1947 by the US Navy, the end of the war in the Pacific and changing postwar strategy required that Boeing concentrate on building large land-based bombers and transports. The advent of jet fighters led to the cancellation of many wartime piston-engined projects; consequently, since the USAF lost interest in pursuing the project and the U.S. Navy was only prepared to offer a small contract, Boeing chose to wind down the XF8B program. ^[3] As the test program was concluded, the prototypes were scrapped one by one, with 57986 lingering on into 1950.

Data from {name of first source}

General characteristics

• Crew: one, pilot

Performance Armament

• 6 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) or 6 × 20 mm wing mounted guns
• 6,400 lb (2900 kg) bomb load or 2 × 2,000 lb (900 kg) torpedoes

Notes

Bibliography

• Boeing XF8B-1
• XF8B-1 Fighter-Bomber

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Blackburn Firebrand
• A-1 Skyraider
• Martin AM Mauler

Related lists

• List of fighter aircraft
• List of aircraft of the U.S. military, World War II