The classic aircraft of the early 30s was undoubtedly the Boeing F4B-4. Its ruggedness, combined with an unequaled all-round performance, made these Boeing fighters a favorite with both pilots and mechanics alike. Foreign orders for quantities proved their superiority to the world. The new, and as it proved, final production version had more fin area and a larger headrest of which the fairing contained a rubber life-raft and emergency supplies. As Boeing Model 235, the Navy ordered a total of 92 on three separate contracts, making the largest order so far placed by the Navy for a VF class aircraft.
Power was supplied by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-16 rated at 550 h.p. at 6,000 feet. the normal gross weight was 3,107 lb. with a maximum of 3,539 lb. that allowed for standard armament of two machine guns. It had wing racks for two 116 lb. bombs. The wings of the F4B-4 were greatly strengthen and dive-bombing became standard practice. The top speed of 184 m.p.h. was accomplished at 6,000 feet with its landing speed at 62.5 m.p.h. in normal weight conditions. A service ceiling of 26,900 feet was attained. Range on a 110 gallon internal fuel tank was 350 miles, extendable to 700 miles with its under-belly auxiliary tank of 55 gallons.
The first F4B-4s were delivered in July 1932 and became standard equipment in both Navy and Marine Corps units. The last of the "fabled fours" was delivered late in February 1933. They served until early 1938 when replaced by Grumman F3F-2s.
Thumbnail List
- National Air And Space Museum. Actual aircraft flown by father of present director, John Dailey.
- Final production version of the famous 'Boeing bipes', the F4B-4 with a larger fin and headrest.
- BuAer No. 9012 showing the underslung fuel tank that added to its range.
- BuAer No. 8918 of Sauron VF-3.
- Colored drawing of the 'Fabled 4'.
- Army version, P-12D fitted with an "E" type tail.
- P-12E with all metal fuselage and fairing behind cockpit.
- All-metal fuselage of P-12E was developed from the XP-9 and XP-15 monoplanes.
National Air And Space Museum Director John Dailey
The museum's new director is one of those quiet, ramrod-straight career Marines ( he retired in 1992 with four stars as assistant Corps commandant)... The General flew 450 combat missions in Vietnam...300 of them in a single year, March 1966 to April 1967. He flew photo reconnaissance and electronic warfare flights (in an RF-4), was never wounded, never shot down, and his plane was hit only seven times.
"I always wanted to fly," Dailey says. His father was one of the first Marine pilots, and as a boy the General used to spend hours sitting in the cockpit of his father's Chance Vought Corsair fighter "flying all over the world in my head."
"When I first arrived here, they wanted to take my picture and asked me where I'd like to have it taken. And I knew right away. There's one aircraft in the museum with 'Marines' on the side. It's hanging down in the sea-air gallery. It's the F4B-4 biplane (Thumbnail Number 5 above)" from the 1930s.
"My father flew that plane," Dailey says with a smile. "Not just that model, but that very plane. It's in his logbook."
--Excepts from The Washington Post article by Ken Ringle, dated May 25, 2000.
A tip of the Ol'Kunnel's beanie to Red Gambrell who sent him a copy of the article snail mail.
