Designed by the company as its Model 74, the plane was an incremental improvement over the
F2B. The Navy-designated prototype XF3B-1 still had the tapered wings of the
F2B for instance, but was built as a single-float
seaplane using the
FB-5 undercarriage. However, the growing use of
aircraft carriers took away most of the need for floating fighters, and by the time other test results had been taken into account, the production F3B-1 (Model 77) had a larger upper wing that was slightly swept back and a redesigned tail with surfaces made from corrugated aluminum.[2] It also eliminated the spreader bar arrangement of the undercarriage and revised the vertical tail shape.[3]
Operational history
It first flew on 3 February 1928, turning in a respectable performance and garnering Boeing a contract for 73 more. F3Bs served as
fighter-bombers for some four years with the squadrons
VF-2B aboard
USS Langley,
VB-2B aboard
USS Saratoga (later
VF-6B), and
VB-1B on
USS Lexington,[1][3] during which period some were fitted with
Townend rings and others with streamlined wheel fairings.[2] The aircraft remained in first-line service to 1932 and were then retained as "hacks" (command and staff transports) for several more years.[3]