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| A derivitive of the U. S. Army Air Corps PW-9, the FB-1 was ordered by the Navy in December 1924. The first ten planes were not modified for naval operations (for instance, no arresting hook), and were assigned to Marine Corps squadrons VF-1M, VF-2M, and VF-3M. Two additional planes, designated FB-2, were altered to operate on USS Langley (CV-1) with the addition of arresting gear and a straight-across axle for the landing gear. These went into service with VF-2 in December 1925. Generally satisfactory results led to an order for 27 FB-5s, which became the Navy's first fighters intended specifically for carrier operation. They were upgraded to 525 hp Packard 2A-1500 engines, and sported a row of hooks on the bottom of the axle, used to guide the plane via cables on the deck. The FB-5 first flew October 7, 1926 and was delivered to the Navy beginning in the following January, carried on barges in Puget Sound from Boeing's factory to the Langley anchored in Seattle's harbor. Hoisted aboard, their first official flights were from the carrier's deck.
SPECIFICATIONS (PW-9): Crew: One Length: 23 ft 5 in (7.1 m) Wingspan: 32 ft 0 in (9.7 m) Height: 8 ft 2 in (2.40 m) Wing area: 260 ft² (24.1 m²) Empty weight: 1,936 lb (878 kg) Loaded weight: 3,120 lb (1,414 kg) Powerplant: 1× Curtiss D-12 , 435 hp (315 kW) PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed: 159 mph (257 km/h) Range: 390 mi (628 km) Service ceiling: 18,925 ft (5,768 m) Rate of climb: 1,630 ft/mn (496 m/mn) |
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| Bibliography: Wikipedia |