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NB
Boeing NB-1 landplane in flight near NAS Pensacola
Boeing NB-1
Role Military trainer
Manufacturer Boeing
First flight 20 October 1923
Number built ca. 72

The Boeing NB (or Model 21) was a primary training aircraft developed for the United States Navy in 1923. It was a two-bay, equal-span biplane of conventional configuration with interchangeable wheeled and float undercarriage. The pilot and instructor sat in tandem, open cockpits. The NBs were produced in two batches; the first (NB-1) were powered by radial engines and the second by war-surplus Vee-8s still in the Navy's inventory. The original prototype evaluated by the Navy had been assessed as being too easy to fly, and therefore of limited use as a trainer. In particular, it was noted that the aircraft was impossible to spin. The NB-1 design attempted to introduce some instability, but it was soon discovered that while it was now possible to get the aircraft into a spin, it was virtually impossible to recover from one. A series of modifications were made to attempt a compromise.

Variants[]

Boeing NB-1

An NB-1 floatplane at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, in 1926.

  • VNB-1 - prototype (1 built)
  • NB-1 - original production machine with Lawrance J-1 radial engine (41 built)
Boeing NB-2 at Langley 1930

Boeing NB-2 at Langley

  • NB-2 - production machine with Wright-Hispano E engine (30 built)
  • NB-3 - one NB-1 with lengthened fuselage and modified empennage to improve handling, and Hispano-Suiza E engine. Later refitted to standard NB-1
  • NB-4 - one NB-1 converted similar to NB-3, but with Lawrance J-1 engine. Later refitted to standard NB-1

Operators[]

United States
Flag of Peru Peru

Specifications (NB-1)[]

General characteristics

  • Crew: two, pilot and instructor
  • Length: 28 ft 9 in (8.76 m)
  • Wingspan: 36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
  • Height: 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
  • Wing area: 344 ft2 (32.0 m2)
  • Empty weight: 2,136 lb (969 kg)
  • Gross weight: 2,837 lb (1,287 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Lawrance J-1, 200 hp (149 kW)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 100 mph (160 km/h)
  • Range: 300 miles (480 km)
  • Service ceiling: 10.200 ft (3,110 m)
  • Rate of climb: 510 ft/min (2.6 m/s)

Armament

  • 1 × trainable rearward-firing .30 machine gun (optional, for gunnery training)
  • References[]

    • Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 170. 
    • World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 890 Sheet 51. 
    All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
    The original article can be found at Boeing NB and the edit history here.
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