US Navy and USMC Between The Wars in 1/100

[gomidefilho]

Awesome Jenny Garry! A true art my firend!

[Rata]

Thanks Péricles!

[Rata]

Just finished this one- Boeing F4B-4 BuNo 9051. Change of markings along with some small mods (radio aerial mast and pilot) but otherwise ‘OOB’. One of Bruno’s earlier designs, but I think he really nailed the ‘feel’ of this one. Which makes me happy, because along with the Curtiss F11C the Boeing F4B/P-12 series are among my favourite ‘tween the wars aircraft.
And now over to Don with an insight into the full size machine.

[Don Boose]

This paper model by Garry Gillard is of a Boeing F4B-4 assigned to U.S. Navy Bombing Squadron 5 (VB-5B), which served aboard USS Lexington (CV-2) from 1935 to 1937. At that time, the major combat elements of the U.S. Fleet were assigned to the Battle Force (all the battleships and aircraft carriers, two divisions of cruisers, and several divisions of destroyers) or the Scouting Force (cruisers and destroyers). Aircraft squadrons assigned to the Battle Force had the suffix “B” appended to their numbers, hence “VF-2B.” Aircraft squadrons assigned to the Scouting Force had the suffix “S” appended to their numbers.

The Boeing F4B-4 was the last in a series of biplane Navy fighters built by Boeing beginning with the FB-1 (Navy version of the Boeing Army PW-9, both being designated “Model 15” by Boeing) of 1925. The F2B of 1927 had some fuselage structural changes, a balanced rudder, and a radial engine. It was capable of carrying up to five 25-pound bombs and so was issued both to Fighting Squadron 1 (VF-1B) and Bombing Squadron 2 (VB-2B) aboard the newly commissioned USS Saratoga (CV-2). The similar F3B (Model 77) was designed by Boeing in parallel with the F2B and also entered service in 1927 with VF-1B aboard Saratoga and VF-2B aboard USS Langley and eventually became the first carrier fighter to be produced in quantity, with 73 aircraft serving in three fighter and two light bomber squadrons between 1927 and 1933. In mid-1928, Boeing revealed a radial-engine biplane fighter that, while visually similar to the previous models, was faster and more maneuverable. As the Army P-12 and Navy and Marine F4B, it would equip fighter squadrons of both services for the next five years. The final Navy version, the F4B-4 (Model 235), was first delivered in 1932 and served in front-line Navy and Marine units until 1938. The F4B-4 had an all-metal monocoque fuselage. It was powered by a 550-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-1340-16 radial engine giving it a speed of 190 miles per hour (306 kph), a service ceiling of 26,700 feet (8138 m), and a range of 350 – 700 miles (563 - 1127 km) with an external auxiliary tank. It carried the standard armament of the time of one .30-inch caliber and one .50-inch caliber forward-firing machine guns and could carry two 116-pound bombs. With their strong wings, they could deliver bombs from a vertical dive and so equipped both fighter and dive-bombing squadrons.

F4B-4s first entered service with VF-3B aboard USS Langley (CV-1) and VF-6B aboard USS Saratoga (CV-3) in July 1932. Production ended in February 1933, but the aircraft went on to serve with the fleet until replaced by Grumman F2Fs and F3Fs in 1937 and 1938. VB-5B, then aboard USS Ranger (CV-4) took delivery of its F4B-4s in 1935 (replacing Curtiss BF2C-1s). In June 1935, the squadron was transferred to USS Lexington. In July 1937, the squadron was renumbered as VB-2 when the fleet renumbered all its aviation squadrons so that the squadron numbers were the same as the hull number of the carrier to which they were assigned. At that time, all the aircraft assigned to Lexington were painted with white tail surfaces.

BuNo 9051 was initially issued to Fighting Squadron 6 (VF-6B) aboard USS Saratoga (CV-2) in October 1932 but was later transferred to VB-5B aboard USS Lexington. The aircraft was stricken on 19 January 1938 after it was “immersed in saltwater,” which probably meant that it landed or fell into the sea and was recovered but was not salvageable. Shortly thereafter, VB-2 turned in its F4B-4s for Vought SB2U-1s.

Garry’s model has the Willow Green tail surfaces of VB-5B and the True Blue cowling and fuselage stripe of the lead aircraft of Section 3. The metal surfaces, including the entire fuselage, is Light Aircraft Gray, the fabric surfaces are aluminum, and the top of the upper wing is Orange Yellow.

Images:

1. Boeing F4B-4 BuNo 9051, 5-B-7, in 1937 when assigned to VB-5B aboard USS Lexington. Photo by Harold G. Martin, source: Larkins page 207.

2. Another photograph of Boeing F4B-4 BuNo 9051, 5-B-7. Source: Matt, page 52.

3. Don Greer painting of the second aircraft of the third section of VB-5B: Boeing F4B-4 5-B-8. The painting shows the VB-5B squadron emblem painted on the fuselage side. The “Bellerophon and Pegasus” emblem was used by VB-5B, and VB-2 after the 1937 squadron renumbering. There are photographs of VB-5B Curtiss BF2C-1s and VB-2 Vought SB2U-1s with the emblem, but Garry and I have been unable to find a photo of an F4B-4 with the emblem.

4. The squadron emblem of VB-5B: the mythic Greek hero Bellerophon riding his winged steed, Pegasus, diving with a bomb held above his head. The squadron translated its Greek motto as “First to Strike!” This emblem was later used by VB-2 after the 1937 renumbering of squadrons. In September 1942, the Bureau of Aeronautics approved the use of the insignia by the newly-established Bombing Squadron Eleven (VB-11), which was re-designated Attack Squadron 11 (VA-11A) in November 1946, re-designated Attack Squadron 114 in September 1948, and disestablished in December 1949. Source: Elliott, page 156.

Sources:

Joe Baugher, “US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos, First Series (A6002 to 9999),” available at http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/firstseries2.html

Peter Bowers, The Boeing F4B-4, Profile Publications Number 27, Leatherhead, UK: Profile Publications, 1965.

---, Boeing Aircraft Since 1916, New York: Putnam, 1968.

Larry Davis, Boeing P-12/F4B in Action, Aircraft No. 141, Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal, 1994.

Thomas E. Doll, Berkley R. Jackson, and William A. Riley, Navy Air Colors: United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Camouflage and Markings, Vol. 1 1911-1945 (Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal, 1983), pp. 16-20.

Michael E. Fader, “Attack Squadron 114,” Wings-Aviation, available at http://www.wings-aviation.ch/24-Naval-Wings/1922/1922-Basis-de.htm

Roy A. Grossnick, Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume 1: The History of VA, VAH, VAK, VAL, VAP and VFA Squadrons, Washington, DC: NavalHistorical Center, Department of the Navy, 1995, available at https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/naval-aviation-history/dictionary-of-american-naval-aviation-squadrons-volume-1.html

William T. Larkins, U.S. Navy Aircraft 1921-1941, Concord, CA: Aviation History Publications, 1961, pp. 124-172.

Paul R. Matt and Bruce Robertson, United States Navy and Marine Corps Fighters 1918-1962, Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers, 1962, reprint of the Harleyford edition of 1962, p. 52.

Gordon Swanborough and Peter M Bowers, “Boeing F4B,” United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911, New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1968, pp. 61-62.

[Butelczynski]

Excellent work Garry.I admit I have very little knowledge of pre-war US Naval aviation so this is a very good way for me to fill that hole.Big thanks to Don Bose for super detailed info on each particular aircraft.Info like this is very often impossible to find for same period aircraft flown in Europe.

Two questions to Don-rails under wings on photos Nr1 and 2-are those bomb racks?

Pictures show very tall antenna mast and much smaller mast on top of vertical stabilizer.That suggests very short length of antenna wire-do you know if radios used on F4Bs were receiver only or two way sets?

Sorry,that's my inner ground crew mechanic talking

[Don Boose]

Thanks for the question Karol.

The underwing racks could carry up to 125-pound bombs (although they usually carried 116-pound bombs) or flares.

The F4B-4s had radios that could both receive and transmit. I presume the tall antenna was for transmission and the wire antenna was fdr reception, but I suspect you know a lot more about that than I do.

Don

[ashevilleangler]

Garry, I just caught up with your build of the FG Jenny. Thanks for doing this one! It's so far my one and only ever re-color. Your build came out much better than mine. I think that the "weathering" effect was an unintended result of my less-than-perfect coloring technique.

Curt

[Rata]

Thanks Karol.

Curt, I didn't know this recolour was yours! You really should do more. The only design modification I did was darken the national insignia on the wings. They looked ok on screen but for some unknown reason they printed out faded.

[Mike1158]

In my humble opinion, both build and recolour are marvelous.

[Vinalssergio155]

Mike said it, coloring, construction, magnificent. Accompanied by the impressive information. Very well done again gentlemen!