
The Model 15 (PW-9) was the first successful Boeing-designed fighter and established the company as a major American builder of military aircraft.
Its internal bracing was arc-welded tubing rather than the spruce and wire used in older biplanes. However, it still had wooden spars and ribs. It was designated PW-9 (for “pursuit water-cooled design 9”) by the U.S. Army and designated FB-1 by the Navy.
Between 1923 and 1928, Boeing built 157 PW-9/FBs in different versions, as well as 77 derivatives as NBs (Navy training planes). The NBs were 4 feet (1.21 meters) longer than the PW-9/FBs and powered by either 180- or 200-horsepower engines. Included in the 77 were five NBs that Boeing sold to Peru.
First flight | June 2, 1923 |
Model number | 15 |
Classification | Fighter |
Span | 32 feet |
Length | 23 feet 5 inches |
Gross weight | 3,120 pounds |
Top speed | 159.1 mph |
Cruising speed | 142 mph |
Range | 390 miles |
Ceiling | 18,925 feet |
Power | 435-horsepower Curtiss D-12 engine |
Accommodation | 1 pilot |
Armament | One .30-caliber machine gun and one .55-caliber machine gun or two .30-caliber machine guns, two 122-pound bombs |