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American Combat Planes of the 20th Century is an incredible reference for anyone who is interested in any American Combat Plane History.   There are 758 pages and 1700 b/w photos in this substantial labor of love by Ray Wagner, who has been passionately researching and writing about aircraft for over 50 years.   Whether you are already familiar with his past works, or just discovering this accomplished author for the first time... This is the book that you've been waiting for!

If you'd like to see the book's   Table of Contents ... Click here.   You can also browse the entire   Index Section   to get an idea of the extensive amount of information that is covered within this book.

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A- 1 Eaton     A- 4 Skyhawk     A- 6 & A- 7     Air Weapons     AV- 8 to A- 10     A- 20 Havoc     A- 22 Martin Maryland     A- 23 Martin Baltimore     A- 24 Douglas     A- 26 Douglas Invader     Attack Planes     B- 2A, F-111, F-117 Stealth    B- 17 Flying Fortress     B- 24 Liberator     B- 25 North American     B- 26 Marauder     B- 29 Superfortress     B- 32 Dominator     B- 35 Flying Wing     B- 36     B- 47 Stratojet     B- 50 Boeing     B- 52 Stratofortress     B- 57 Canberra     B- 58 Hustler     Biplanes     Biplanes, Army Pursuits     Bombers, B- 70 to Stealth     Bombers, First Big     Curtiss Falcon     CO- 1     DH- 4 De Havilland     F3D- Douglas Skyknight    F3H- McDonnell Demon    F4D- 1 Skyray    F4F Grumman Wildcats    F- 4U Corsair    F6F Grumman    F7F Grumman    F7U Vought    F9F G. Cougar    F9F G. Panther    F- 16 Fighting Falcon    F- 84     F- 86 Sabre    F- 89 to F-94    F- 100 to F-108    First Fighters    Flying Boats    GAX    Iraq to Afghanistan    Martin Bombers    Missile Era Fighters    Navy Fighers    Navy Flying Boats    O- 2 Douglas     P- 35 Seversky     P- 36 to 42 Curtiss     P- 38 Lightning    P- 39 Airacobra    P- 40 Line    P- 47 Thunderbolt    P- 51 Mustang Fighter    P- 61 Black Widow    P- 63 Kingcobra    P- 79 to P-81    P- 82 Twin Mustang    SB2C Helldiver    TBF-TBM Avenger    Thomas-Morse    Torpedo Planes    V- 11 Vultee    XB -28    XP -48 / 77   

Navy Patrol Flying Boats, 1920-1932


PN-11, PN-12, XPN-11, PM-1


Page 3

MARTIN PM-1 (1930)

Meanwhile, the Naval Aircraft Factory built two PN-11 boats with a wider metal hull minus the sponsons seen on Navy boats since the H-12, a new airfoil section for the wings, and twin rudders. The first with 525-hp Hornet engines began tests in October 1928, and the second with 575-hp Cyclones began flying in April 1929.

The Navy XP2Ns were redesignated, and the first was delivered December 23, 1930, as the XP4N-l with the PN-11 hull, twin rudders, and 575-hp Wright Cyclones. Two X4PN-2s, similar but for increased fuel capacity, were not delivered until March 1932, the last prototype flying boats from Philadelphia. MARTIN PM-l (modified)

The twin rudder tail was chosen for 18 Keystone PK-ls ordered November 30, 1929, and 25 Martin PM-2s bought June 10, 1930, but ring cowls on their 575-hp Cyclones gave them a little more speed. Keystone deliveries from Bristol, Pennsylvania, went to VP-l at Pearl Harbor from April to December 1931, while 28 Martin boats were delivered from June to September 1931, filling out squadrons VP-2, VP-5, and VP-10. Pilot cockpit enclosures were fitted in 1934 to both the PM-l and PM-2, as well as Norden Mk. XI bombsights, and the PM-1s were modified with R-1820-64 Cyclones in ring cowls.

Charles Ward Hall was a specialist in aluminum aircraft structures who was given a contract on December 29, 1927, to build a refined all-metal version of the PN series. The prototype XPH-l was built in a Buffalo factory shared with Consolidated and appeared in December 1929 with an improved all-metal hull, cowled 537-hp GR-1750D Cyclones, Clark Y airfoil, a tall, balanced single rudder, four open cockpits with twin Lewis guns on the bow and stern cockpit rings, and 2,000-pounds of bombs. NAF XPN-11

Nine production PH-ls ordered June 10, 1930, were first tested on October 19, 1931, and served with VP-8 at Pearl Harbor from 1932 to 1937. They had enclosed pilot’s cockpits, R-1820-86 Cyclones, and four separate Browning guns at the fore, aft, and side positions.

NAF XP4N-1

These were the last twin-engine biplanes built for the Navy, since the big Consolidated monoplanes were coming in. But the biplane was not quite through; since the Coast Guard had need of a patrol and rescue boat smaller than the PBYs, Hall got an order for a new version of the old design in June 1936. Deliveries began in April 1938 on seven Hall PH-2s with 750-hp Wright R-1820-F51 Cyclones, followed in 1940 by seven PH-3s with improved engine cowls and pilots’ enclosure. Built in the old Keystone-Fleetwings factory alongside the Delaware River at Bristol, the Hall boats were armed during the war for anti-submarine work.

By 1932, the Navy had eight patrol squadrons with twin-engine biplanes developed from the PN series. Three squadrons served at Pearl Harbor (VP-1,-4,-6,), three with the aircraft tenders USS Argonne and Wright at San Diego (VP-7,-8 -9), and two at Coco Solo in the Canal Zone (VP-2,-5), along with the twin-float torpedo planes of VP-3. The end of the biplane was in sight, however, when VP-10 was activated to handle the big new P3M monoplanes. Until monoplanes like the PBY came into large-scale production in 1937, the biplanes continued to serve, often embellished with refinements like cockpit enclosures, and late-model Cyclone engines.

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