Grumman XSBF

XSBF-1
XSBF-1
General information
Type	Scout bomber
Manufacturer	Grumman
Primary user	United States Navy
Number built	1
Serial	9996
History
First flight	18 February 1936
Developed from	Grumman SF
Fate	Crashed, 25 May 1939

Last updated December 11, 2024

The Grumman XSBF, also known by the company designation G-14, was an American biplane scout bomber developed by Grumman Aircraft for the United States Navy during the 1930s. Derived from Grumman's successful "Fifi" fighter, the aircraft was developed at a time when the biplane was giving way to the monoplane. In competition against other aircraft it proved to possess inferior performance in its intended role, and did not enter production. The sole prototype went on to serve as a liaison aircraft, as well as being used in experiments by NACA, before being destroyed in a crash in 1939.

Design and development

In late 1934, the U.S. Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) issued a specification for new scout bomber and torpedo bomber designs.^[1] Eight companies submitted 10 designs in response, evenly split between monoplanes and biplanes.^[2]^{[N 1]} Grumman, having successfully provided the FF and F2F fighters to the Navy, along with the SF scout,^[1] submitted an advanced development of the SF-2 in response to the specification's request for a 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) aircraft capable of carrying a 500 lb (230 kg) bomb.^[3]^[4] Given the model number G-14 by Grumman, the aircraft received the official designation XSBF-1 by the Navy,^[1] and a contract for a single prototype was issued in March 1935.^[5]

The XSBF-1 was a two-seat biplane, featuring an enclosed cockpit, a fuselage of all-metal construction, and wings covered largely with fabric. Power was provided by a 650 hp (480 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior air-cooled radial engine driving with a variable-pitch propeller.^[1] Armament was planned to be two .30 in (7.62 mm) forward-firing M1919 Browning machine guns, one of which could be replaced by a .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning;^[1] the prototype carried only a single gun.^[6] A single .30 in weapon was fitted in the rear cockpit for defense, and one 500 lb (230 kg) bomb to be carried in a launching cradle under the fuselage. The arrestor hook was carried in a fully enclosed position, while flotation bags were fitted in the wings in case the aircraft was forced to ditch. The landing gear of the XSBF-1 was similar to that of the F3F fighter.^[1]

Operational history

The XSBF-1—piloted by test pilot Bud Gillies—flew for the first time on December 24, 1935.^[7] Following initial testing, which found the aircraft to be reasonably faultless, the XSBF-1 was delivered to the U.S. Navy for evaluation in competition with two other biplanes submitted to the 1934 specification, the Great Lakes XB2G and the Curtiss XSBC-3.^[8] Unusually for biplanes, all three types possessed retractable landing gear.^[8] The evaluation showed that the design from Curtiss was superior to the Grumman and Great Lakes designs,^[9] and an order was placed for the Curtiss type, designated SBC-3 Helldiver in service, in August 1936.^[8]

With the competition lost, the development of the XSBF-1 came to an end;^[8] the sole prototype was assigned to Naval Air Station Anacostia, where it had been tested, for use as a liaison aircraft and hack. In addition, the XSBF was used by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' Langley Research Laboratory as part of the facility's work on aeronautical research.^[10] During its time at Anacostia, the aircraft was involved in two accidents, one on 5 September 1938 and the other on 25 May 1939.^[1] The second mishap—on May 25, 1939—resulted in the strike damage to the aircraft; the XSBF-1 was no longer considered worth returning to flight status, and the aircraft was officially stricken from the Navy inventory in July 1939.^[1]

The SBF-1 designation, unusually, was re-used by the Navy during World War II, assigned to SB2C Helldivers produced under license by Fairchild Aircraft.^[7]^[11]

Operators

United States

United States Navy

Specifications (XSBF-1)

Data from^[6]^[12]^[13]^[14]

General characteristics

Crew: 2 (pilot and observer)
Length: 25 ft 9 in (7.85 m)
Upper wingspan: 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m)
Lower wingspan: 31 ft 6 in (9.60 m)
Height: 11 ft 3 in (3.43 m)
Wing area: 310 sq ft (29 m²)
Airfoil: Clark CHY
Empty weight: 3,395 lb (1,540 kg)
Gross weight: 5,002 lb (2,269 kg)
Fuel capacity: 130 US gal (490 L)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1535-72 Twin Wasp Junior radial engine, 650 hp (480 kW)
Propellers: 2-bladed Hamilton Standard variable-pitch

Performance

Maximum speed: 215 mph (346 km/h, 187 kn)
Stall speed: 67 mph (108 km/h, 58 kn)
Range: 525 mi (845 km, 456 nmi)
Combat range: 688 mi (1,107 km, 598 nmi)
Service ceiling: 26,000 ft (7,900 m)

Armament

Guns:
1 × .30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun in cowling
1 × .30 in machine gun in rear cockpit
Bombs: Up to 500 pounds (230 kg)

Related Research Articles

The Curtiss Falcon was a family of military biplane aircraft built by the American aircraft manufacturer Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company during the 1920s. Most saw service as part of the United States Army Air Corps as observation aircraft with the designations O-1 and O-11, or as the attack aircraft designated the A-3 Falcon.

The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver is a dive bomber developed by Curtiss-Wright during World War II. As a carrier-based bomber with the United States Navy (USN), in Pacific theaters, it supplemented and replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless. A few survivors are extant.

The Vought SB2U Vindicator is an American carrier-based dive bomber developed for the United States Navy in the 1930s, the first monoplane in this role. Vindicators still remained in service at the time of the Battle of Midway, but by 1943, all had been withdrawn to training units. It was known as the Chesapeake in Royal Navy service.

The Curtiss SBC Helldiver was a two-seat scout bomber and dive bomber built by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. It was the last combat military biplane procured by the United States Navy. Delivered in 1937, it became obsolete even before World War II and was kept well away from combat with Axis fighters.

The Vought SBU-1 Corsair was a two-seat, all-metal biplane dive bomber built by Vought Aircraft Company of Dallas, Texas for the US Navy. Its design was based upon the F3U-1 two-seat fighter that was abandoned when the Navy decided not to obtain any more two-seat fighters.

The Hall XPTBH was a prototype American twin-engined seaplane, submitted to the United States Navy by the Hall Aluminum Aircraft Corporation in response to a 1934 specification for new bomber and scout aircraft. Constructed in an innovative fashion that made extensive use of aluminum, the XPTBH proved successful in flight testing, but failed to win favor with the U.S. Navy. No production contract was awarded, and the single aircraft built served in experimental duties before its destruction in a hurricane during 1938.

The Vought XF2U was a prototype biplane fighter aircraft evaluated by the United States Navy at the end of the 1920s, but was already outclassed by competing designs and never put into production.

The Vought XSB3U was an American biplane scout bomber developed by Vought-Sikorsky for the United States Navy during the 1930s. Developed as an alternative to the SB2U Vindicator monoplane, the aircraft proved unsatisfactory to the Navy in comparison, and development was not pursued.

The Great Lakes BG was an American carrier-based dive bomber of the 1930s. Designed and built by the Great Lakes Aircraft Company of Cleveland, Ohio, 61 were used by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps from 1934 to 1940.

The Curtiss XBT2C was a prototype two-seat, single-engined dive/torpedo bomber developed during World War II for the United States Navy. Derived from the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver dive bomber, it was an unsuccessful competitor to meet a 1945 Navy specification for an aircraft to combine the roles that previously required separate types. Unlike the other competitors, the XBT2C was designed to accommodate a radar operator.

The Douglas XFD was a carrier-based biplane fighter aircraft designed for the United States Navy, and the first fighter to be built by the Douglas Aircraft Company. A victim of changing requirements, no production was undertaken.

The Kaiser-Fleetwings XBTK was an American dive and torpedo bomber developed by Kaiser-Fleetwings for the United States Navy starting in 1944. After only five examples had been built, with the first two being flying prototypes; the contract was terminated in September 1946.

The Great Lakes XTBG-1 was an American prototype torpedo bomber, intended for service in the United States Navy as part of that service's plan to modernise its aerial striking force in the mid-1930s. The XTBG-1 was outperformed by the competing TBD Devastator, however, in addition to having instability problems and only a single prototype of the three-seat design was constructed during 1935.

The Vought XSO2U was an American observation floatplane developed by Vought-Sikorsky for the United States Navy during the late 1930s. Intended to replace the Curtiss SOC Seagull in service as a scout aboard cruisers, it proved superior to the Curtiss SO3C in evaluation, but failed to win a production contract due to Vought's lack of manufacturing capacity.

The Consolidated XB2Y was an American prototype single-engined dive bomber of the 1930s. It was intended to meet a United States Navy requirement for a carrier-based dive bomber, but was unsuccessful, only a single example being built.

The Vought V-141 was a prototype American single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s. It was a development of the unsuccessful Northrop 3-A design, but was itself a failure, being rejected by the United States Army Air Corps. The sole prototype was sold to the Japanese Army in 1937, but no production followed, with the type proving to be inferior to existing Japanese fighters.

The Naval Aircraft Factory XOSN was an American biplane observation floatplane developed by the Naval Aircraft Factory for the United States Navy during the late 1930s.

The Keystone XOK was an American biplane observation floatplane developed for the United States Navy during the early 1930s.

References

Notes

↑ The designs submitted, in total, were the Brewster SBA, Curtiss SBC Helldiver, Douglas TBD Devastator, Great Lakes XB2G, Great Lakes XTBG, Grumman XSBF, Hall XPTBH, Northrop BT (which became the Douglas SBD Dauntless), Vought SB2U Vindicator and Vought XSB3U.^[2]

Citations

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dann 1996, p.20.
1 2 Doll 1992, p.4.
↑ Smith 1982, p.38.
↑ Friedman 1981, p.44.
↑ Andrade 1979, p.222.
1 2 Johnson 2008, p.302
1 2 Heyman and Parsch 2004
1 2 3 4 Johnson 2008, p.304.
↑ Friedman 1981, p.43.
↑ Hansen 1987, p.488.
↑ Bowers 1979, p.430.
↑ Wagner 1968
↑ Grumman, Aerofiles. Accessed 2011-01-18
↑ Lednicer 2010

Bibliography

Andrade, John (1979). U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
Baugher, Joe (October 5, 2009). "US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos, First Series (A6002 to 9999)". US Navy and US Marine Corps Aircraft Serial Numbers and Bureau Numbers--1911 to Present. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
Bowers, Peter M. (1979). Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947. New York: Putnam. ISBN 978-0-370-10029-6.
Dann, Richard S. (1996). Grumman Biplane Fighters in action. Aircraft In Action. Vol. 150. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 0-89747-353-1.
Doll, Tom (1992). SB2U Vindicator in action. Aircraft In Action. Vol. 122. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 0-89747-274-8.
Friedman, Norman (1981). Carrier Air Power. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-216-5 . Retrieved 2011-01-18.
Hansen, James R. (1987). Engineer In Charge: A History of the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, 1917-1958. NASA History Series. Vol. SP-4305. Washington, D.C.: Scientific and Technical Information Office, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ASIN B0047OKSSO . Retrieved 2011-01-18.
Heyman, Jos; Andreas Parsch (2004). "Duplications in U.S. Military Aircraft Designation Series". designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
Johnson, E.R. (2008). American Attack Aircraft Since 1926. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0786471621 . Retrieved 2011-01-18.
Lednicer, David (2010). "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". Champaign, IL: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Archived from the original on 2010-04-20. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
Smith, Peter Charles (1982). Dive Bomber! An Illustrated History. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-930-6 . Retrieved 2011-01-18.
Wagner, Roy (1968). American Combat Planes . New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-04134-8.

External links

Grumman XSBF-1, Aviation Enthusiast Corner.
"List of Design Numbers", The Grumman Pages.

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[3] The designs submitted, in total, were the Brewster SBA, Curtiss SBC Helldiver, Douglas TBD Devastator, Great Lakes XB2G, Great Lakes XTBG, Grumman XSBF, Hall XPTBH, Northrop BT (which became the Douglas SBD Dauntless), Vought SB2U Vindicator and Vought XSB3U.^[2]

[Bipe-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dann 1996, p.20.

[Vind-2] 1 2 Doll 1992, p.4.

[4] Smith 1982, p.38.

[5] Friedman 1981, p.44.

[6] Andrade 1979, p.222.

[Johnson2-7] 1 2 Johnson 2008, p.302

[Dupe-8] 1 2 Heyman and Parsch 2004

[Johnson-9] 1 2 3 4 Johnson 2008, p.304.

[10] Friedman 1981, p.43.

[11] Hansen 1987, p.488.

[12] Bowers 1979, p.430.

[13] Wagner 1968

[14] Grumman, Aerofiles. Accessed 2011-01-18

[15] Lednicer 2010

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