Boeing F4B-2 (oz8625)
About this Plan
Boeing F4B2. Radio control sport scale biplane fighter model. Discontinued kit from Balsa Products. Wingspan 68in, wing area 1300 sq in. For .75 power and up. Scale is 1/5.
This is an Uncle Willies plan.
Note a version of this plan also appeared in Model Aviation, Jan 1994 - thanks to Pit for help with this.
Direct submission to Outerzone.
Update 3/9/2026: Added article, thanks to Pit.
Quote: "The Boeing F4B-2, by John Tanzer. One of the most maneuverable airplanes over built, is the accolade given by some pilots to the Boeing F4B Navy and P-12 Army series. These airplanes reigned supreme until the biplane fighter was gradually phased out just prior to World War II. The Boeing F4Bs and P-12s were the first single-seat fighters capable of executing all fighting maneuvers, including outside loops, when fully loaded.
The Boeing was a favorite with pilots, and was described as a dream to fly. It responded quickly to a pilot's every wish, it was easy to take off and land, and had wonderfull handling characteristics. Navy pilots loved to stand the Boeing on its tail and 'fly its wings off' for the pure enjoyment of flying.
The Navy made extensive use of the F4B-2 version of this airplane. These fighters were carrier-based a good part of the time and were flown from coast to coast. They were some of the most colorfully marked Navy aircraft in the world, and many will no doubt recall Felix the Cat and High Hat squadrons participating in the colorful alit-shows of the 1930s.
I have been flying my version of the F4B-2 for about eight years, and the flight description of the full-scale plane fits my model to a tee. With a 1.20 four-stroke engine it will fly in a scale-like manner, but with an OS 160 or ST 3000 it will give a Laser or Ultimate Bipe a run for its money.
WINGS: Cut two W-1 ribs from 1/4 plywood. They will be used as a pattern to make 28 W-1 ribs from 3/32 balsa sheet, and will later be used in the lower wing. Cut four W-2 ribs from 1/8 plywood; these ribs have notches to receive the 1/4 plywood cabane mounts. Cut four W-3 tip ribs, cut all vertical-grain shear webs, and cut four wingtips from 1/4 lite ply. Cut the rest of the wing pans as per the plan.
Begin with the upper wing. Cover the plan with clear plastic or waxed paper and pin down the front spar. Using a rib as a gauge, pin down the rear spar with a 1/4-inch-square shim under it to level the rib.
Starting with the first W-1 rib at the tip. CyA (cyanoacrylatc glue) the rib and web to the spar at same time. Add the rear web and move on to the next rib and web into the center or the wing. The webbing will keep the ribs square with the spars. Do the same to the other side of wing..."
Supplementary file notes
Article.
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(oz8625)
Boeing F4B-2
by John Tanzer
from Balsa Products, Model Aviation
January 1994
68in span
Scale IC R/C Biplane Military Fighter Kit
clean :)
all formers complete :)
got article :) -
Submitted: 16/04/2017
Filesize: 624KB
Format: • PDFbitmap
Credit*: ffrankie
Downloads: 1607
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ScaleType: This (oz8625) is a scale plan. Where possible we link scale plans to Wikipedia, using a text string called ScaleType.
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User comments
Again, thanks Pit!SteveWMD - 22/04/2017
vertical fin incorrect .had balanced top also fin was ofset 2 degrees to left.have 1/4 scale drawings if you would like a copy
anon - 11/07/2017
Thanks, but these are plans to make a flying model airplane, these are not 3-views. Comparing the two is useful sometimes, especially if say you are building for competition purposes, in which case scale fidelity would be crucial, of course. But this plan here just is what it is. It's a paper record of how a designer chose to make a flying model, and that includes all of the simplifications and compromises involved. Also, models vary from fullsize in some practical issues, so for example you mention fin offset. Generally on flying models this is replaced with a corresponding engine thrust offset, instead.
SteveWMD - 11/07/2017
I need to know the correct cg on the tanzer f4b-2. I've got two different places. And that are totally different. These drawings show mid of top wing and several other sites show 3 inch back on top wing.
Bon - 03/09/2026
Bon,
Model Aviation article and subsequent Balsa Product kit show the same cg position. Do you know other plans of John Tanzer's Boeing F4B-2 with different CG position?
Pit - 03/09/2026
You gotta big can of worms here. So many times the CG on the plans is just flat out wrong. This one looks about right, maybe a bit nose heavy. I know how it's done because I've done it. Here's how it works. Plan is drawn before being built, including a guess at the correct CG. Turns out to need adjusting after the first test flight, but the final plans are never changed. That's how I got it wrong. The usual way to find the CG on a biplane is to mark the CG on the top wing, maybe 30%, then do the same on the bottom wing. Draw a line between the two and set it at halfway. You'll be close. On this model, the bottom wing is smaller, and it has a real short fuselage, meaning you may have to move the CG forward. CG on this model looks a bit nose heavy, probably a safe way to go. It's also a kit plan, re-drawn by Uncle Willie. He usually makes a better plan then the kit version, but we just don't know. If it were me, I would go with the published plan. I've built two biplanes in my career. One flew beautifully for years. The other one didn't fly. Biplanes usually feel heavy. keep it as light as possible.
Doug Smith - 03/09/2026
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- Boeing F4B-2 (oz8625)
- Plan File Filesize: 624KB Filename: Boeing_F4B-2_68in_oz8625.pdf
- Supplement Filesize: 1187KB Filename: Boeing_F4B-2_68in_oz8625_article.pdf
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Scaling
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