GIN124 Naval Fighter #124 - Boeing XPBB-1 Sea Ranger / Lone Ranger

By Steve Ginter

32-pages, all b&w, 12-drawings, 79-photos

In 1940 the Navy awarded Boeing a contact for the XPBB-1, a large 139.8 foot wing span twin-engine flying boat with performance far superior to the four-engine PB2Y Coronado and the twin-engined PBM Mariner. The airplane was named the "Sea Ranger" and later the "Lone "Ranger" when the project was cancelled. It and the B-29 were built with virtually the same wing. The aircraft had excellent flying qualities and was capable of a 4,720 mile range. But the need for the new B-29 killed the program. B-29 production took over the newly built plant meant to build the XPBB-1.