The U.S. Navy has had many long-range patrol aircraft, but perhaps none were more famous than the P2V-1
Truculent Turtle.
Less well-remembered is the Navy's prototype Boeing XP3B, the
Petulant Penguin.
It all started as World War II was coming to a close and the U.S. Navy sought the increased performance of jet-propulsion.
Boeing engineers are among the most innovative in the aircraft industry and quickly responded to the Navy's request with a twin-engine design for the next-generation of patrol aircraft and a prototype was ordered right off the drawing board.
The Boeing XP3B completed flight testing and was seen as ideal for making a long-range flight to test out the Navy's new system of world-wide direction-finding beacons.
This was officially dubbed the Polar Enhanced Navigation Global Unified Information Network or PENGUIN for short, so it was only natural that the Boeing XP3B prototype testing it out would also be called the Penguin.
This test flight would not only be record-setting but would also take things in a new direction. While most 'round-the-world flights followed the equator
this one would run pole-to-pole.
Even though requisite clearances had been obtained from most of the countries being over-flown, it was deemed wise to emblazon the Boeing XP3B, now given the name
Petulant Penguin with extra-large U.S. insignia to avoid any embarrassing incidents.
The dawn came early and bright as the XP3B
Petulant Penguin took off on June 31, 1951 from NAS Salton Sea in California.
The
Petulant Penguin headed north and once it was far from civilization, it was guided flawlessly by the Polar Enhanced Navigation Global Unified Information Network.
Despite suffering a few 20 m.m. "bird strikes" as it briefly over-flew Trashcant Oblast S.S.R., the
Petulant Penguin continued on its odyssey and eventually made it back home after crossing
both poles.
Even though the flight was a great success, the Boeing XP3B would never enter service with the U.S. Navy due to an inherent design flaw. While enlisted crew liked that it was impossible to take verbal orders in the aft cabin due to high noise levels caused by locating the engines in the wing-roots, this would doom the type to ignominy as all U.S. Navy brass insist on being heard as well as seen.
Nothing exists of the Boeing XP3B today except some faded newspaper clippings and the fond memories of a few old salts who were lucky enough to fly the
Petulant Penguin.
Brian da Basher