 The XSBF-1—piloted by test pilot Bud Gillies—flew for the first time on December 24, 1935.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.Unusually for biplanes, all three types possessed retractable landing gear.