The 1913-1914 designed Curtiss F-boat was ordered by the Navy in 1916 for use as a training aircraft. Upon entry into the war the design was chosen by the Navy as the standard flying boat for use as a primary trainer. In 1917 a greatly revised F-boat was made available, the principle changes being a conversion from the Curtiss shoulder-yoke aileron control to the Deperdussin control. The First Yale unit was trained on a privately owned F-boat. The aircraft was used at virtually every naval base in the United States providing training for prospective flying boat pilots.