Boeing XB-15
Boeing · United States · first flew 1937 · bomber
The Boeing XB-15 was a one-off experimental heavy bomber built to explore very-long-range, large-airframe bomber design, and at its 1937 first flight was the largest aircraft yet built in the United States.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | twin main undercarriage on a tall, deep fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- four large radial engines spaced along a long low wing
- twin main undercarriage on a tall, deep fuselage
- huge experimental bomber, visibly larger than a contemporary B-17
Its huge wingspan relative to a comparatively slim fuselage and four widely spaced radial engines distinguish it from the later, more compact B-17.
Specifications
- The Boeing XB-15 has a length of 26.7 m (88 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 45.43 m (149 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 317 km/h (197 mph).
- Typical crew: 10.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Ordered in the early 1930s as a bomber design study, its sheer size outpaced available engine power, leaving it underpowered and limiting its speed and ceiling; it never entered production, but its wing and systems experience fed directly into the later Boeing B-17 and the civil Boeing 314 Clipper.
Variants
Only a single XB-15 was built; after its bomber trials it was converted to a transport role and redesignated XC-105.
Where you'll see it
The sole aircraft served in a transport capacity into the early 1940s before being scrapped; it never saw UK service.
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