Witteman-Lewis XNBL-1 "Barling Bomber"

[Triton]

Witteman-Lewis XNBL-1 "Barling Bomber"

"The Barling Bomber: An American Six-Engined Giant" Flight December 13, 1923

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1923/1923%20-%200749.html

Source:

Hawaii Aviation

An Archive of Historic Photos and Facts

hawaii.gov

 

[toura]

Hi Triton
From the French "Aviation magazine"

 

[Stargazer]

Also known as the Engineering Division XNBL-1, the "Barling Bomber" was also frequently characterized by opponents of airpower as "Mitchell’s Folly", after Brig.-Gen. William "Billy" Mitchell, who had championed the project.

Wikipedia article : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witteman-Lewis_XNBL-1

 

[Triton]

Source:
http://www.planeaday.com/archives/2010_Oct.htm
http://crimso.msk.ru/Site/Crafts/Craft21579.htm

 

[Jos Heyman]

Designed by Barling of the Engineering Division, two NBL-1s were ordered on 23 June 1920 with Witteman Lewis with serials 64215/64216. Only the first aircraft was built and it flew for the first time on 22 August 1923 and remained in use until 7 May 1925. It was also flown with Wright Field serial P-303.

 

[Clioman]

IIRC, the story goes that the more-or-less delict aircraft was taking up valuable hangar space. Then-Major Hap Arnold waited until the base commander was out of town, and then ordered it to be burned. And that was that...

 

[Nik]

Those otherwise excellent drawings conceal the inner engine nacelles, and the links didn't help much...


I take it they were tandem engines, one pull, one push ??

 

[hesham]

Hi,

http://archive.aviationweek.com/image/spread/19221023/16/2

 

[Wingknut]

Hi folks,
I think this seems to be Barling's patent for the XNBL-1's engine arrangement, filed April 8th, 1924:
'Motor arrangement for aircraft', (US 1557790), https://www.google.ch/patents/US1557790
Thanks, 'Wingknut'