During assembly, the second prototype XO-27 was converted to a bomber prototype, dubbed the XB-8. While the XB-8 was much faster than existing biplane bombers, it did not have the bomb capacity to be considered for production. Two YB-8s and 4 Y1B-8s were ordered, but these were changed mid-production to Y1O-27 configuration.
The wing of the XB-8 and XO-27 was built entirely from wood, although the fuselage was constructed of steel tubes covered with fabric with the exception of the nose which had a corrugated metal.[1] They featured the first retractable landing gear ever fitted to an Army Air Corps bomber or observation craft. The undercarriage retracted electrically. The crew was three in tandem position.[1]
Operational historyedit
It competed against the Douglas Y1B-7/XO-36. Both promised to greatly exceed the performance of the large biplane bombers then used by the Army Air Corps. However, the Douglas XB-7 was markedly better in performance than the XB-8, and no further versions of Fokker's aircraft were built.
Army's Mystery Plane Passes Speed Test – Popular Science
– National Museum of the US Air Force
January 01, 1970
fokker, bomber, built, united, states, army, corps, 1930s, derived, from, high, speed, fokker, observation, aircraft, prototype, role, bomber, manufacturer, general, aviation, corporation, designer, fokker, first, flight, october, 1930, february, 1931, primary. The Fokker XB 8 was a bomber built for the United States Army Air Corps in the 1930s derived from the high speed Fokker O 27 observation aircraft XB 8 XB 8 prototype Role Bomber Manufacturer General Aviation Corporation 1 Designer Fokker First flight 20 October 1930 as XO 27 February 1931 as XB 8 Primary user United States Army Air Corps Number built 7 1 XB 8 2 YB 8 4 Y1B 8 all as Y1O 27 Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 3 Operators 4 Specifications XB 8 5 See also 6 References 6 1 Notes 6 2 Bibliography 7 External linksDesign and development edit nbsp Fokker O 27 During assembly the second prototype XO 27 was converted to a bomber prototype dubbed the XB 8 While the XB 8 was much faster than existing biplane bombers it did not have the bomb capacity to be considered for production Two YB 8s and 4 Y1B 8s were ordered but these were changed mid production to Y1O 27 configuration The wing of the XB 8 and XO 27 was built entirely from wood although the fuselage was constructed of steel tubes covered with fabric with the exception of the nose which had a corrugated metal 1 They featured the first retractable landing gear ever fitted to an Army Air Corps bomber or observation craft The undercarriage retracted electrically The crew was three in tandem position 1 Operational history editIt competed against the Douglas Y1B 7 XO 36 Both promised to greatly exceed the performance of the large biplane bombers then used by the Army Air Corps However the Douglas XB 7 was markedly better in performance than the XB 8 and no further versions of Fokker s aircraft were built Operators edit nbsp United States United States Army Air CorpsSpecifications XB 8 editData from Fokker s Twilight 2 General characteristicsCrew 4 Length 47 ft 4 in 14 42 m Wingspan 64 ft 4 in 19 60 m Height 11 ft 6 in 3 50 m Wing area 619 sq ft 57 5 m2 Empty weight 6 861 lb 3 112 kg Gross weight 10 650 lb 4 824 kg Powerplant 2 Curtiss V 1570 23 Conqueror V12 engines 600 hp 450 kW each Performance Maximum speed 160 mph 260 km h 140 kn See also editAircraft of comparable role configuration and era Douglas Y1B 7 Related lists List of bomber aircraft List of military aircraft of the United StatesReferences editNotes edit a b c Cellier Flight 23 August 1934 p 864 Pelletier 2005 p 64 Bibliography edit Cellier Alfred 23 August 1934 American Military Monoplanes Flight Vol XXVI no 1339 pp 862 865 Retrieved 9 January 2024 Pelletier Alain J Fokker Twilight Air Enthusiast No 117 May June 2005 pp 62 66 ISSN 0143 5450 Wagner Ray American Combat Planes New York Doubleday 1982 ISBN 0 930083 17 2 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fokker XB 8 O 27 USAAS 1000 Aircraft Photos permanent dead link Army s Mystery Plane Passes Speed Test Popular Science Atlantic Fokker XB 8 National Museum of the US Air Force Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fokker XB 8 amp oldid 1194570213, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
