The Fokker XB-8 was a bomber built for the United States Army Air Corps in the 1920s, derived from the high-speed Fokker O-27 observation aircraft. 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. 2 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, though the fuselage was constructed of steel tubes covered with fabric. They featured the first retractable landing gear ever fitted to an Army Air Corps bomber or observation craft.

It competed against a design submitted by Douglas Aircraft Company, the 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 craft were built

Specifications (Y1B-7)

General Characteristics

• Crew: 4
• Length: 47 ft 0 in (14.3 m)
• Wingspan: 64 ft 0 in (19.5 m)
• Height: 11 ft 6 in (3.5 m)
• Wing area: 619 ft² (57.5 m²)
• Empty: 6,861 lb (3,112 kg)
• Loaded: 10,545 lb (4,783 kg)
• Maximum takeoff: lb ( kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Curtiss V-1570 -23 'Conquerors' of 600 hp (450 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 160 mph (260 km/h)
• Combat Range: miles ( km)
• Service ceiling: ft ( m)
• Wing loading: lb/ft² ( kg/m²)
• Power/Mass: 0.114 hp/lb (0.19 kW/kg)

Links

• Wagner, Ray (1982). American Combat Planes. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0930083172.
• Encyclopedia of American aircraft
• Photograph of XB-8
• USAF Museum article on XB-8

Related Content

Comparable aircraft: Douglas Y1B-7

Designation sequence: B-5 - B-6 - Y1B-7 - XB-8 - Y1B-9 - B-10 - YB-11

Related Lists: List of military aircraft of the United States - List of bomber aircraft