Boeing XP-8

XP-8

Boeing XP-8 (U.S. Air Force photo)
Role	Fighter
Manufacturer	Boeing
First flight	January 1928
Introduction	Cancelled
Primary user	U.S. Army Air Corps
Number built	1
Developed from	PW-9
Variants	Boeing F2B

The Boeing XP-8 (Boeing Model 66) was a prototype American biplane fighter of the 1920s, notable for its unusual design incorporating the engine radiator into the lower wing.^[1]

Design and development

Boeing developed the prototype in 1926 as a private venture, with the goal of winning the Army Air Corps competition announced in 1925. Designated by Boeing as its Model 66, the airframe was basically a PW-9 with an experimental 600 hp Packard 2A-1500 engine. In order to streamline around the engine, the radiator was moved back so that the opening coincided with the front edge of the lower wing, resulting in an unusually narrow profile around the engine.

Testing

Army testing of the aircraft began in January 1928, and it handled well, but performance was lacking, achieving only a maximum speed of 173.2 mph. Even so, the prototype continued in Air Corps service until June 1929, after which it was scrapped. The airframe design lived on in the Navy's Boeing F2B.

Operators

United States

United States Army Air Corps

Specifications (XP-8)

Data from Fighters of the United States Air Force^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: One
Length: 23 ft 5 in (7.14 m)
Wingspan: 30 ft 1 in (9.17 m)
Height: 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m)
Wing area: 260 ft² (24.15 m²)
Empty weight: 2,390 lb (1,084 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 3,421 lb (1,552 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Packard 2A-1500 liquid-cooled piston engine, 600 hp (448 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 153 knots (176 mph, 283 km/h) at 6,000 ft (1,830 m)
Cruise speed: 129 knots (148 mph, 238 km/h)
Range: 283 nm (325 mi, 523 km)
Service ceiling: 20,950 ft (6,386 m)
Rate of climb: 1,750 ft/min (8.89 m/s)

Armament

Guns: one 0.3 in and one 0.5 in machine guns

References

Notes

↑ Jones 1975, p. 34–35.
↑ Dorr and Bishop 1990, p.40.

Bibliography

Boeing Company. Pedigree of Champions: Boeing Since 1916, Third Edition. Seattle, Washington: The Boeing Company, 1969.
Dorr, Robert F. and Donald, David. Fighters of the United States Air Force. London: Temple, 1990. ISBN 0-600-55094-X.
Jones, Lloyd S. U.S. Fighters: Army-Air Force 1925 to 1980s. Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers, Inc., 1975. ISBN 0-8168-9200-8.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boeing XP-8.

Boeing XP-8

USAAS/USAAC/USAAF/USAF fighter designations 1924–1962

Pursuit (pre-1948) Fighter (post-1948)	P-1 P-2 P-3 XP-4 P-5 P-6 XP-7 XP-8 XP-9 XP-10 P-11 P-12 XP-13 XP-14 XP-15 P-16 P-17 YP-18 YP-19 YP-20 P-21 XP-22 P-23 YP-24 P-25 P-26 P-27 P-28 P-29 P-30 XP-31 P-32 P-33 XP-34 P-35 P-36 P-37 P-38 P-39 P-40 XP-41 P-42 P-43 P-44 P-45 XP-46 P-47 XP-48 XP-49 XP-50 P-51 XP-52 P-53 XP-54 XP-55 XP-56 XP-57 XP-58 P-59 P-60 P-61/C XP-62 P-63 P-64 P-65 P-66 XP-67 XP-68 P-69 P-70 XP-71 XP-72 P-73 P-74¹ P-75 XP-76 XP-77 P-78 XP-79 P-80 XP-81 P-82 XP-83 P-84 XP-85 P-86/D XP-87 P-88 P-89 XF-90 XF-91 XF-92 YF-93 F-94 F-95 F-96 F-97 F-98 F-99 F-100 F-101 F-102 XF-103 F-104 F-105 F-106 F-107 XF-108 XF-109 F-110 F-111/B

Pursuit, Biplace	PB-1 PB-2 PB-3

Fighter, Multiplace	FM-1 FM-2

¹ Not assigned See also: F-24 • F-117 • P-400 • post-1962 sequence

Boeing model numbers

Aircraft	1 2 3 4 5 6 6D 6E 7 8 10 15 16 21 40 42 50 53 54 55 58 63 64 66 67 68 69 72 74 75 77 80 81 83 89 93 95 96 99 100 101 102 200 202 203 204 205 214 215 218 221 222 223 226 227 234 235 236 246 247 248 251 256 264 266 267 273 280 281 294 299 300 306 307 314 316 344 345 367 367-80 377 400 450 451 464 466 474 479 701 818 953 707 717 (i) 717 (ii) 720 727 733 737 739 747 757 767 777 787 2707

Turbine engines	500 502 520 550

Vessels	929

Other	Boeing Customer Codes

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