Boeing Model 8

(Redirected from Boeing BB-L6)

The Boeing Model 8, a.k.a. BB-L6, was an American biplane aircraft designed by Boeing specifically for their test pilot, Herb Munter.

Model 8
Role civil biplane
Manufacturer Boeing
First flight 24 May 1920
Status destroyed
Primary user Herb Munter
Number built 1

Development and design

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The Model 8 design was inspired by the Ansaldo A.1 Balilla. The fuselage was covered in mahogany plywood, with a two-passenger forward cockpit and pilot rear cockpit, a seating configuration that would be the standard for all following three-seaters. The wing configuration and powerplant were similar to the Boeing Model 7.[1]

The Model 8 first flew in 1920, and was the first aircraft to fly over Mount Rainier. The aircraft was destroyed in a hangar fire in Kent, Washington in 1923.[2]

Specifications (BB-L6)

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Data from Bowers, 1989. pg. 54.

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Capacity: three
  • Wingspan: 44 ft 9 in (13.64 m)
  • Height: 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m)
  • Wing area: 465 sq ft (43.2 m2)
  • Empty weight: 1,652 lb (749 kg)
  • Gross weight: 2,632 lb (1,194 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Hall-Scott L-6 , 200 hp (150 kW)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 100 mph (161 km/h, 87 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 90 mph (145 km/h, 78 kn)
  • Range: 450 mi (724 km, 390 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,600 m)

References

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  1. ^ Bowers, 1989. pg. 54.
  2. ^ Bowers, 1989. pg. 54.
  • Bowers, Peter M. Boeing aircraft since 1916. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1989. ISBN 0-85177-804-6.
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