Awesome plane. It makes a nice comparison to the larger Dornier Do X. The Do X had a more than 46000 lb higher max weight but the speed difference was HUGE in the B-15's favor.
A beautiful, advanced monplane design strategic bomber only thirty or so years after the Wright Brothers first flight. Boeing's engineering department was able to get this from the sketch pad to flight testing in a matter of a couple of years. If only the adequate powerplants and defensive armaments were in place, the US could have had a long-range strategic bomber force ready at the start of WW II. As it was, it laid the groundwork for warplanes like the B-17 and very advanced B-29.
Wow! Great video of old granpappy ! It is so amazing to see some shots of the giant running and flying! I love to see any old films from the 30's and 40's and the music is great too!
They should've re-engined it with Allison V-3420's like the XB-19... R-3350's or at least a later turbocharged version of the R-1830. The R-1830's at 850 HP made the XB-15 gutless.
That thing looked space age for the time... So aerodynamicly... Correct... But no way, we can't have any of that in the Army(as it was still the USAAF at the time). L.O.L, Keep em coming!
A guy my Dad grew up with on Queen Anne was about 4' 8", & when he applied to Boeings they put him right to work working inside the wings of the XB-15, 299, & other a/c, & the last we saw of him he'd just retired after almost 60 years at Plant 2
He was born in 1914. Ray was a Boeing test pilot during the first years of the War.
I asked him about the B-15 and he remembered it well. "Terribly slow and heavy to control." There were no servos. Everything was hand operated. To crank the landing gear was long work. The pressures needed for all the controls were large and the travels long, and flying that plane could wear you out.
Awesome plane. It makes a nice comparison to the larger Dornier Do X. The Do X had a more than 46000 lb higher max weight but the speed difference was HUGE in the B-15's favor.
rpurdey 2 months ago
A beautiful, advanced monplane design strategic bomber only thirty or so years after the Wright Brothers first flight. Boeing's engineering department was able to get this from the sketch pad to flight testing in a matter of a couple of years. If only the adequate powerplants and defensive armaments were in place, the US could have had a long-range strategic bomber force ready at the start of WW II. As it was, it laid the groundwork for warplanes like the B-17 and very advanced B-29.
madcitymcflyer 7 months ago
Wow! Great video of old granpappy ! It is so amazing to see some shots of the giant running and flying! I love to see any old films from the 30's and 40's and the music is great too!
hankyhoyo 11 months ago
So many aircraft designed in the '30s were underpowered, probably due to a lack of investment in engine development.
Hanglands 1 year ago
Impressively large but grossly underpowered. Six engines might have made it viable, but as flown it was pretty hopeless.
problem49 1 year ago
@problem49
They should've re-engined it with Allison V-3420's like the XB-19... R-3350's or at least a later turbocharged version of the R-1830. The R-1830's at 850 HP made the XB-15 gutless.
taylortownmayor 1 year ago
@taylortownmayor i agree. this thing was waaaaaaay underpowered. it needed at least 1800 hp engines. i think this would have been a good bomber.
mww88 1 year ago
Thanks Bomberguy !!!
This is priceless !!
canals22 2 years ago
great plane, beautifull wings, i love your chanel man, where you find this music??? very nice
kepler98 2 years ago
i agree greatly!
drafe007 2 years ago
@kepler98 The Lead Vocal is actually BomberGuy
tsns1 2 months ago
That thing looked space age for the time... So aerodynamicly... Correct... But no way, we can't have any of that in the Army(as it was still the USAAF at the time). L.O.L, Keep em coming!
noonedude101 3 years ago
A guy my Dad grew up with on Queen Anne was about 4' 8", & when he applied to Boeings they put him right to work working inside the wings of the XB-15, 299, & other a/c, & the last we saw of him he'd just retired after almost 60 years at Plant 2
teenonator 3 years ago
My late next door neighbor was a career pilot.
He was born in 1914. Ray was a Boeing test pilot during the first years of the War.
I asked him about the B-15 and he remembered it well. "Terribly slow and heavy to control." There were no servos. Everything was hand operated. To crank the landing gear was long work. The pressures needed for all the controls were large and the travels long, and flying that plane could wear you out.
reidsteam 3 years ago
Keep 'em coming, Bomberguy!
denberg2 4 years ago
Music is just great , " Andrew Sisters"
fordroad 4 years ago