The Fokker Atlantic XB-8 (AF-16)

The Fokker XB-8 was a bomber built in 1929 for the

USAAC and was derived from the faster Atlantic observation aircraft XO-27.

During assembly, the second XO-27 prototype was converted into a bomber prototype, designated the XB-8.

Although the XB-8 was much faster than existing bombers, it did not have sufficient bomb capacity to be considered for production.

The wing of the XB-8 and XO-27 was constructed entirely of wood, the fuselage of steel tubing covered with linen, and the nose partly of metal.

The landing gear was retractable.

An observer/bomb aimer sat in the nose turret, the pilot behind that, and a third crew member sat in the fuselage behind the wing.

Two Curtiss V-1570 -23 Conqueror V-12 engines of 600 hp each powered the XB-8.

The XB-8 (29-328) was delivered to Wright Field in February 1931.

It did not perform as well as the competing Douglas XB-7 and only one example of the Atlantic XB-8 was built.

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