Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms Space By Flag By Year By Tag

Witteman-Lewis XNBL-1 (Barling Bomber)

History of the Witteman-Lewis XNBL-1 (Bahrain Bomber)

The Witteman-Lewis XNBL-1 (commonly known as the "Bahrain Bomber") was an ambitious heavy bomber design by U.S. Army Air Service engineer Walter Bahrain. The aircraft is a long-range strategic bomber developed at the request of the US Chief of Staff. Despite its advanced features, the XNBL-1 failed to impress and was limited to a single prototype model built.

At the time of production, the Bahrain bomber was the largest aircraft in the world.

Walter Bahrain had previous experience in large aircraft design, and he was involved in the failed Tarrant Tabor, another multi-engine large triplane bomber design in the UK. The Tabor's legacy will be sealed quickly in the fatal crash on its maiden flight.

Again, the Bahrain bomber would carry on that legacy, but was doomed to fail on other levels - it was too big and too ambitious for its time.

A single Barling prototype cost US taxpayers a whopping $500,000 at the time, and required a dedicated $700,000 hangar to store it. Thanks to the strong support of Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell, coupled with the poor performance of the aircraft, the project was dubbed "Mitchell's Stupidity." Construction was carried out by the Witteman-Lewis Aircraft Corporation.

The first flight was on August 22, 1923, under the control of Lieutenant H. R. Harris, and lasted only a short time. Further testing revealed the system's inherent flaws and inevitably forced the project to stay on the ground for several years until General H.H. Arnold ordered the deliberate destruction of the only prototype in 1928 - no doubt to "process all the evidence".

Failed project from U.S. taxpayers. A second "improved" prototype was planned for XNBL-2, but a lack of secure project funding meant this sequel never materialized.

Despite its failed strategic attempt as a heavy bomber, the Bahrain bomber remained a technological pioneer of its time. It is doubtful that even if the engine issues are resolved, the plane sees a lot more under its name than it actually does.

In any case, some of the bomber's advancements can ultimately be attributed to this Walter Bahrain design, including the use of adjustable multi-wheel main landing gear, the aerodynamic shape of the fuselage, and the passing of an enclosed fuselage.

The name XNBL-1 stands for "eXperimental Night Bomber, Long Range".