Which 1920s aircraft was the largest in the world on its…

Which 1920s aircraft was the largest in the world on its first flight?

Short answer

Not the largest in the world: the Witteman-Lewis XNBL-1, the Barling bomber, was the largest aircraft built in the United States until the Boeing XB-15 of 1935. It was a large six-engined triplane with a circular-section fuselage, designed by Walter H. Barling.

Published: November 4, 2026 · Updated: November 4, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Which 1920s aircraft was the largest in the world on its first flight?

WITTEMAN LEWIS XNBL-1 USAF

A six-engined triplane

The XNBL-1, known as the Barling bomber, was a large six-engined triplane with a circular-section fuselage, just like the Tabor. Its powerplant consisted of six Liberty L-12 A engines of 420 hp (313 kW) each. The aircraft's design was the work of Walter H. Barling. Construction was carried out by Witteman-Lewis, a company based in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. The aircraft was the largest built in the United States until the Boeing XB-15 appeared in 1935.

A duration of 1 h 47 min and the Appalachians

On October 3, 1924, the aircraft logged a duration of 1 hour 47 minutes. On a flight meant to take it from Dayton, Ohio, to an air show scheduled in Washington, D.C., the Barling bomber failed to gain enough altitude to clear the Appalachian Mountains and had to turn back.