New Boeing “Death Angel” to be World’s Fastest Bomber (Aug, 1931)
Filed under: Aviation, War — @ 12:54 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Aug, 1931
| Buy on Ebay
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Aug, 1931
| Buy on Ebay
I just think “Death Angel” is a cool name for a plane.
New Boeing “Death Angel” to be World’s Fastest Bomber
THE latest addition to Uncle Sam’s air forces is a veritable flying fortress-Dubbed the “Death Angel” because she is capable of attaining highest speed of any bomber and can carry a ton of explosives, four machine guns fore and aft and a crew of five men, the giant Boeing bombing plane shown above will prove one of the nation’s most fearful weapons. The plane has a wing spread of 86 feet and is powered by two 575 h.p. motors mounted in the wings.
I think that’s a Boeing “B-9″. Perhaps they thought B9 was too benign sounding.
(Civilian version was 215 – before they started using ‘7’s.)
Comment by Toronto — September 10, 2008 @ 7:14 am
In 1930, Boeing created the revolutionary Monomail, which made traditional biplane construction a design of the past. The Monomail wing was set lower, was smooth, made entirely of metal and had no struts (cantilevered construction). The retractable landing gear, the streamlined fuselage and the engine covered by an antidrag cowling added up to an advanced, extremely aerodynamic design.
The Monomail Model 200 was a mail plane, and the Model 221 was a six-passenger transport. Both were later revised for transcontinental passenger service as Model 221As.
The major drawback of the Monomail was that its design was too advanced for the engines and propellers of the time. The airplane required a low-pitch propeller for takeoff and climb and a high-pitch propeller to cruise. By the time the variable-pitch propeller and more powerful engines were available, the Monomail was being replaced by newer, multiengine planes it had inspired.
The Boeing B-9 bomber was the earliest plane based on the Monomail design. It had a top speed of 186 mph and could outrun the fighters of the day by 5 mph. The monoplane bomber reached this speed although it had a five-person crew (in open cockpits) and carried a 2,400-pound bomb load.
Boeing built the YB-9 prototype bombers at company expense to show their design potential to the military. This high-speed aircraft inspired other airplane manufacturers to launch a new generation of bombers, such as the Martin B-10. Because fighters were expected to be faster than bombers, the B-9 also led to the first monoplane fighters.
First flight: April 13, 1931
Model number: 214/215
Classification: Bomber
Span: 76 feet
Length: 51 feet 5 inches
Gross weight: 13,919 pounds
Top speed: 186 mph
Cruising speed: 158 mph
Range: 1,150 miles
Ceiling: 20,150 feet
Power: Two 600-horsepower P&W Hornet engines
Accommodation: 5 crew
Armament: 2 machine guns, 2,400-pound bomb load
Comment by Greg in Seattle — September 10, 2008 @ 10:27 am
Interesting. Many online sources credit Seattle Times reporter Richard Williams with coining the term “flying fortress” in 1935 when describing what would eventually be known as the B-17, but here the term is used in 1931.
Comment by LightningRose — September 10, 2008 @ 12:09 pm
Does anybody name their product “Death” today? Interesting.
For big projects, they seem to prefer “Peace” and “Protect” and such.
Not “Death” and “Destroy”.
If the book has not been written already, the topic is waiting.
Comment by Essjay` — September 10, 2008 @ 6:24 pm
Who would win, Death Angel or Rotolactor?
Comment by Torgo — September 10, 2008 @ 6:58 pm