| XP-15 / XF5B-1 | |
| Type: | Fighter |
| National Origin: | United States |
| First Flight: | XP-15 - 30 January 1930[1] XF5B-1 - February 1930[2] |
| Status: | XP-15 - Destroyed |
| Number Built: | 2 (1 XP-15, 1 XF5B-1) |
The Boeing XP-15 was an American prototype monoplane fighter.
This aircraft was essentially a monoplane version of the Boeing P-12, differing in having the lower wing omitted and in having all-metal construction as well as altered ailerons. The XP-15 had a split-axle undercarriage and a tail wheel.[1]
Boeing numbered the craft as its Model 202; while the United States Army accepted it for testing and designated it as XP-15, they never actually purchased it, and it retained its civil registration of X-270V.[1]
The XP-15 first flew in January 1930, when it was discovered that the vertical stabilizer (a P-12C type) needed to be larger in order to compensate for the single wing. Initial testing showed a top speed to 178 mph, but with enlarged tail surfaces and a Townend cowling, it recorded 190 mph at 8,000 ft. The aircraft performed poorly, with a poor rate of climb and a high landing speed. The USAAC did not order the aircraft for production and on 7 February 1931, the prototype was destroyed when a propeller blade failed and the engine tore loose from its mounts.[1]
The Navy was offered the similar Model 205. It first flew in February 1930. One was bought by the US Navy as the XF5B-1, but by the time flight testing was complete in 1932, other aircraft were ordered instead.
United States