The Boeing Model 8, a.k.a. BB-L6, was an American biplane aircraft designed by Boeing specifically for their test pilot, Herb Munter.

Development and design

The Model 8 design was inspired by the Ansaldo A.1 Balilla. The fuselage was covered in mahogany plywood, with a two-passenger forward cockpit and pilot rear cockpit, a seating configuration that would be the standard for all following three-seaters. The wing configuration and powerplant were similar to the Boeing Model 7.^[1]

The Model 8 first flew in 1920, and was the first aircraft to fly over Mount Rainier. The aircraft was destroyed in a hangar fire in Kent, Washington in 1923.^[2]

Specifications (BB-L6)

Data from Bowers, 1989. pg. 54.

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Capacity: three
• Wingspan: 44 ft 9 in (13.64 m)
• Height: 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m)
• Wing area: 465 sq ft (43.2 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,652 lb (749 kg)
• Gross weight: 2,632 lb (1,194 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Hall-Scott L-6 , 200 hp (150 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 100 mph (161 km/h, 87 kn)
• Cruise speed: 90 mph (145 km/h, 78 kn)
• Range: 450 mi (724 km, 390 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,600 m)