The Witteman-Lewis XNBL-1 Barling Bomber, designed by Walter Barling, was the largest aircraft in the world when first flown on August 22, 1923. Built as an experimental aircraft for the US Army, it could reach 95.5 mph but, weighing 42,569 pounds, it was not able to climb high enough to fly over the Appalachian mountains. It lay in disrepair for 5 years and was destroyed in 1928. da http://pro.corbis.com/search/Enlarg...diauid={65A34A69-9EC4-4DAA-B1F4-23DFBD24D0A5}